Torment (1944)
★ ★ ★ - GoodInstead of talking about the film, I want to make a comment about my viewing habits and two about
MartinTeller's review of the film. Because many films I watch are not something I seek out so much as a title I'm checking off a list in the hunt for a good film, when I start watching the level of indifference can be seen as unfair to the movie. I think of it as a smirnoff approach, please don't waste my time, make me FEEL something and I will appreciate it. This is such a case. I knew nothing except that it's supposed to be very good, so it took my by surprise to read in the opening credits that the screenplay is by Ingmar Bergman. Still, this is very early for Bergman so it gave me no expectations. Took some time, but around the middle I realized I was liking this a lot, I was invested in where things were going and was paying close attention.
How fortunate that Martin wrote about the film. (Twice!) He must've known this wouldn't be as analyzed or as useful as something more familiar, but as a Bergman fan I hoped for some thoughts and found five paragraphs. ...plus an earlier review.
Martin comments, "The film has a noir-like sensibility." I don't disagree, but for me I was seeing a lot of Horror style. Shadows and dark closets, a sense of evil beyond reason. The script goes for a more peaceful resolution, but I wonder if I saw Horror where Martin saw Noir because these are the genres we are drawn to?