The Sacrifice

PG

Released May 9, 1986

2h 25m

Drama

List

86%

43 Reviews

Tomatometer

90%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Alexander (Erland Josephson) is celebrating his birthday with family and friends when they receive some stunning news from the radio. World War III has erupted, and the end of the world is near. In order to avert the apocalypse, Alexander makes a bargain with God: He'll give up everything he values in life, including his beautiful home and beloved son (Tommy Kjellqvist). So, when Alexander awakens from this episode, as if from a dream, he sets about doing just that.

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Critics Consensus

Formally impressive, visually accomplished, and narratively rewarding, The Sacrifice places a fittingly solid capstone on a brilliant filmmaking career.

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dave s

Shot by cinematographer Sven Nykvist, an Ingmar Bergman mainstay, starring Erland Josephson, another Bergman regular, and shot in a remote area of Sweden, it's no wonder Andrei Tarkovsky's The Sacrifice looks and feels like a Bergman film. Despite being one of Tarkovsky's lesser-known films, it is filled with complex themes and stark images, including the haunting climax, reminiscent of the burning house scene from Tarkovsky's earlier film, The Mirror. The plot? A small group of friends and family gather for a birthday celebration, only to discover via a radio announcement that WW3 has commenced and nuclear annihilation is imminent, forcing them to come to terms with their own mortality. For those not familiar with Tarkovsky's work, be prepared for some lengthy but wildly effective shots, meticulous composition and plenty of philosophical musings. Like all of Tarkovsky's work, it is brilliant throughout.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

William L

Two outs, bottom of the ninth, and The Sacrifice scores: this was the last Tarkovsky feature film I had not seen, but it was the first to put me to sleep. I was worried it would never happen. I had to do a double-take initially because about half an hour in, The Sacrifice looked superficially like an Ingmar Bergman film, with a mildly dysfunctional family of bourgeoisie falling apart due to deep emotional problems, but a deeper look reveals classic Tarkovsky material - concerns with a world out of balance, the inherent weakness of human nature, and surreal imagery that calls to mind deeper questions about philosophy and the human psyche. With characters forced to reflect on their existences now that they are all in mortal danger from a threat that they cannot stop, Tarkovsky examines personal ambition and purpose set against the framework of a larger world that threatens to leave any one member behind (themes that may very well have been on the director's mind with his untimely cancer diagnosis); exasperated, regretful, and filled with new and strange purpose, our protagonists begin exhibiting unusual behavior in an attempt to refocus their perspectives that have quickly become painfully outdated. There are musings on Christianity (or more likely, any deity of choice), as one of perhaps many potentially valid spiritual constants that may each be true; the unknowability of it is key and terrifying. One of the less immediately idiosyncratic films from the director from a thematic perspective, but visually much of Tarkovsky's talent remains on display, even without the need for a diverse range of distinctive setpieces. (4/5)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/22/22

Full Review

lucca b

Its slow and grueling pace, ominous and surreal atmosphere, and an ambiguous and minimalist narrative will not be suitable for some. However, its excellent performances, stunning cinematography, well-crafted production, religious and mystical allegories, stylish filmmaking, impressive visuals and complex themes make it a powerful and rewarding watch, and a fitting farewell for the legendary Andrei Tarkovsky.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A beautiful film. Visually poetic.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

raphael g

Beautiful, although long and slow.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The cinematography of the film is sublime, as is usual with Tarkovsky. The film's message was hot garbage though. The film entirely enraptured my attention; I even enjoyed the philosophic banter. That is, until the scene where Alexander's friend Otto, comes up with a plan to avert the consequences of WWIII and save the entire world. Simply, he must fuck his witchy servant girl named Maria (the virgin Mary lol). Apparently, the way to escape death, for old men, is to get their dick wet in much younger women and also destroy their connection to their family in the process. I'm sure it was a huge sacrifice for the protagonist to sneak out and fuck his servant; way to take one for the team. I do find it amusing that they had to shoot that burning house scene twice, rebuilding the entire thing, because Tarkovsky wouldn't listen to his cinematographer about having two cameras working at once.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

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Andrei Tarkovsky

Director

Erland Josephson

Alexander

Allan Edwall

Otto

Susan Fleetwood

Adelaide

Valérie Mairesse

Julia

Guðrún Gísladóttir

Maria

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Laurie Horn

Miami Herald

The most lasting answers in The Sacrifice ultimately are not the verbal questions that confound [Tarkovsky], but the visual beauties, one by one, that he shows us so clearly.

Rated: 3/4

May 19, 2023

Full Review

Penelope Houston

Sight & Sound

There are echoes of Bergman (of course) and of Chekhov, and once or twice I found myself thinking, most unexpectedly, of Heartbreak House.

Jul 7, 2018

Full Review

Chris Vognar

Dallas Morning News

This is pure Tarkovsky, with all the perfectly composed long camera takes and ineffable mystery of the soul that defined his work.

Jun 7, 2018

Full Review

Tim Brayton

Alternate Ending

A plentiful and elaborate work of art... Still, a lot of the scenario is rather trite.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 5, 2020

Full Review

Ángel Fernández-Santos

El Pais (Spain)

A film by a genius because of its gravity and difficulty, packed with a conceptual density and bearer of a quiet scream of a desperate optimism. [Full Review in Spanish]

Mar 10, 2020

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

A stunning and brilliant summation of a legendary career, and Kino's sumptuous treatment of it is befitting of its stature in cinema history.

Rated: 4/4

Aug 5, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Alexander (Erland Josephson) is celebrating his birthday with family and friends when they receive some stunning news from the radio. World War III has erupted, and the end of the world is near. In order to avert the apocalypse, Alexander makes a bargain with God: He'll give up everything he values in life, including his beautiful home and beloved son (Tommy Kjellqvist). So, when Alexander awakens from this episode, as if from a dream, he sets about doing just that.

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
Screenwriter: Andrei Tarkovsky
Distributor: Orion Pictures
Production Co: Josephson & Nykvist HB, Sandrews, Svenska Filminstitutet, Sveriges Television, Argos Films, Film Four International
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Swedish
Release Date (Theaters): May 9, 1986, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Oct 20, 2017
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 5, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $61.0K
Runtime: 2h 25m
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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