The Serpent's Egg

"The kind of terror that could never be... until now... until Bergman!"

1977 2h 0m EN

😐

6.2

MID

★6.2TMDB · 131

MysteryDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 1923 Berlin, following the suicide of his brother, an American acrobat struggles to survive while facing unemployment, depression, alcoholism, and the social decay of Germany during the Weimar Republic.

“The kind of terror that could never be... until now... until Bergman!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

David Carradine
Abel Rosenberg
Liv Ullmann
Manuela Rosenberg
Gert Fröbe
Inspector Bauer
Heinz Bennent
Hans Vergerus
Toni Berger
Monsieur Rosenberg
Christian Berkel
Student
Paula Braend
Madame Hemse
Erna Brünell
Madame Rosenberg

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ingmar Bergman
Writers: Ingmar Bergman
Languages: German, English
Countries: Germany, Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

49 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Germany, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ingmar Bergman, shot by Sven Nykvist. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Rolf A. Wilhelm. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jutta Hering shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

David Carradine and Liv Ullmann and Gert Fröbe carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The kind of terror that could never be... until now... until Bergman!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ingmar Bergman directs. Sven Nykvist behind the camera. Rolf A. Wilhelm scores. Jutta Hering cuts. Produced in Germany, Italy. Dialogue in German, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

149 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, English.
3International production across 2 countries: Germany, Italy.
4Directed by Ingmar Bergman, shot by Sven Nykvist. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Rolf A. Wilhelm. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Jutta Hering shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7David Carradine and Liv Ullmann and Gert Fröbe carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The kind of terror that could never be... until now... until Bergman!".
9IMDB entry: tt0076686 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.