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Prison

Original title: Fängelse
  • 19491949
  • 1h 19m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
1.9K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
85,453
35,276
Prison (1949)
Drama
A film director tries to create the best film in history, but finds out that human abilities have their limits.A film director tries to create the best film in history, but finds out that human abilities have their limits.A film director tries to create the best film in history, but finds out that human abilities have their limits.
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
1.9K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
85,453
35,276
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Ingmar Bergman
    • Writer
      • Ingmar Bergman
    • Stars
      • Doris Svedlund
      • Birger Malmsten
      • Eva Henning
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Ingmar Bergman
    • Writer
      • Ingmar Bergman
    • Stars
      • Doris Svedlund
      • Birger Malmsten
      • Eva Henning
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 4User reviews
    • 13Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos56

    Prison (1949)
    Prison (1949)
    Prison (1949)
    Prison (1949)
    Prison (1949)
    Prison (1949)
    Prison (1949)
    Prison (1949)
    Prison (1949)
    Prison (1949)
    Prison (1949)
    Prison (1949)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Doris Svedlund
    Doris Svedlund
    • Birgitta Carolina Söderberg
    Birger Malmsten
    Birger Malmsten
    • Thomas
    Eva Henning
    Eva Henning
    • Sofi
    Hasse Ekman
    Hasse Ekman
    • Martin Grandé
    Stig Olin
    Stig Olin
    • Peter
    Irma Christenson
    Irma Christenson
    • Linnea
    Anders Henrikson
    Anders Henrikson
    • Paul
    Marianne Löfgren
    Marianne Löfgren
    • Mrs. Bohlin
    Bibi Lindqvist
    • Anna
    Curt Masreliez
    Curt Masreliez
    • Alf
    Britta Holmberg
    Britta Holmberg
    • Birgitta's Mother in Dream
    • (voice)
    John W. Björling
    • Man in Birgitta's Dream
    • (uncredited)
    Sven Björling
    • Filmworker at Film Studio
    • (uncredited)
    Anita Blom
    • Anna
    • (uncredited)
    Britta Brunius
    Britta Brunius
    • Lasse's Mother
    • (uncredited)
    Åke Engfeldt
    Åke Engfeldt
    • Police Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Gösta Ericsson
    • Police Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Kenne Fant
    Kenne Fant
    • Arne
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Ingmar Bergman
    • Writer
      • Ingmar Bergman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This is the first Bergman film where Death makes a personal appearance. In a pastiche of silent-film slapstick, played by an Italian acrobat troupe, Death suddenly jumps in.
    • Crazy credits
      There are no opening titles in this film. An unseen narrator (Hasse Ekman) reads the credits, as well as the title, out loud approximately ten minutes in to the movie. The sole title card is the standard "Slut" (Swedish for "End") that closes the picture.
    • Connections
      Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Une histoire seule (1989)
    • Soundtracks
      Drömmen
      Composed by Erland von Koch (1949)

    User reviews4

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    PRISON (Ingmar Bergman, 1949) ***
    This is the earliest Bergman film that I've watched, and already the prime concerns that occupied him throughout most of his career - human relationships, sex, faith, death, etc. - are well in evidence.

    Interestingly, the narrative is set against a motion-picture backdrop; in fact, the film demonstrates a self-conscious approach to the medium that would re-emerge in later efforts such as PERSONA (1966) and THE PASSION OF ANNA (1969): rather than observing the normal procedure for the time, the credits don't appear at the outset but, effectively interrupting the proceedings after the first reel, these are given in a voice-over! Besides, the plot seems to be following the interconnecting vicissitudes of a variety of characters - but chiefly the crisis facing two separate couples - all of which, somewhat murkily and pretentiously, serves as a morality play about the triumph of Evil over Good, as envisioned in a framework set inside a studio and involving a film director's old ex-professor (the former happens to be the elder brother of one of the characters in the main narrative!).

    It's all rather fascinating for much of the running-time - and the director's visual style really can't be faulted (a dream sequence is especially effective and there's even a short and quite amusing Silent slapstick film-within-a-film, ostensibly the amateurish work of one of the characters!) - but, eventually, the over-ambitious structure of PRISON (by the way, neither this vague title nor the equally well-known alternate given the film on its American release, THE DEVIL'S WANTON, really serve the purpose of its existentialist theme and generally introspective tone), to say nothing of the relentless gloominess, wear the whole down somewhat. All in all, however, it's a fine piece of work from a film-maker who would go on to become one of the leading forces in cinema during the second half of the 20th century.
    helpful•18
    5
    • Bunuel1976
    • Mar 12, 2007

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 4, 1962 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Sweden
    • Language
      • Swedish
    • Also known as
      • The Devil's Wanton
    • Filming locations
      • Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden
    • Production company
      • Terrafilm
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • SEK 240,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 19 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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