Secrets of Women

Secrets of Women
Directed by	Ingmar Bergman
Produced by	Allan Ekelund
Written by	Ingmar Bergman Gun Grut (story)
Starring	Anita Björk Eva Dahlbeck Maj-Britt Nilsson Birger Malmsten Gunnar Björnstrand Karl-Arne Holmsten Jarl Kulle Aino Taube Håkan Westergren
Cinematography	Gunnar Fischer
Edited by	Oscar Rosander
Distributed by	AB Svensk Filmindustri (SF)
Release dates	3 November 1952
Running time	103 min
Country	Sweden
Language	Swedish

Secrets of Women (Swedish: Kvinnors väntan; also known as Waiting Women) is a 1952 Swedish film directed by Ingmar Bergman. It was screened within the official selection of Venice Film Festival (1953).

It is one of Bergman's early films, and essentially a drama about young relationships told in flashbacks by a group of women. However, as it came to be afterwards: the most memorable part of the film is the humorous elevator-scene between actors Gunnar Björnstrand and Eva Dahlbeck (a scene that was written as a kind of sketch). This scene was Bergman's first attempt at comedy in film. He later stated it was this scene that made him realize he could write comedy at all, which many say he repeated more successfully in the films A Lesson in Love (1954) and Smiles of a Summer Night (1955).

Since its release, Secrets of Women, while not regarded as one of Bergman's strongest efforts, has nonetheless received positive reviews from film critics.

Cast

• Anita Björk – Rakel
• Eva Dahlbeck – Karin
• Maj-Britt Nilsson – Marta
• Birger Malmsten – Martin Lobelius
• Gunnar Björnstrand – Fredrik Lobelius
• Karl-Arne Holmsten – Eugen Lobelius
• Jarl Kulle – Kaj
• Aino Taube – Annette
• Håkan Westergren – Paul Lobelius
• Gerd Andersson – Maj
• Björn Bjelfvenstam – Henrik Lobelius

Reception

Secrets of Women holds a 100% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on six critics.^[1]

References

External links

• Secrets of Women at the Internet Movie Database
• Secrets of Women at the Swedish Film Institute Database