The Sacrifice

PG
2h 29m

Release Date: May 9, 1986

At the dawn of World War III, a man searches for a way to restore peace to the world and finds he must give something in return.

Releases

Original Release | Dec 7, 1987

2014 Re-release | Nov 12, 2014

2017 Re-release | Oct 20, 2017

2024 Re-release | Oct 25, 2024

Director & Top Cast

Andrei Tarkovsky
Director

Erland Josephson
Alexander

Susan Fleetwood
Adelaide

Allan Edwall
Otto

Guðrún Gísladóttir
Maria

Sven Wollter
Victor

Valérie Mairesse

Julia

Filippa Franzén

Marta

Tommy Kjellqvist

Gossen

Per Källman

Ambulansförare

Tommy Nordahl

Ambulansförare

Tintin Anderzon

Actor

Helena Brodin

Actor

Birgit Carlstén

Actor

Jane Friedmann

Actor

Martin Lindström

Actor

Jan-Olof Strandberg

Actor

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Mono

Aspect Ratio: 1.66 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: Sweden

Language: Swedish,Icelandic

Summaries

Plot Summary

Alexander is an aging actor and writer who has taken retirement from acting and writing. He is shown to be playfully talking to a little boy he calls as the "Little Man" to whom he describes how his mother and he met. In Alexander's birthday,his family gathers at his cottage in the pastoral lands when the terrifying news that the low-flying jet planes signalled the start of a nuclear war between the superpowers. Alexander's dreams and the real world are somehow shown to have merged into some dreamy scenes which are hauntingly long and uncoordinated. As the family attempts to cope, Alexander vows to God in his dreams that he would "sacrifice" everything he loves in order to save this world from the catastrophe caused by nuclear weapons. He is met by the queer post-man Otto in his dreams who tells him to seek help of Maria who is supposed to be a witch with powers and only whose love can bring in peace. At the end it appears like Alexander has woken up from his dream and does distinctly similar things he happened to witness in his dreams. He puts his house on fire and watches it from a distance when his family arrives and puts him into a van that indicates him to be mentally ill and been taken to an asylum. He runs to Maria, the maid for help. At the end "Little Man" is shown to water the dead tree he and Alexander had planted looking up to it waiting for it to bloom someday, while Maria cycles and reaches to see the van once again carrying Alexander, indicating "Little Man" might as well be the child born out of love between Maria and Alexander, not being able to ever confess it to the world might be the guilt that made Alexander "Sacrifice" everything.

Storyline

Alexander, a journalist and former actor and philosopher, tells his little son how worried he is about the lack of spirituality of modern mankind. In the night of his birthday, the third world war breaks out. In his despair Alexander turns himself in a prayer to God, offering him everything to have the war not happen at all. — Gert de Boer It is Alexander's birthday, and his family have gathered at his remote cottage to celebrate. The celebrations are marred, however, first by conventional family intrigue, then by the terrifying news that the low-flying jet planes signalled the start of a nuclear war between the superpowers. As the family attempts to cope, Alexander is troubled by extraordinary dreams, and then informed by the unfathomable philosopher-postman, Otto, that he has the power to redeem the world, including his dear young son, if only he will visit the solitary Maria, who Otto insists is a witch. — Sarah K.