Alf SjöbergCast
Stig Järrel 
Alf Kjellin 
Mai Zetterling
Credits
Written by: 
Ingmar Bergman
Plot
In a strict Stockholm school, a student, Jan-Erik, is bullied by his Latin teacher, nicknamed Caligula, who is a sadist. Jan-Erik falls in love with Bertha, a shop girl, and the teacher, who is also obsessed with her, torments them both. Alf Sjöberg's 1944 film, with a script by the young Ingmar Bergman, who also served as assistant director, won the Grand Prize at Cannes and is considered an early influence on Bergman's own work, particularly on his portraits of authority.
Sinekatalog’s take
Alf Sjöberg's Swedish drama, scripted by Ingmar Bergman, follows a student bullied by a sadistic Latin teacher. Stig Järrel is chilling and Mai Zetterling affecting in a dark, expressionistic school thriller.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.
Ratings
IMDb: 7.2 / 10 (4,197 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.
If you liked this
Picked by director, genre, era and shared cast. Titles only, no spoilers.
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- One Summer of Happiness 1951 · Arne Mattsson · IMDb 6.8 · Same movement
- Only a Mother 1949 · Alf Sjöberg · IMDb 6.7 · Same director
- Children of Paradise 1945 · Marcel Carné · IMDb 8.3 · Similar genres