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The Serpent's Egg

Play trailer Poster for The Serpent's Egg R,  1978,  2h 0m,  Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 21% 19 Reviews Tomatometer 56% 2,500+ Ratings Popcornmeter
21% Tomatometer 19 Reviews 56% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
After his brother inexplicably commits suicide, unemployed Jewish-American circus performer Abel Rosenberg (David Carradine) is stuck in Berlin with his sister-in-law, Manuela (Liv Ullmann), a cabaret singer. Desperate circumstances lead to the pair taking jobs at a medical facility run by Professor Hans Vergerus (Heinz Bennent), who also offers to give them shelter. However, the clinic turns out to be a very sinister place, and soon the lives of Abel and Manuela are in serious jeopardy.

Critics Reviews

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Variety Staff Variety Aug 1, 2007
The Serpent's Egg lacks both the strength and depth of Bergman's major work. By going outwardly international, the master becomes perilously close to becoming shallow as well. Go to Full Review
Derek Adams Time Out Feb 9, 2006
Bergman's paranoia runs dementedly and tediously out of control. Go to Full Review
Vincent Canby New York Times May 9, 2005
2/5
A melodrama that never quite makes any connection to the characters within it. Go to Full Review
Tim Brayton Alternate Ending Dec 18, 2020
2/5
The Serpent's Egg is just about the worst thing for a film like this to be: it is indulgent and mercilessly dull. Go to Full Review
Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Sep 22, 2020
2.0/4.0
One of Bergman's darkest films. Go to Full Review
Jesús Fernández Santos El Pais (Spain) Jul 31, 2019
Unlike other Bergman films, the dialogue here is purely informative and the dramatic moments fall into absurd gruesomeness. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
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The Serpent's Egg

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Ingmar Bergman

Director

Liv Ullmann

Manuela Rosenberg

David Carradine

Abel Rosenberg

Gert Fröbe

Inspector Bauer

Heinz Bennent

Hans Vergerus

Glynn Turman

Monroe

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The Serpent's Egg

The Serpent's Egg (1978) The Serpent's Egg (1978) The Serpent's Egg (1978) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis After his brother inexplicably commits suicide, unemployed Jewish-American circus performer Abel Rosenberg (David Carradine) is stuck in Berlin with his sister-in-law, Manuela (Liv Ullmann), a cabaret singer. Desperate circumstances lead to the pair taking jobs at a medical facility run by Professor Hans Vergerus (Heinz Bennent), who also offers to give them shelter. However, the clinic turns out to be a very sinister place, and soon the lives of Abel and Manuela are in serious jeopardy.
Director
Ingmar Bergman
Producer
Dino De Laurentiis
Screenwriter
Ingmar Bergman
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Jan 1, 1980
Runtime
2h 0m
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