Törst (1949)

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writers:

Herbert Grevenius (writer)
Birgit Tengroth (novel)

Release Date:

11 July 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A great new Swedish hit by the maker of "Monika" and "Illicit Interlude"

Plot:

A needy couple in a bad marriage travel back to Stockholm after a trip to Italy. Meanwhile, a widow resists seductions from two different persons - her psychiatrist and a lesbian friend.

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | Lesbian | Abortion | Ballet | Marriage

Cast

Eva Henning	...	Rut
Birger Malmsten	...	Bertil
Birgit Tengroth	...	Viola
Hasse Ekman	...	Dr. Rosengren
Mimi Nelson	...	Valborg (as Mimmi Nelson)
Bengt Eklund	...	Raoul
Gaby Stenberg	...	Astrid
Naima Wifstrand	...	Miss Henriksson

Also Known As:

Thirst (USA)
Three Strange Loves

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (AGA Baltic)

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Hamburg, Germany

Company:

Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

early Bergman film, very confident in the direction, storyline not as much

It's interesting to see that the late Ingmar Bergman only directed Thirst and didn't write it. Even with its flaws, like the Virgin Spring it seems authentic to the filmmaker's intentions with the characters and the dialog especially. Bergman, through the writer Birgit Tengroth, makes it his own even as he's still trying to get together completely the rhythm of the storytelling. It's strange to see him effortlessly direct within the realm of getting the camera moving around and still going at a realistic tempo (most of the time anyway). It's a story of lovers and lovers gone to pot, with the life of one, the woman in the relationship (Eva Henning as Rut), revealed in flashbacks to a past rotten relationship and other friendship, while the husband (Birger Malmsten as Bertil) has only his ex shown in dire straits after the fall-out.

The latter part was the only scene that didn't quite work for me; despite Bertil's 'dream' later on in the film- which is rather great within the experimentation of his mood expressed violently- we never see much behind his past life with the person. Viola, played by Tenegroth herself, is better than expected in the part as a fragile soul who breaks away from being committed and runs into also old school friend (and the ballet friend of Rut's, at least I think it was) Valborg, though her better, more dramatic work comes later on in the film.

Still, it's a very good drama, with Bergman leading it along in a sort of quagmire for the audience (likely also to be found in Strindberg, one of Bergman's biggest influences) about how people who meet for the reason of comfort end up feeling torn away by that same reason. Rut's relationship with Raoul winds up cruel and a mark on her psyche, though she's also got her own quirks and obnoxious side, yet she'll stay with him, or try to, at the very end. It's quite bleak despite the happy ending however (i.e. the fate of Viola), and the ideal of happiness in this world is always out of reach; discoveries when stuck together, as on a train, only bring about more pondering. In 83 minutes time it can't be nearly as probing about how men distance women, or vice versa, sometimes unintentionally or through vicious deeds or thoughts, as other Bergman films.

But for a short while there are some tense moments, and even a couple of surprising light ones: the scene showing Rut and the dancers having fun on stage with some folk music is one of Bergman's most joyous scenes of any movie he's done.