Hour of the Wolf

Unfortunately, there was just not enough to chew on in this. I was most excited for this of the Ingmar Bergman films I had not yet seen, but I found myself bored and disinterested through the majority of the movie. For whatever reason, Liv Ullmann's acting style just does not click with me. I often find her performances so reserved that they come across as emotionally distant and difficult to connect with. I generally like Max von Sydow, but he was relatively uninteresting here as well. It felt like all the personality was drained out of the film except for a couple of scenes and the final 20 minutes. For most of the runtime, I just had nothing to latch onto.

That said, I did love the more dramatic scenes and, of course, the final 20 minutes. I almost wish the entire movie leaned further into the strange, metaphorical, and surreal elements that appeared toward the end. I understand that there are deeper meanings and themes throughout, but I found myself completely disengaged during the dinner scene, and I needed a little more substance to go along with the style. This was still somewhat enjoyable, but I don't think I can give it more than a 6/10. There were just too many things getting in the way for me to say I truly liked it. A repeat viewing, along with reading some other perspectives, might help me appreciate it more. If there is something I am missing, I would genuinely love to hear what others see in it.