The Serpent's Egg (film)
| The Serpent's Egg | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Ingmar Bergman |
| Produced by | Dino De Laurentiis |
| Written by | Ingmar Bergman |
| Starring |
David Carradine Isolde Barth Heinz Bennent Toni Berger Christian Berkel Liv Ullmann |
| Cinematography | Sven Nykvist |
| Distributed by |
Paramount Pictures MGM Home Entertainment (DVD) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 120 min. |
| Language |
English German |
The Serpent's Egg is a 1977 American-West German drama film directed by Ingmar Bergman and starring David Carradine and Liv Ullmann. The story is set in 1920s Berlin and features English and German dialogue. This was Bergman's one and only Hollywood film. The title is taken from a line spoken by Brutus in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: And therefore think him as a serpent's egg / Which hatch'd, would, as his kind grow mischievous; / And kill him in the shell.
Synopsis
Abel Rosenberg is an American Jew in Berlin after World War I. Poverty and inflation have destroyed the German economy at the time. He lives with his sister-in-law Manuela, a prostitute and cabaret performer. The story takes place in the week following his brother's death. Abel takes a job offered by an acquaintance, Professor Hans Vergerus.
Cast
- Liv Ullmann (Manuela Rosenberg)
- David Carradine (Abel Rosenberg)
- Gert Fröbe (Inspector Bauer)
- Heinz Bennent (Hans Vergérus)
- James Whitmore (Priest)
- Glynn Turman (Monroe)
- Georg Hartmann (Hollinger)
- Edith Heerdegen (Mrs Holle)
- Kyra Mldeck (Miss Dorst)
- Fritz Straßner (Doctor Soltermann)
- Hans Quest (Doctor Silbermann)
- Wolfgang Weiser (Official)
- Paula Braend (Mrs. Hemse)
- Walter Schmidinger (Solomon)
- Lisi Mangold (Mikaela)
- Grischa Huber (Stella)
- Paul Bürks
- Toni Berger (Mr. Rosenberg)
- Erna Brunell (Mrs. Rosenberg)
- Isolde Barth
- Rosemarie Heinikel
- Andrea L'Arronge
- Beverly McNeely
- Hans Eichler (Max)
- Kai Fischer
- Harry Kalenberg
- Gaby Dohm
- Christian Berkel (Student)
- Paul Burian
- Charles Regnier
- Günter Meisner
- Heide Picha
- Günter Malzacher
- Hubert Mittendorf
- Hertha von Walther
- Ellen Umlauf
- Renate Grosser
- Hildegard Busse
- Richard Bohne
- Emil Feist
- Heino Hallhuber
- Irene Steinbeisser
Response
The film was made one year after Ingmar Bergman left Sweden for Germany following a tax evasion charge. The film opened to mostly negative reviews by critics. Many felt David Carradine was terribly miscast and that the movie was not like Bergman's past films.
References
External links
- The Serpent's Egg at the Internet Movie Database
- The Serpent's Egg at AllMovie
- The Serpent's Egg at the TCM Movie Database
- The Serpent's Egg at the Swedish Film Institute Database