The Cinematheque

Roberto Rossellini’s Italian neorealism and Marcel Carné’s French poetic realism are pronounced influences on Ingmar Bergman’s fifth feature, a moody, gritty drama set (and largely shot) on the Gothenburg docks. A rare work of social criticism from the director—it takes on Sweden’s social-welfare and juvenile-justice systems, along with the issue of abortion—the film concerns Berit (Nine-Christine Jönsson), a suicidal young woman with a troubled background and a domineering, disapproving mother. Berit’s hopes are raised by romance with Gösta (Bengt Eklund), an honest sailor who may or may not be able to accept her past. The destructive parent-child relationship is a recurring Bergman motif; the film was risqué in its day for its forthright eroticism and treatment of abortion. It was also the first Bergman picture shot by Gunnar Fischer (The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries), the director’s go-to cinematographer through the 1950s.