Skammen (aka Shame) (1968)

As a civil war rages away in the far distance, an apolitical married couple (Max Von Sydow, Liv Ullmann) attempt to live their lives in solitude on their small vegetable farm. But when the war pushes its way into their lives, they can no longer ignore it and the war pushes their relationship into crisis. Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, SHAME is one of his bona fide masterpieces. A harrowing look at how war dehumanizes people and how it can change how we perceive ourselves and others. At the beginning of the film, the wife is the strong one, the survivor and the husband buries his head in the sand, ignoring the inevitable. By the film's bleak end, the war has changed the husband. He is a brute and the wife is near helplessness. The performances by Ullmann and Von Sydow show why they are considered among the best actors of their generation. If there's a third "star", surely its Sven Nykvist's exquisite B&W images. A brilliant film, both beautiful and horrifying. With Gunnar Bjornstrand.