Product Details

• Actors: Anita Björk, Eva Dahlbeck, Maj-Britt Nilsson, Birger Malmsten, Gunnar Björnstrand
• Directors: Ingmar Bergman
• Format: Black & White, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: Swedish
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Homevision
• VHS Release Date: June 16, 2000
• Run Time: 107 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302798248
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #292,182 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Bergman takes an uncharacteristically lighthearted look at marital infidelity in Secrets of Women, a sophisticated comedy that was his first commercial success. While waiting in a country house for their husbands to arrive, three sisters-in-law share the intimate secrets of their marriages and affairs. A fourth sister-in-law declares mysteriously that she has no story to tell. Told in flashbacks, and entirely from the women's point of view, the three episodes build from straightforward realism to a colorful, dreamlike expressionism. Bergman's fascinating illumination of the ironies of life and love culminates in the famous scene in which a bored husband and wife (Bergman favorites Gunnar Bjornstrand and Eva Dahlbeck) rediscover their lost ardor while trapped in an elevator.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love's Labours Lost (and Found!), January 20, 2002

By 

David (Joplin, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of Women [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Bergman films not only entertain, they challenge the viewer to figure out what the director is trying to convey. 1952's Secrets of Women is no different. Here, the master explores the nature of romance from the perspective of five women who are connected by men they know. Bergman's thesis is that women start out with a romantic ideal of what a relationship should be; however, this ideal is shattered by the reality of human nature --- infidelity, selfishness, feelings of loneliness. Although women must eventually compromise their romantic ideals, they ultimately adapt in order to hang onto all the love they can.

In stark black and white, Bergman once again invites the viewer to join him on a journey to understand the meaning of life and the human psyche. And as always, his work results in mesmerizing interactive cinema. Those who enjoy the art of directing and moviemaking will find this video intellectually stimulating. Others may only find it devoid of action. But then, they don't understand what Bergman does --- that the real action takes place within the mind of man.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the loveliest films that I know!, February 14, 2005

By 

Frankfurterin "FFM" (Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of Women [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I saw this early masterpiece of Ingmar Bergman 20 years ago once and could never forget it. I am so happy to have found it again!

3.0 out of 5 stars INGMAR BERGMAN, OPUS 11, April 27, 2008

By 

Daniel S. "Daniel" (Geneva, Switzerland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of Women [VHS] (VHS Tape)

*** 1952. Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. The wives of four brothers are waiting for them in a summer cottage. They speak about their respective marriage and explain why they've stayed with their husband in spite of the loss of their romantic ideals. In my opinion, the film suffers from the gap between dialogues very well written and a cinematic form which was then not totally domesticated by Ingmar Bergman. But I can be wrong in this matter and I was maybe not in the mood for a Bergman movie last night. I'll give SECRETS OF WOMEN another chance one of these nights. You can find at Amazon.co.uk a zone 2 DVD release of this motion picture coming from Tartan video.