The Passion of Anna is a Swedish film directed by Ingmar Bergman and released in 1969. The film explores the themes of emotional isolation, grief, faith, and love, as well as the impact of violence on a community.
The main character, Andreas, is played by Max von Sydow, who was a frequent collaborator with Bergman. Andreas is a man in his forties who has recently separated from his wife and is struggling to connect with others emotionally. He meets a married couple, Elis (played by Bibi Andersson) and Evald (played by Erland Josephson), who are also going through psychological turmoil. Andreas becomes friends with them and begins to open up about his own struggles.
As they spend more time together, Andreas meets Anna (played by Liv Ullmann), who is grieving the recent deaths of her husband and son. Anna is a deeply religious woman who is searching for truth and meaning in her life. Andreas is drawn to her faith and sincerity, and they begin a love affair.
However, as their relationship develops, Anna's delusions and inner turmoil begin to surface. Andreas struggles to understand her and struggles with his own feelings of humiliation and inadequacy. He is unable to fully connect with her emotionally and remains isolated.
Meanwhile, the island community is victimized by an unknown person committing acts of animal cruelty. The violence and cruelty affect everyone, and the characters struggle to make sense of the senseless acts.
The Passion of Anna is a complex and emotionally intense film that explores the fragility of human relationships and the difficulty of finding meaning and connection in life. It is typical of Bergman's style, which is often characterized by deep introspection, psychological realism, and existential themes.