Frenzy [Hets] [Torment] **** (1944, Stig Järrel, Alf Kjellin, Mai Zetterling) – Classic Movie Review 11,499

Director Alf Sjöberg’s 1944 Swedish drama Frenzy [Hets] [Torment] stars Stig Järrel, Alf Kjellin and Mai Zetterling, and won the Grand Prix at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival. Ingmar Bergman wrote the screenplay, is an assistant director, and the filming of some exteriors is his film directorial debut.

A nasty, sadistic Latin teacher called Caligula (Stig Järrel) at a Stockholm school and the shy but diligent pupil Jan-Erik Widgren (Kjellin) he torments compete for the affections of sluttish young cigarette store clerk Bertha Olsson (Zetterling), in this luxurious, steamy but gloomy Swedish Forties melodrama, written by Ingmar Bergman in his first screenplay.

Quality acting, Bergman’s taut, literate screenplay, Martin Bodin’s expressionist camerawork and the atmospheric direction by Sjöberg helped to turn it into a worldwide hit.

Also in the cast are Stig Olin, Olof Winnerstrand, Gösta Cederlund, Hugo Björne, Olav Riego, Märta Arbin, Jan Molander, and Gunnar Bjornstrand.

Frenzy [Hets] provoked heated debate in the Swedish press about the conditions in their high schools. Bergman replied: ‘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. My school was neither better nor worse than other institutions with the same purpose. Where should the poor bohemians go? Would the bohemians be excused? There are teachers one never forgets. Men one liked and men one hated.’

Bergman recalled: ‘When the film was virtually done, I made my debut as a movie director. I had to add an additional scene that shows Kjellin in the light of dawn, walking towards the awakening city. I was told to shoot these last exteriors, since Sjöberg was otherwise engaged. They were my first professionally filmed images. I was more excited that I can describe.’

The cast are Alf Kjellin as student Jan-Erik Widgren, Stig Järrel as Latin teacher Caligula, Mai Zetterling as cigarette store clerk Bertha Olsson, Olof Winnerstrand as The Principal, Gösta Cederlund as teacher Pippi, Stig Olin as student Sandman, Jan Molander as student Pettersson, Olav Riégo as Mr. Widgren, Märta Arbin as Mrs. Widgren, and Hugo Björne as The Doctor.

Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,499

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