While the main story focuses upon Agnes' death, the forays into the past concern Anna, Karin, and Maria, giving us greater insight into these three women, showing incidents from their lives that explain why they react as they do when faced with a stricken woman on her deathbed. The sisters have made little of their lives and even in extremis cannot console or comfort each other.

Ingmar Bergman unflinchingly probes the pain of solitude, disappointment, godlessness and death.