The Visit

The Visit

Year: 1964

Runtime: 100 mins

Language: English

Director: Bernhard Wicki

DramaIntense violence and sexual transgressionGripping intense violent crimeShow All…

Carla Zachanassian, who bore Serge Miller’s child as a teenager, was expelled when he refused to marry her. Years later she returns to the town as a wealthy magnate, expecting a warm welcome. The townspeople roll out the red carpet, expecting her riches to bring prosperity, only to discover that her sole intention is to see Serge Miller killed.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Visit (1964)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Visit (1964). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Decaying European village

A bleak, economically depressed village after the local factory closed. The town is filled with shuttered shops, crumbling buildings and wary, morally compromised residents. Key locations include the town square, where the crowd can gather, and Karla's hotel overlooking the street.

🏚️ Decay 🏘️ Small Town

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:17

Main Characters – The Visit (1964)

Meet the key characters of The Visit (1964), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Karla Zachanassian (Ingrid Bergman)

A immensely wealthy outsider who returns to her hometown to test its morals. She manipulates the town using money, watching with gleeful detachment as the villagers’ sense of justice decays. Her calculated cruelty exposes how power can corrupt communal values.

💎 Wealth 🗝️ Power 🧠 Manipulation

Serge Miller (Anthony Quinn)

The former shopkeeper whose past with Karla sets the plot in motion. He clings to a sense of pride, denies paternity, and misreads the town’s hunger for wealth as support. His fate is sealed by the town’s transactional morality and fear of losing prosperity.

💔 Pride 🪙 Downfall ⚖️ Injustice

Mayor (Ernst Schröder)

The town’s corrupt official who enables Karla’s scheme and rationalizes the mob’s actions. He embodies how political power can be bought and used to bend the truth. His leadership exposes a community that values money over due process.

🏛️ Authority 🤝 Corruption ⚖️ Complicity

Police Captain Dobrik (Hans Christian Blech)

The lawman who becomes entangled in Karla’s manipulation, moving from authority to complicity. He embodies the lure of wealth and personal risk that corrupts justice. He plays a central role in enforcing the mob’s will.

🛡️ Authority 💰 Corruption 💔 Betrayal

Anya (Irina Demick)

A young, naïve woman who becomes involved with the town’s power dynamics through her affair with the married police chief. She represents innocence caught in a system driven by money and desire. Anya’s fate highlights the personal costs of moral compromise.

💫 Naivety ❤️ Forbidden Love 🕊️ Freedom

Mathilda Miller (Valentina Cortese)

Serge’s wife who is swept up in the town’s moral collapse and the social gossip surrounding the affair. Her perspective reflects how relationships fracture under pressure and greed. Her loyalty shifts as the town’s priorities shift toward wealth.

💔 Wife Betrayal 💎 Wealth 🤝 Loyalty

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:17

Major Themes – The Visit (1964)

Explore the central themes of The Visit (1964), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🪙 Greed

Karla’s immense wealth becomes a tool to bend the town to her will. The money exposes the town’s willingness to trade justice for financial gain. The populace stages a moral alarm that resolves around remuneration rather than truth. The film uses this to critique how wealth can corrupt communal ethics.

🐑 Mob Mentality

The villagers shift from righteous anger to collective complicity when money is offered. The crowd’s enthusiasm for expensive goods and the idea of punishment for Serge reveal how quickly people abandon due process for personal gain. The kangaroo court shows how social pressure can manufacture justice.

⚖️ Justice and Guilt

The town’s choice to condemn Serge for money creates an ongoing guilt that haunts the community. Karla’s reversal at the end forces the townspeople to live with the consequences of their actions. The departure of Karla and the entrapment of Anya’s fate underscore that justice without integrity is hollow.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:17

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Unlock the Full Story of The Visit

Don't stop at just watching — explore The Visit in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what The Visit is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

The Visit Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Visit, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Visit Summary

The Visit Timeline

Track the full timeline of The Visit with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

The Visit Timeline

More About The Visit

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More About The Visit

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