Bergman's Skammen (The Shame)

I kind of see where you're going. Both films involve a family (or in Shame, a married couple) living in isolation from the outside world and then having their lives irreparably changed by war. Though, I see Shame as a much darker, violent film and it's characters act much more monstrously, and lets also remember that the characters in Shame are fully aware that a war is taking place outside of their home, and it is not until the external horrors of war actually affect their lives (their farm house being bombed, being taken prisoner, etc.) that they display any change in character. In The Sacrifice it is the fear of a coming war that initiates the films drama and character conflicts. The Shame of the films title is the shame of being helpless, Jan's (Max Van Sydow) shame in not being able to protect his wife, the shame and guilt of his actions, of his desperation and that the war drives him to become a murderer and of course the shame of war itself, that countless people are being killed for some intangible political ideal. The Sacrifice is not nearly as pessimistic or hopeless as Shame. Fear of nuclear war drives Alexander to make a sacrifice, to lose all he has to save his family and mankind. Alexander is already a troubled character (similar to Jan and Eva's troubled relationship at the beginning of Shame), and it is the coming war that further motivates his contemplation and complicated introspection into his own life, relationship with god, the questioning of if his life has had any meaning, if he has fulfilled his purpose in life. In both films, war drives the characters to do ultimately catastrophic things, but in shame the emotional disintegration leads to physical violence and there is a sense of an apocalyptic irresolution. But i feel that the mental/emotional questions that Alexander feels in the sacrifice and the sacrifice he makes in sleeping with the "witch" and burning his home (ultimately the sacrifice of his sanity and happiness) have a much more optimistic or at least hopeful conclusion, that even if his life has been completely warped, he has found some resolve and peace with himself. Both great films, similar in some ways, very different in others (I really don't like when people compare Bergman and Tarkovsky). I probably wouldn't have noticed any similarities if not for your post lol.

I drew a few parallels. Some scenes, like the air strike in Offret, I feel channeled Skammen in ways. The cinematography is of course very evocative of Bergman, being a result of Nykvist's work -who, as we know, was responsible for both Skammen and Offret-