The Silence - Definition and Overview

The Silence is the title of

• A movie written and directed by Ingmar Bergman in 1963, starring Ingrid Thulin and Gunnel Lindblom as main characters. The movie was very controversial in that it depicted female masturbation and the "Silence" in the title is supposed to be the silence of God. The plot involves two sisters: one is dying and the other mentally ill. They have an undefined incestuous relationship, and both are mostly concerned with pitying themselves. The movie takes place during a time leading up to an unspecified war in what seems to be an undefined European country, but one that subtle clues (including the misspelled name of the town) appear to point to as being Finland. An Internet Movie Database is quoted as classifying it: "This is Bergman at his most disturbing."

• A movie written and directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, in 1997.

• Episode 61 in season 2 of The Twilight Zone, aired April 28, 1961, written by Rod Serling, directed by Boris Sagal and including Franchot Tone, Liam Sullivan, Jonathan Harris and Cyril Delavanti. See also: The Twilight Zone, Episode List, Season 2