Torment (DVD)

Torment (also known as Frenzy) was based on Ingmar Bergman's first screenplay and was directed by another great Swedish director, Alf Sjoberg. The film charts the relationship between sensitive school boy Jan-Erik (Alf Kjellin), his sadistic overbearing school master nicknamed Caligula (Stig Jarrel), and his older girlfriend Bertha (Mai Zetterling). Jan-Erik discovers that he is not the only man Bertha is seeing, is being stalked and harassed by a mysterious older man. A visit to Bertha prompts a confrontation with his school master which leads to the boy making strong indictments against the master and the master becoming increasingly vindictive. Set at the height of World War 2 the character of Caligula was based hevaily upon Heinrich Himmler and portrays him as a character of weakness using cruelty to cover his shortcomings. The harsh pessimism and darkly surreal visuals offer a glimpse into the brilliance that Bergman would show in his later works.

Film notes from critic Philip Strick
Star and director filmographies
'Sarabande' trailer
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