Torment (1944)

 Alf Sjoberg's "Torment"


Even though the 1944 Swedish film, "Torment," was directed by established Swedish filmmaker Alf Sjoberg, it was the scriptwriter of the film that gets the most notable attention: the great Ingmar Bergman. Bergman was at the very beginning of his career in film, being only 24 when he wrote this script. Even the subject matter of the story deals with youth and school. 

The film centers on a high school student, Widgren, on the precipice of graduation. He clashes with his oppressive and sadistic Latin teacher, "Caligula," after Caligua catches him cheating. After Widgren starts to romantically see an alcoholic cigarette shop girl named Bertha, he learns that she is being tormented by another man. This other man harasses her, beats her, and pushes her further and further into alcoholism. With a newfound romance with Widgren, she starts to recover. However, after this mysterious man manages to break into her apartment, Bertha realizes that there is no winning and decides to give up and drink herself to death. Widgren gets in to her apartment, only to realize it was Caligula who was her tormenter. Caligula, hellbent on getting Widgren expelled from school, tells the principal of the school that Widgren had been sleeping with a 'questionable' woman and had accused him of murder. After getting into an altercation with Caligua, Widgren is expelled and moves out of his parents' and into Bertha's old apartment. The principal of the school visits him and tells him that he does not want him isolating and tells him that he will assist him in planning for his future. After the principal leaves, Caligula confronts Widgren, asking if they were speaking about him. Widgren leaves Caligula on the stairs, isolated and alone, while he steps out into the bright morning, ready to move on with his life. 

Although Sweden was not occupied by the German forces during World War II, "Torment" does have a very oppressive atmosphere that resembles other European anti-Nazi films at the time. Specifically, the character of Caligula resembles the oppressive Nazi so full of hatred and bile for the people around him. He is a sadist who deeply wants to see everyone around him suffer. He even tells Widgren that Widgren is 'not allowed' to be upset with him, "he forbids it!" Although the main center of the film lies at Bergman's anxiety over the education system, the tone of the film is deeply rooted in the oppressive atmosphere of Europe at the time. 




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