Prison 1949 film

• Prison*, also known as *The Devil's Wanton* in the United States, is a 1949 Swedish drama film directed by Ingmar Bergman, based on his original screenplay. The story revolves around characters such as Thomas, a writer whose wife Sofi leaves him after he proposes a suicide pact; Birgitta Carolina Søderberg, a teenage prostitute; and Peter, her pimp who kills their child. The film explores a Hell-like world ruled by the Devil, where Thomas and Birgitta struggle to escape their unhappiness together.

The cast includes Doris Svedlund as Birgitta, Birger Malmsten as Thomas, Eva Henning as Sofi, Hasse Ekman as Martin Grandé, and Stig Olin as Peter. The production was financed by Lorens Marmstedt on a low budget of approximately $30,000, filmed in just 18 days with an Expressionist cinematography style. The acting is minimalistic, and the narrative emphasizes existential symbolism, including a scene where Thomas and Birgitta watch a silent film.

Stanley Kauffmann of *The New Republic* noted that while the film can be tedious, it showcases Bergman's fluency with the medium and understanding of actors. He particularly praised Stig Olin's portrayal of the pimp and highlighted the film's early signs of Bergman's introspective style, which he would later develop more fully in his career.