Released in 1947 and told mostly in flashback, the movie features Johannes Blom, a 1st mate on his cruel father's salvage boat. The father, Alexander, mistreats both his wife and son and dreams of a life he has never been able to attain even as he learns he is going blind. His mistress, Sally, a dancer in a local "variety show" is ready to run away with him. Alice, Johannes' stoic mother dreams only of retirement and living peacefully in a cottage with Alexander.
The tensions escalate when Johannes and Sally fall in love; Alexander's anger explodes and he tries to murder his son. After he fails, Alexander tries to commit suicide only to end up paralyzed. Johannes goes away as a sailor for seven years (a nice biblical length). When he returns he finally persuades a by then psychologically damaged Sally to go away with him.
There is an ambiguous ending.
This dysfunctional family theme establishes something of a pattern for early Bergman.
The tensions escalate when Johannes and Sally fall in love; Alexander's anger explodes and he tries to murder his son. After he fails, Alexander tries to commit suicide only to end up paralyzed. Johannes goes away as a sailor for seven years (a nice biblical length). When he returns he finally persuades a by then psychologically damaged Sally to go away with him.
There is an ambiguous ending.
This dysfunctional family theme establishes something of a pattern for early Bergman.