''Thirst'' ( sv, Törst) is a 1949 Swedish

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film director, screenwriter, Film producer, producer and playwright. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time, his films are known ...

. It was released as ''Three Strange Loves'' in the United Kingdom.

Plot

Rut and her husband Bertil travel home by train after a holiday in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. Their marriage is unhappy due to Rut's changing moods and heavy drinking. While passing through the ruins of

post-war In Western usage, the phrase post-war era (or postwar era) usually refers to the time since the end of World War II. More broadly, a post-war period (or postwar period) is the interval immediately following the end of a war. A post-war period c ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, Rut recalls an earlier affair with married military officer Raoul. Raoul forced her to abort their child, which resulted in complications, Rut's infertility and inability to continue her career as a dancer. Her friend and co-dancer Valborg, disgusted by men, turned to other women. Bertil is still haunted by an earlier affair with widow Viola. While Rut and Bertil travel home, the film shows Viola's escape from a sadistic psychiatrist, her encounter with Valborg, who openly tries to seduce her, and her final suicide. Meanwhile, the tensions between Rut and Bertil escalate, and Bertil seemingly kills Rut after a fight. Bertil awakens and realises that he imagined Rut's death. The couple decide to give their marriage another chance.

Cast

Eva Henning Eva Henning (born Eva Wetlesen; 10 May 1920 – 18 April 2016) was a Swedish stage and movie actress. Career Born in Newark, New York, US, Henning was trained at the Royal Dramatic Theatre's acting school (1938–40) in Sweden and made her fi ...

as Rut * Birger Malmsten as Bertil *

Birgit Tengroth Birgit Tengroth (13 July 1915 – 21 September 1983) was a Swedish film actress. She appeared in more than 40 films between 1926 and 1950. Biography Tengroth debuted in Sven Jerring's radio show 'Barnens Brevlåda' together with her friend ...

as Viola *

Hasse Ekman Hasse Ekman (born Hans Gösta Ekman; 10September 191515February 2004) was a Swedish director, actor, writer and Film producer, producer for film director, film, Theatre director, stage and television director, television. Biography Hasse Ekman ...

as Dr. Rosengren * Mimi Nelson as Valborg *

Bengt Eklund Bengt Gunnar Eklund (18 January 1925 – 19 January 1998) was a Swedish actor. He is well known as Nisse Granqvist in the 1964 TV series ''Vi på Saltkråkan''. Eklund worked for many years at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, but also ma ...

as Raoul * Gaby Stenberg as Astrid * Naima Wifstrand as Miss Henriksson * Verner Arpe as German ticket collector * Calle Flygare as Priest *

Sven-Eric Gamble Sven-Eric Gamble (10 August 1924 – 10 May 1976) was a Swedish film actor. Selected filmography References External links * * 1924 births 1976 deaths Male actors from Stockholm 20th-century Swedish male actors {{Sweden-acto ...

as Glass worker * Helge Hagerman as Priest * Else-Merete Heiberg as Norwegian lady * Estrid Hesse as Patient * Gunnar Nielsen as Assistant doctor *

Sif Ruud Sif Einarsdotter Ruud Fallde born Sif Einarsdotter Ruud (6 May 1916 – 15 August 2011), best known as Sif Ruud, was a Swedish film actress. Born in Stockholm to Einar Ruud and Inez Engström, she began her career in 1938, and appeared in 14 ...

as Widow

Production

After the financial failure of ''

Prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

'', the collaboration between Terrafilm and Bergman had ended. Svensk Filmindustri offered Bergman to produce his next film. ''Thirst'' was based on a short story collection published by

in 1948;

Herbert Grevenius Herbert Grevenius (7 October 1901 – 9 December 1993) was a Swedish screenwriter. He wrote for 30 films between 1943 and 1980. Selected filmography * ''The Old Clock at Ronneberga'' (1944) * ''It Rains on Our Love'' (1946) * '' Främmand ...

, who had already worked with Bergman on '' It Rains on Our Love'', wrote the screenplay. Bergman asked Tengroth to star in his film, who helped him in finding the right tone in the lesbian scene between Viola and Valborg. Shooting took place between 15 March and 5 July 1949.''Thirst – Sources of inspiration''
on Ingmarbergman.se, retrieved 9 June 2012.Hauke Lange-Fuchs: ''Ingmar Bergman: Seine Filme – sein Leben,'' (German language), Heyne, Munich 1988, . ''Thirst'' premiered on 17 October 1949 in Sweden and on 30 August 1956 in the US.. Swedish Critic Jörn Donner later called ''Thirst'' "a commercial version of ''Prison''".

François Truffaut François Roland Truffaut ( , ; ; 6 February 1932 – 21 October 1984) was a French film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave. After a career of more tha ...

saw similarities between Bergman's film and

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's '' Suspicion'' and ''

Rich and Strange ''Rich and Strange'', released in the United States as ''East of Shanghai'', is a 1931 romance film directed by Alfred Hitchcock during his time in the British film industry. The film was adapted by Hitchcock, his wife Alma Reville, and Val Val ...

''.

Literature

''Bergman on Bergman'', Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, New York 1973.

References

External links

* * {{Ingmar Bergman 1949 films 1949 drama films 1940s LGBT-related films Films directed by Ingmar Bergman Swedish black-and-white films 1940s Swedish-language films Swedish LGBT-related films Adultery in films Films set on trains Films about abortion Films about ballet Swedish drama films