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TORMENT
(1944)
Alf Sj�berg's striking film of Bergman's screenplay represents the latter's initiation into the world of cinema. (Although he was also credited as assistant director, Bergman has stated that his role on the set was essentially that of the "script-girl.") The story revolves around the inter-relationships between a young student, Jan-Erik; his sadistic Latin teacher, nicknamed "Caligula"; and Bertha, a prostitute. Sj�berg's filmic style is highly expressionistic�filled with menacing shadows and chiaroscuro lighting and looming high-angle shots. However, his conception of the material is essentially grounded in psychological realism�with the exception of an Oedipal dream sequence in which Jan-Erik visualizes his parents' metamorphosis into Caligula and Bertha. Bergman's script examines the nature of authority and oppression (with allusions to Naziism interpolated by Sj�berg) and, finally, youthful revolt. Setting the tone for the whole of Bergman's oeuvre, Torment is highly autobiographical with regard to the character of the student (an aspiring artist) and his relationship with Caligula, who has been interpreted as an amalgam of teacher and father figure. (Bergman has conceded that the story "dealt with my last year as a student.") The original ending was deemed overly bleak by the studio, and Bergman was asked to write (and direct) an additional scene to provide a more hopeful conclusion.
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| Original title: |
Hets ["Pressure"; "Frenzy"] |
| Other titles: |
Frenzy (UK); Hetze (Germany); El sadico (Uruguay); Suplicio (Argentina); Tortura (Spain) |
| Production: |
Svensk Filmindustri |
| Distribution: |
Svensk Filmindustri |
| Premiere: |
2 October 1944 (R�da Kvarn, Stockholm) |
| Running time: |
101 minutes |
| Aspect ratio: |
1.37:1 |
| Language: |
Swedish |
| Filmed: |
on location at Norra Latin School, Stockholm, and at R�sunda Studios; from 21 February to 25 May 1944. |
| CAST |
| Caligula: |
Stig J�rrel |
| Jan-Erik Widgren: |
Alf Kjellin |
| Bertha Olsson: |
Mai Zetterling |
| Headmaster: |
Olof Winnerstrand |
| Pippi: |
G�sta Cederlund |
| Sandman: |
Stig Olin |
| Pettersson: |
Jan Molander |
| Widgren, an executive: |
Olav Ri�go |
| Mrs. Widgren: |
M�rta Arbin |
| Physician: |
Hugo Bj�rne |
| Bror Widgren: |
Anders Nystr�m |
| Commissioner: |
Nils Dahlgren |
| Young teacher: |
Gunnar Bj�rnstrand |
|
|
| CREDITS |
| Producers: |
Harald Molander, Victor Sj�str�m |
| Director: |
Alf Sj�berg |
| Assistant to the director: |
Ingmar Bergman |
| Artistic Consultant: |
Victor Sj�str�m |
| Screenplay: |
Ingmar Bergman, Alf Sj�berg |
| Cinematography: |
Martin Bodin |
| Art Direction: |
Arne �kermark |
| Music: |
Hilding Rosenberg |
| Editor: |
Oscar Rosenberg |
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