Torment (film)

Infobox Film
name = Torment (Hets)


caption = Official movie poster of 1944
director = Alf Sjöberg
producer = Victor Sjöström Svensk Filmindustri
writer = Ingmar Bergman
starring = Alf Kjellin Stig Järrel Mai Zetterling
Gösta Cederlund
Olof Winnerstrand
Hugo Björne
Stig Olin
music = Hilding Rosenberg
cinematography = Martin Bodin
editing = Oscar Rosander
distributor = Svensk Filmindustri
released = October 2 1944
runtime = 101 min.
country = SWE
language = Swedish
budget =
imdb_id = 0036914|

"Torment" ( _sv. Hets) is a Swedish film from 1944, directed by Alf Sjöberg, with screenplay by director Ingmar Bergman. The film, a tale of sex, passion and murder, was Bergman's actual directing debut, although the film was mainly directed by Alf Sjöberg.

Background

On 16 January 1943, Ingmar Bergman had been appointed by the Svensk Filmindustri (SF) as "assistant director and screenwriter" on a one-year initial contract. Bergman, who suffered illness and was hospitalized during the winter of 1942–43, wrote the screenplay for Torment, for which SF acquired the rights in July 1943. The Latin teacher "Caligula" is partly based on the Latin teacher Sjögren (also played by Stig Järrel) in the 1942 film "Lågor i dunklet" by director Hasse Ekman. [Ephraim Katz, "The Film Encyclopedia", New York : HarperCollins, 5th ed., 1998. ISBN 978-0-06-074214-0]

Filming, in which Ingmar Bergman took part as an assistant director, took place in two stages. The first stage, for interior scenes, took place from February 21, to March 31 1944 at the Filmstaden studios north of Stockholm and the "Norra Latin" High School, downtown Stockholm. The second stage, covering the exterior scenes, comprised only ten days in late May of the same year. In his second autobiography "
Ingmar Bergman, "Images : my life in film" (translated from the Swedish by Marianne Ruuth), London : Bloomsbury, 1994. ISBN 0-7475-1670-7 ]

Plot

A sadistic Latin teacher, nicknamed "Caligula" by his long-suffering students, rules his classroom like his kingdom. He is exceptionally hard on the diligent Jan-Erik, one of his students. One night Jan-Erik is returning home and finds an intoxicated young woman crying on the street. He recognizes her as Bertha, the clerk in a cigarette store near the school, and he walks her home. Bertha has a taste for both men and liquor, and he spends most of the night on her bedside. He becomes very involved with her, and his school work suffers. Bertha also has an older man whom she fears, although she will not reveal his name. He is "Caligula", and he learns of his student's involvement. He makes life harder still for Jan-Erik, and forces Bertha to do his will by threatening to suspend Jan-Erik. But "Caligula" is too violent with Bertha, and one day, Jan-Erik arrives to find her dead. In a corner, he finds "Caligula" hiding, and calls the police. With no proof, however, "Caligula" is soon released, and quickly arranges for the expulsion of Jan-Erik, who accuses "Caligula" of murder, and finally strikes him in front of the principal of the school. He then goes to stay in Bertha's apartment. The principal of the school comes to the apartment, and offers his assistance in helping Jan-Erik back on track. "Caligula" comes to the apartment after the principal has left, seeking some sort of forgiveness, but Jan-Erik rejects him and instead walks out into the day to a view that overlooks all Stockholm.

Reaction

"Torment" provoked intensive debate in the press about the conditions in the Swedish high schools. On a personal level, the Pro-German newspaper the "Aftonbladet" published a letter by Henning Håkanson, principal of the private Palmgren High School where Ingmar Bergman had been a student. Håkanson reacted on an interview with Bergman published in the "Aftonbladet" the same day the film was released:

:"Mr. Bergman's statement, that his entire time at school was hell, surprises me. I clearly recall that he, his brother and his father were all very satisfied with the school. After his final examinations, Ingmar Bergman came back to school to attend our Christmas party, bright and cheery as far as one could tell, and not seeming to harbor any grudge, either against the school or its teachers. In all probability, the fact of the matter lies elsewhere. Our friend Ingmar was a problem child, lazy yet rather gifted, and the fact that such a person does not easily adapt to the daily routines of study is quite natural. A school cannot be adapted to suit bohemian dreamers, but to suit normally constituted, hard working people." [Henning Håkansson, in The "Aftonbladet", October 3 1944 (translated from Swedish)]

A few days later Bergman replied: :"Let us start with the '12-year hell' (coarsely expressed, by the way. Not a word used by me, but by the person who interviewed me. I recall using a milder term, which is somewhat different). Indeed…I was a very lazy boy, and very scared because of my laziness, because I was involved with theatre instead of school and because I hated having to be punctual, having to get up in the morning, do homework, sit still, having to carry maps, having break times, doing tests, taking oral examinations, or to put it plainly: I hated school as a principle, as a system and as an institution. And as such I have definitely not wanted to criticize my own school, but all schools. As far as I understand it, and as I clearly pointed out in that unfortunate interview, my school was neither better nor worse than other institutions with the same purpose. My revered headmaster also writes (somewhat harshly): 'A school cannot be adapted to suit bohemian dreamers, but to suit normally constituted, hard working people'. Where should the poor bohemians go? Should pupils be divided up: You're a bohemian, you're a hard-working person, you're a bohemian, etc. Would the bohemians be excused? There are teachers one never forgets. Men one liked and men one hated. My revered headmaster belonged and still belongs (in my case) to the former category. I also have the feeling that my dear headmaster has not yet seen the film. Perhaps we should go and watch it together!" [Ingmar Bergman, in The "Aftonbladet", October 9, 1944 (translated from Swedish)]

Award

*1946 Cannes Film Festival "Grand Prize of the Festival" (Golden Palm) (best directing) Alf Sjöberg

Cast

* Stig Järrel - "Caligula"
* Alf Kjellin - Jan-Erik Widgren (student at "Ring IV L")
* Mai Zetterling - Bertha Olsson
* Olof Winnerstrand - The Principal
* Gösta Cederlund - Pippi
* Hugo Björne - The Doctor
* Stig Olin - Sandman
* Olav Riégo - Mr. Widgren
* Märta Arbin - Mrs. Widgren
* Jan Molander - Pettersson

Distribution titles

*Forfulgt (Denmark)
*Frenzy (Great Britain)
*Hets (Norway)
*Die Hörige (West Germany)
*Kiihko (Finland)
*Modae (Japan)
*El sádico (Uruguay)
*Skandal (Poland)
*Spasimo (Italy)
*Stvanice (Czechoslovakia)
*Suplicio (Argentina)
*Torment (USA)
*Tortura (Portugal)
*Tortura (Spain)
*Tourmente (France)

External links

* [http://www.ingmarbergman.se/media/hets_1_output.asx "Har inte herr Widgren läst på läxan!" (video) Windows Media] Classroom scene with "Caligula", the sadistic Latin teacher. [http://www.ingmarbergman.se/media/hets_1_output.ram The same scene (video) Real Media]

References

;Specific;General
*Ingmar Bergman, "Bilder", Stockholm : Norstedt, 1990. ISBN 91-1-893192-8
*Gunnar Lundin and Jan Olsson, "Regissörens roller : samtal med Alf Sjöberg", Lund : Cavefors, 1976. ISBN 91-504-0445-8
*Gunnar Lundin, "Filmregi Alf Sjöberg", Lund : Institutionen för dramaforskning, Lund Úniversity, 1979. ISBN 91-7222-231-X
* [http://www.ingmarbergman.se/ Ingmar Bergman] The Swedish Film Institute, The Bergman pages.
* [http://193.10.144.135/Movie/(ry1ynlf5vl0kkaneqjl4kmnq)/faktablad.aspx?Id=4074 Faktablad : Hets (pdf)] Svensk filmdatabas.