Hets (1944)
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The Swedish-language picture Torment (AKA Hets, 1944) marked one of the first credited screenwriting efforts of the then 26-year-old scenarist Ingmar Bergman, and one of the broadest international successes of the gifted Swedish director Alf Sjöberg; it also launched the onscreen efforts of two young Scandinavian actors, Alf Kjellin and Mai Zetterling. This tragic drama concerns the ill-fated romance between student Jan-Erik Widgren (Kjellin) and Bertha Olsson (Zetterling), a slightly older, alcoholic widow who works at a tobacco store, and whom Jan-Erik meets when he discovers her unconscious in the street. The premise of the film finds Jan-Erik struggling valiantly to maintain his ongoing sexual affair with Bertha, while grappling, on the side, with the machinations of a sadistic and abusive professor, Caligula (Stig Jarrel. Events take an ugly turn when Jan-Erik discovers that Bertha is actually Caligula's lover - setting the stage for tragedy on the night of her booze-soaked orgy with the old man. Ultimately, both lovers are relentlessly victimized by the professor's doings. The cast also includes: Olof Winnerstrand, Hugo Bjorne, Stig Olin, Olav Riego, Marta Arbin and Nils Dahlgren. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Complete Cast:
- Stig Järrel - Caligula
- Mai Zetterling - Bertha Olsson
- Gösta Cederlund - Pippi
- Stig Olin - Sandman
- Marta Arbin - Mrs. Widgren
- Nils Dahlgren - Police officer
- Palle Granditsky - Student
- Arne Ragneborn - Student
- Birger Malmsten - Student
- Alf Kjellin - Jan-Erik Widgren
- Olof Winnerstrand - Headmaster
- Hugo Björne - Doctor
- Olav Riego - Mr. Widgren
- Jan Molander - Patterson
- Sten Gester - Student
- Olaf Riego - Mr. Widgren
- Gunnar Björnstrand - Younger doctor
- Director(s):
- Alf Sjöberg
- Writer(s):
- Ingmar Bergman
- Producer(s):
- Victor Sjöström, Harald Molander
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