THE RITE
Sweden, 1969, 74 minutes, Black and white.
Ingrid Thulin, Anders Ek, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Erik Hell.
Directed by Ingmar Bergman.
The Rite is a brief, very sombre Ingmar Bergman film of the '70s. It is a stylised piece in nine scenes - mainly in an interrogation room of a judge considering a group of actors and their performance and criticisms of obscenity. This gives Bergman the opportunity to consider the inquisitatorial nature of the law. The judge (eventually reduced to fears and death) is an authoritarian man exercising his power, trying to do it with suavity but nevertheless acting as an insinuating censor. Bergman's criticism of censors is obvious. However, the presentation of the actors' troupe is quite ambiguous. They have their strengths, they definitely have their weaknesses. It is difficult to tell what is reality and what is performance. Ultimately, in their performance The Rite, they don masks and act in the stylised ritual, seemingly religious way. The result is the death of the judge - and publicity for the actors. Bergman himself was later to fall victim to inquisitatorial methods of the Swedish authorities, especially as regards taxation returns. He spent some years in exile in Germany. The film anticipates his criticism of authoritarian government.
The stars are regular Bergman performers, especially Gunnar Bjornstrand and Ingrid Thulin. Not the most accessible nor involving of Bergman's films, yet important in helping to understand him and his themes.
Scene 1 - Interrogation Room.
The judge, his magnifying glass, the photos and documents of the performance; the phone, his letting the actors wait, his nervousness and wiping his brow. His welcome and their meeting, the small talk, their having drinks, refusing them then having them. The lights failing, talk about panic. The Sunday afternoon and weekend activity. Politeness. Discussions about the touring company, whether performance is boring or not. The focus on taxation questions, their Swiss citizenship, the ironic talk about the police record. The judge's apologies, his reference to the speeding fine, the story behind the incident, Thea being drunk, taking her clothes off, her epilepsy. The performance for the industrialists and their donation of the percentage of their fee to charity. Their abuse of the judge when he has to leave the room, their worry about the room being bugged. The stifling heat, no one in the street, the thunder and lightning. Sebastian and Thea and the indications of sexual liaison, their talk about murdering the judge - and the later irony of his death. Drunkenness, arguing.
Scene 2 - A Hotel Room.
Sebastian reading the paper noisily, the argument, expressions of mutual loathing between Thea and Sebastian, comments on bad breath. The death of Sebastian's friend. Thea's wanting to know if his liaison with Marina, the friend's wife. Sensuality, touch, kisses. Sebastian's dream: the road, school having started, his leaving school, his mother's influence. Thea's dream - her choice of horses, a horse talking of art, love and freedom, having an ulcer and a cold. The poem and the reference to Sebastian as a bird (and the later bird masks for the performance). Sexual provocation, the talk. Thea moving to words of prayer 'God have mercy on me, take me to thee before I am destroyed', her weeping. Sebastian flicking matches. setting fire to the sheets, sitting amidst the sheets and whistling. The bell-like music.
Scene 3 - An Interrogation Room.
Sebastian and his illness, the judge asking him about his life, his parentage, divorce. The stabbed victim and the joking death. Love and remorse and the judge's interrogation. His being judged as dirty. His defence. His outburst.
Scene 4 - The Confessional.
The judge, the religious statuary in the church, the confessional, the judge thinking he is going to die (and his premonition of his death). Seeing himself as dead, his stench. Pardoned from the others. Questions about mercy. Anguish and relief. The place of God. Night, darkness, his fears. The bell ringing. The memory of his younger days, in bed, the dark and his fears.
Scene 5 - An Interrogation Room.
Hans and his waiting, the two hours' wait. The discussion about Sebastian and his impression. The judge interrogating Hans -his getting on with Sebastian, Sebastian's illness. Questions of guilt, the fine for obscenity - Hans having the money in the bank. The judge upholding the laws, commenting on their being old laws but his need to obey. The publicity because of the fine - the irony of the ending. Discussions about negotiations of contract. The role of the agent. Questions of creativity in their act, the power and control of the group, Hans! assertion that they blended together. Their responsibility for contributions to the act. Cigarettes. The judge and his insinuations about Thea and Fisher. Hans' son and his being in a home for idiots. His not visiting his children. His first wife. His excuses because of travel. His plea to the judge to excuse Thea from interview. Her hypersensitivity, strange outbursts. Hans' ability to calm her. Her desire to please everybody, obsessive. The judge and the letter of the law. Sebastian's ring. Questions about affairs and Hans' tolerance. Artists and their vulnerability. Hans relating to the other two, needing them, their being indispensable. His offer to bribe the judge, writing the large cheque. The judge tearing up the cheque and excusing Hans. The accusations of 'Innocent Act'.
Scene 6 - A Dressing Room.
Thea, her mask, drunk, weeping. Her tantrum. Hans and his prepared speech for the judge for her, his comfort as regards the food, the walks. Sebastian about to leave. Her vision of Sebastian and the nights. 'Without you, I'd kill myself'. Questions of security and insecurity. Her discussions about tiredness and the repetition of the word. Questions of artistry, Sebastian and rehearsals and excuses. Shouting and argument. Accusations of laziness. Hans drinking, Thea and her anguish. Her love for Hans, pity for him. His worry especially because of the relationship of Thea and Sebastian. His limits - especially in humiliation. Discussions of divorce, acting like lunatics. 'Release me, dear God, from this prison' - Hans. Thea and her coat, complaints about the rooms. 'We can never talk'. Thea drunk and nervous.
Scene 7 - The Interrogation Room.
Thea and the judge, his welcome. His suave manner, her smile. Playing to him. Seductive atmosphere - especially about the heat. Her comment on Hans and her sensitivity. The judge, the drinks and his charm. The exit and Thea nervy. The fight and the struggle. The scream, the slap, the sexual attack. Hans' arrival. The hostility of the judge and the phone.
Scene 8 - A Bar.
Hans and Sebastian, their apologies, talking business, cancelling the Far Eastern tour because of war, the United States because of the obscenity trial. Money losses. Sebastian's financial statement. Signing a new contract. Fee cuts or freelancing. Hans and his idea for the future. Questions of payment of Thea's hotel bills etc. The car, the registration. Discussion about sex, the frank language about orgasms. Hans and his reference to love according to 1 Corinthians 13. Hans liking Sebastian before his drinking and laxity. The theme of an inner light driving Sebastian - and it being darkened.
Scene 9 - An Interrogation Room.
The 9th of August. The judge talking onto the tape. Sebastian coming and his change. The arrival for the act. The downpour. Thea and her appreciation of the judge sending her flowers. Her return to help. The urge to carry out a rite - a ritual game, incantation. Memory firing the three for their performance. Themes of humble longing for self-sacrifice. The knife, the bladder full of wine, its being pierced at the bottom, the wine going into a vessel. Lights out, silence, drumbeats. The performance; cloaks off, masks on, the focus on each of the three, the sexual ritual masks - breasts and phallus. The judge and the beginning of his fears, his babbling, proclaiming his life, confessing - forced to be a lawyer, allotted the case, confessions of his vague fears, curiosity, wanting to take part, questions of freedom, not understanding, drives, fear, being laughed at. A judge always afraid, trying to be calm - 'Am I ridiculous, you must decide'. Obedience - his respect for the artists, gibbering about his own life, Sebastian slapping him, the face, the memories, striking his dignity. Weeping, feeling deserted, needing affection. The judge performing - the actors in ritual tableaux. The dark, sunrise, dawn - the drumbeats, the vessel raised, 'God's mask in front of Thea's face', the mask reflected in the bowl of blood, Hans drinking to remove the image. The judge's repetition 'I understand'. The declaration that Dr. Abramsson is now dead.
Aftermath -
The captions that the doctor was summoned and verified the judge's heart attack. The actors summonsed after three months, fined, paying their fine, giving interviews - then going on a holiday and never returning to the country.
