An early board school tragedy foreshadowing the likes of If
and the Danish Det forsømte forår. Written by Bergman and directed flawlessly by Alf Sjöberg, it is the grim story of sensitive gymnasiast Widgren, who falls in love with charming but haunted Bertha (mai Zetterling at 19 years of age). A dark secret connects Bertha with the sadistic Latin teacher Caligula. The movie is extremely sincere, with ominous shadows and sharp light exposing Bertha and Widgren's tormented souls. Tensions are sky-high, and one senses that the drama will be the death of one or the other. I think I maybe saw this as a teenager, or is it just because archetypical school movie themes are played out here for the first time, and to perfection? I can hardly recommend this gem too much, I will probably upgrade it on next viewing.
