Reviews & Ratings for
A Ship Bound for India More at IMDbPro »Skepp till India land (original title)

9 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
One of Bergman's first films is one of his most interesting…, 13 August 2001

Author: (saltsan) from Texas

But it's not one of his best. The characterizations of the film's protagonists are inconsistent from scene to scene and some of them leave a viewer with many unanswered questions (like the mother's motivations.) Beyond that, the cinematography is pretty dowdy, particularly the exterior footage.

Still, it has elements that Bergman fans will recognize from his more famous films, and it contains sequences of despair and anguish that can haunt a viewer days later. Birger Malmsten, who plays the lead character Johannes and who will be seen in several later Bergman films, is immensely likable and compelling as the hunchback son who finally stands up to his despotic father. While many of the early Bergman films are uninteresting at almost every level ("Port of Call," for instance) this one is well worth a look for the hard core Bergmaniac, if you can find it.

7 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
A Bitter and Anguished Love Story, 3 December 2010

Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

After seven years at sea, Johannes Blom (Birger Malmsten) returns to his hometown seeking out Sally (Gertrud Fridh), who is depressed and isolated in her room. Johannes recalls his life seven years ago, when he lived with his despotic and brutal father Captain Alexander Blom (Holger Löwenadler) and his abused mother Alice Blom (Anna Lindahl) in an old vessel working in salvage services. The hunchback Johannes has been rejected by his father since he was born and has survived and grown full of anger. When Alexander discovers that he will be blind in less than one year, he brings his mistress Sally to live with him on board of his ship expecting to leave Alice and travel abroad with Sally. But Johannes and Sally fall in love with each other and the hatred of Alexander for Johannes leads to the family to a tragic end.

"Skepp Till India Land" is the third film of master Ingmar Bergman with the story of a triangle of love among an abusive father, his abused son and his mistress. Captain Alexander Blom is one of the most despicable characters I have ever seen with his tyrannical and indifferent behavior regarding his wife and his own son. Alice Blom is an abused wife that has the only motivation of having a cottage and a pension of Alexander's employers in an after-war period (this is a 1947 film). Johannes is man without self-esteem or self-respect, abused since he was a child that reacts to his father's brutality when he is infatuated on Sally, an anguished and disillusioned showgirl that has no hopes or expectations with men. The result is a bitter and anguished love story. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Um Barco para a Índia" ("A Boat to India")

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Underrated Early Bergman, 21 December 2011
Author: David Le Sage from Australia

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Whilst not as strong as his later works, this early Bergman piece is still an effective piece of film-making that many lesser directors would be proud to claim as their own.

A character study, it shows the effect a violent, disturbed father has on his bullied son and others around him.

The symbolism of the two ships is quite striking: one is a wrecked vessel his father is futilely trying to raise that keeps the family tied to one location, trapped by his obsessive quest as the vessel sinks back down over and over again. The other is the eponymous ship bound for India which promises new life and hope. The son has already fled once and tasted the new world and now he must convince the mentally damaged girl left behind to come with him and let go of the past, before she becomes like his father.

The mill is also abundant with symbolism. As the son and girl ascend it they find companionship and solace together yet when the father tries to go up, he finds despair and ultimately jumps from a window, in an attempt to commit suicide, his depravity having transformed into complete madness, his encroaching physical blindness mirroring the blindness of his soul.

This vertical movement symbolism is also exemplified by the fact that it is when the son has dived under the water that the father tries to murder him.

The handful of characters in the film are well-played if a little inconsistent. As a previous reviewer noted, it would have been nice if the mother's motivations had been explored more but, as it stands, the three main players are well-drawn.

Bergman's cinematography is rough in places but there are nice, simple shots from the mill standing starkly on the rocky outcrop to the final moments of the boat finally setting sail.

This film is recommended to all lovers of world cinema. Do not expect one of the all-time great masterpieces but you will be pleasantly surprised by the burgeoning talent already at work here.

Not among Bergman's best, But still very good, 15 June 2011

Author: princebansal1982 from India

Ingmar Bergman is one of my top three directors. I have decided to see all his films I can get my hands on. I have seen 18 of his films. And while the most of them are masterpieces, there were a few disappointments. So I was not sure if this film would be any good.

I shouldn't have worried. It was a pleasant surprise because given the low rating, I was expecting at best an average film. While this film is not as good compared to his later work, it is still very good.

Many of themes present here are repeated in his much better films like "Autumn Sonata" and "Sawdust and Tinsel". It is not that visually appealing either. But still it is a work of genius and just a shade less than his best movies. I recommend it to all Bergman fans.

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