Torment

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Audience Member Ingmar Bergman wrote the screenplay for this film at the age of 26, and it was his first major film. In it he shows his personal disdain for traditional schooling, which invariably included learning by rote, killing all creativity, and taught at times by sadistic teachers. In the film a Latin teacher gets the nickname 'Caligula' for his cruelty, and if his interrogations of the students remind you of a Nazi SS officer, that's no accident; director Alf Sjöberg apparently modeled him after Himmler. And yet, one of the young students says 'I don't believe a person can be all evil', and in that line we get a hint of Bergman's plumbing the depths of the human soul which would take place over the following decades. Things get complicated when the student (Alf Kjellin) begins seeing a young tobacco shop clerk (Mai Zetterling), only to find she is being tormented by a creepy older man whose identity she won't divulge. The film has elements of the frustrated teenage rebel, as Kjellin argues with his parents who just don't understand, as well as elements of a film noir drama, as things get scary for Zetterling. Director Sjöberg makes use of a lot of high camera angles, as well as plays with light and shadow in some interesting ways, but as the film plays out, it begins to feel a little heavy-handed. Its message is one of triumphing over cruelty in the early part of one's life, even if events at the time appear as though they might crush one's soul or destroy one's life, but it doesn't quite have enough finesse to be very good or excellent. Still, not bad, and worth watching if you're a Bergman fan. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review s r Another lost flixster rating. This film is the one that brought all the attention to Bergman. It's complex and close to home. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member ok Swedish youth in revolt pic like asphalt jungle or rebel without a cause Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member The first film in my, Ingmar Bergman journey through everything he has been attached to. Here was his first, partial, directorial debut. Even though, this was mostly an, Alf Sjöberg directed movie, I have a good feeling that, Bergman had a big influence on how this film was made. This is his story after all being the writer of this work. All that being said, I wouldn't call this chapter a classic by any means, but I did enjoy almost every frame of this tragic tale and it was also more disturbing and dark for a movie from the 40's than I would have expected to see. If thee american ratings were to apply here, it would likely only get a PG or PG13 rating at most for just it's subject matter alone among some other elements that would spoil the story here. It is worth a look and I would revisit this one for a second opinion. It does have a lot of memorable moments that one would see in any classic romance film. It is one that I would recommend to anyone who loves classic films or for anyone that would like to go down this challenging journey with me through one of the most influential directors in the history of cinema. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member my score might even go up. the film is emotional, with excellent explorations into powerful themes of sex, dominance, terror, and the loss of innocence. bergman's dialogue is some of his earliest, and some of the best of his career, and sjoberg made stunning direction choices. the film plays out like part hitchcock, part trouffaut, and part "the graduate". an excellent film. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Nov 2010 - I liked the expressionist style of the movie. The torment that is visible in the pictures, actings and the lights. The story however is not as good as I expected. Caligula is an interesting character and twisted but his portrayal remains suspended between a surrealist aspet of a horror movie and a realistic psychological drama. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Torment

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