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| Torment (1944) | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 21 2007, 06:02 AM (327 Views) | |
| Laughing Gravy | Dec 21 2007, 06:02 AM Post #1 |
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Okay, first of all, let me say that discovering Bergman at this late date gives me the same feeling I had when I discovered Shakespeare in college: "Hey! What I thought would be dreary, 'good for me but not very entertaining' stuff is actually DELICIOUSLY FUN!" Following the wonderful Smiles of a Summer Night, I turned to my recently-acquired Criterion Eclipse edition of EARLY BERGMAN and watched the 1944 drama Torment (Hets), written by Bergman and directed by Alf Sjöberg. A sadistic Latin professor terrorizes his students and brutalizes a young girl. There, that's the plot for you. Imagine if they gave Snape's worse brother his own movie, and here you are. Alf Kjellin is excellent as the sensitive young man who becomes the brunt of most of the schoolmaster's fury, and -- I'm noticing a pattern here -- Mai Zetterling is beautiful as the young woman whose life is a wreck. So, after two of these films, I've been introduced to five featured actresses, all of them drop-dead gorgeous. Are ALL Swedish actresses this beautiful, or did Bergman and his mates have an eye for them? Or both? *L* Stig Järrel is the mentally-ill teacher, and he's excellent, too. Although we come to despise him as much as do the students, we come 'round to realize that he's simply a sad, pathetic wreck of a human being, and we can dismiss him with the disdain he deserves. Although considered a minor blip in the Bergman canon (probably 'cause he didn't direct it himself), Torment is a fine film, not only suspenseful but well staged and lit and the frequent thunderstorms that shake the school are beautifully filmed. A real winner, particularly if you enjoy films noir (or Harry Potter films; yes, really, it reminded me in some ways of Harry and his battle with such nefarious professors as Umbrage, only sans the fire-breathing dragons). |
| "I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Dec 21 2007, 09:38 AM Post #2 |
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Mouth Breather
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Gravy, you've gotta see THE MAGICIAN (aka THE FACE) which hasn't had an "official" DVD release yet. You can borrow mine. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| Laughing Gravy | Dec 21 2007, 09:49 AM Post #3 |
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Love to... Right now, I still have 7 Bergman DVDs (at least) that I haven't watched yet, so be patient with me! Plus, I've loved all of the Eclipse boxes so much that I've decided to keep getting them... the one on Flamingo dancing is on its way... to give me the complete set to date. Dunno if I'll ever have all the Criterions, but I definitely want all the Eclipses, one of which made my "Top Ten DVD Releases of the Year" list, coming this weekend In The Balcony! |
| "I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Dec 21 2007, 04:37 PM Post #4 |
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Mouth Breather
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I love the packaging of the Eclipse sets, with the slim little jewelboxes. Gravy, do you have Fanny and Alexander? |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| Inspector Carr | Dec 21 2007, 04:45 PM Post #5 |
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Charter Member
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Swedish Grindhouse...perhaps.. |
| "Life is a Crapshoot however you need a pair of dice to participate" | |
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| Laughing Gravy | Dec 21 2007, 04:48 PM Post #6 |
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Paul: No, not yet. On my "to be gotten" list! |
| "I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Dec 21 2007, 05:34 PM Post #7 |
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Mouth Breather
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Belongs on your MUST be gotten list. One of the all-time great DVD sets. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| Frank Hale | Dec 21 2007, 05:48 PM Post #8 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Don't forget that Eclipse release 9 (2/12/08) will be the Lubitsch Paramount musicals, which I know Mr. P wants to see. |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Dec 22 2007, 04:41 PM Post #9 |
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Mouth Breather
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That's the best news EVER! Thanks a million for the glad tidings, Frank. I thought I would never get to see One Hour With You -- it's been missing in action all my moviegoing life. Now the quest is to find Broken Lullaby. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| Laughing Gravy | Dec 27 2007, 10:45 AM Post #10 |
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Hmmm. I was thinkin' Paul recommended Amarcord, but here he is recommending Fanny and Alexander. Was I confused, or did you recommend Amarcord somewhere else, Paul? Should I return it for F&A? Or what? |
| "I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley | |
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| Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer | Jan 27 2008, 06:39 PM Post #11 |
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Sapient Balconeer
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I saw this today thanks to Netflix. It was an Eclipse disc and I was disappointed there wasn't a commentary track for the flick. That said..... This was a great movie. It was very psychological, much more so than I anticipated. The scenes inside the school's hallways were wonderfully shot. Stony's favorite scene: albeit a short one, the seniors take an exam, one that'll determine if they graduate or not. The tormenting teacher stands at the head of the class and his shadow covers a side wall as a foreboding presence. I give it 4 and a half bong hits out of 5! |
| It's like Rodney King used to say, "Can't we all get a bong." | |
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