Shot in widescreen black-and-white, The Visit is based on a Swiss play by Friedrich Dürrenmatt.The English version was brought to Broadway in 1958 and starred Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.
Ingrid Bergman loved the play, and wanted to play the lead in a film version.
The setting is a small European village (a fictional one). Most of the action takes place in or around the town square. And there's only about 8 people on the town council; they vote on such momentous decisions as capital punishment, which they recently abolished.
The "visit" refers to the homecoming of Ingrid Bergman's character, Karla, who hasn't been back to her hometown in twenty years. Karla is now a billionaire heiress.
The villagers gather near the train station awaiting her visit, and everyone figures she is coming for the purposes of helping help the economically depressed town. I love the scene in the beginning when Ingrid gets off the train: she's dressed like a queen, and when she looks upon the plain townsfolk for the first time, it's as if she's thinking, "Why did I come here?"
One of the first people who comes to greet her is her old flame Miller, played by Anthony Quinn, who has let bygones be bygones. We learn that his character is a respectable family man and shop owner in the town, as well as a member of the village council. It's neat to see Quinn and Bergman together. William Holden was originally supposed to play Quinn's role, but I think he would have been wrong for this part.In the beginning of the film Miller and Karla spend a great deal of time reminiscing, even going back to an old tree where they carved their names in a heart over twenty years ago. Yet deep down she is still harboring decades-old resentment: Miller was the father of her child, but denied it at the time. Instead of taking responsibility for the child, he accused her of being promiscuous, which led her to be run out of town in shame and into prostitution. These events, along with the death of her infant daughter, tortured her for years, leaving her emotionally scarred and bitter.
The scenes at the beginning with both Miller and Karla together are really just a set up. At a huge welcome dinner event with the entire town, the sarcastic heiress embarrasses Miller and his wife (played by Valentina Cortese) by bringing up those past events again, and mocks some of the other leaders of the town. And in a pompous speech, she makes a startling announcement - she will give the town two million dollars, but only if the town reestablishes the death penalty and brings Miller to trial for false accusations and slander. Not only that, but she wants to see him put to death.
It's a dark film, but raises issues about revenge and forgiveness, and how money and power can buy whatever one wants. Quinn's Miller is emotionally tormented throughout the film - to the delight of Karla - and the cash-strapped villagers slowly turn against him one by one. He's also kicked off the council and nearly loses his business. It's as if he entered the Twilight Zone. From her perched balcony with a view of the entire square, an unforgiving Karla laughs and smirks devilishly.
Irina Demick plays Anya, a servant who reminds Bergman of a her younger self. (More about Irina here at the blog Starlett Showcase)
I recommend it especially if you like either of the two main leads; they are two of my favorite performers. I saw it at a local film revival house, but I'm not sure where else to find it since it's not on DVD. Some of the other people I saw it with were really depressed after the movie ended. The movie's ending left me satisfied; the originally play's ending was much darker as I understand.