Port of Call (1948)
Directed by Ingmar Bergman

Film Review

It was whilst he was actively directing theatre productions in Gothenburg that Ingmar Bergman somehow found the time to make this, his fifth film, set in the busy Swedish port.   It was the first of Bergman's films to register as a commercial success, and certainly, of his early films, this is one of the most watchable, combining a very engaging story with a striking visual style.

Bergman himself admitted that, at the time, he was heavily influenced by Italian neo-realism.  The is most apparent in the stunning location sequences of Port of Call, where the influence of Roberto Rossellin and Vittorio De Sica can be seen in virtually every shot.  Some of these sequences have a raw documentary-feel (depicting the life of ordinary workers in the docks and in factories) which is lacking in virtually all of Bergman's other films.

It is a surprisingly light film compared with what was to follow, omitting the deep existentialist and metaphysical concerns which would come to dominate Bergman's films a decade on.  Rather, it is a film that is preoccupied with more mundane issues, the emotional experiences of a couple who fall in love and soon run into difficulties.  There are similarities with the films that Bergman would make in the last stage of his career (from the 1970s), psychologically complex films which meticulously probe human relationships that are in the process of a slow and painful disintegration.

Port of Call employs two elements that are recurring motifs in Bergman's work.  First, there is the solitary female lead character, whose only salvation from a life of bleak rejection and self-inflicted cruelty is a potentially devastating relationship with a man who, whilst equally vulnerable, lacks her emotional depth and sensitivity.  Then there is the destructive child-parent relationship which leaves a lasting legacy of recrimination and loathing - an acknowledgement of Bergman's own traumatic experiences, and something that provides the crux of the later films Autumn Sonata (1978) and Fanny and Alexander (1982).

Whilst it has a lot going for it, there's no denying that Port of Call does look like a paler, far less subtle version of Bergman's later films.   The leading character, Berit, is explored in some detail and given a convincing backstory, but her male counterpart, Gösta, is thinly drawn and appears less plausible - although both characters are well-played by talented actors.  The narrative touches on some important social themes (failed parents sending their daughters to reformatories, the reliance of working class women on  back-street abortions) but doesn't satisfactorily engage with the polemic of these issues.  Most crucially, the film closes with a not terribly convincing happy ending, which suggests Gösta and Berit will live happily ever after when it's quite obvious the opposite is far more likely.  Certainly, script-wise, Port of Call is far less considered and polished than Bergman's later films.

The film does, however, hold up very well in other areas.  Bergman shows far more flair in his direction than previously, skilfully borrowing styles from Italian neo-realism and French poetic realism in a way that accentuates the narrative, lending mood and atmosphere to the drama. The opening is masterfully composed (a thinly veiled homage to Marcel Carné), as is the gripping sequence in which Berit recounts her past life in flashback.

The performances are excellent, with Nine-Christine Jönsson's astutely underplayed portrayal of Berit being particularly effective at conveying inner torment and a desperate craving for affection, a precursor of the role that Bergman would later confer on his devoted muses Harriet Andersson and Liv Ullmann.

Then there is Gunnar Fischer's cinematography which is so extraordinarily beautiful and expressive, underscoring the psychological crises that underpin the narrative and bringing both stark realism and a sense of haunting poetry to the story.  The potency and success of Bergman's early films owe as much to the genius of Fischer as to the skill of the director himself.

Film Synopsis

Shortly after landing at the port of Gothenburg, a merchant seaman named Gösta prevents a young woman from drowning herself.   Some days later, he meets the same girl, Berit, at a dance and they become friends.  Afterwards, Berit invites Gösta back home, but regrets doing so the next day when her domineering mother finds out.  Undeterred, Berit continues to see Gösta and finally decides to confide in him her miserable past.  How will he react when he hears what she has to say?  Will he also turn his back on her...?