Hamnstad (Port of Call) (1948)

48% of users liked it
(649 ratings)

In this early feature from Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman, Gosta (Bengt Eklund) is a sailor with the merchant marine who has decided to take some time off from sailing after eight years at sea. Working the docks until he can find a better job, one Saturday night Gosta visits a dance hall and meets… More In this early feature from Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman, Gosta (Bengt Eklund) is a sailor with the merchant marine who has decided to take some time off from sailing after eight years at sea. Working the docks until he can find a better job, one Saturday night Gosta visits a dance hall and meets Berit (Nine-Christine Jonsson), a beautiful but troubled young woman. Berit has a history as a juvenile delinquent and has served time in a home for girls, where she met her close friend Gertrud (Mimi Nelson). Berit soon becomes infatuated with Gosta, and his strong, well-grounded nature seems to be the stabilizing influence she needs. However, in time Gosta learns about Berit's checkered past and meets her mother (Berta Hall), who makes no secret of her contempt for her daughter. Gosta begins having second thoughts about his relationship with Berit after she unwittingly involves him in the death of Gertrud, who succumbs after receiving an illegal abortion. Hamnstad (aka Port of Call and Harbor City) marks the first time Bergman worked with cinematographer Gunnar Fischer, who would photograph many of his most memorable films of the 1950's. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: Ingmar Bergman
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Oct 11, 1948 Wide
On DVD: Mar 20, 2007
Studio: Criterion Collection

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Gritty dockside melodrama.
Jon Fortgang, Film4
Rewarding, if sombre, slice of Swedish street life that demonstrates Bergman's trademark visual ingenuity and expert characterisation.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
An early, minor work by Ingmar Bergman, interesting mainly in the general context of the great director's career.

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Featured Audience Ratings

danny d

this was really 3/4 of a great film. i was interested in the characters and the visuals were great as this was the first collaboration between bergman and gunnar, but the end lost focus a bit. overall a realist human drama worthy of viewing.
Cassandra M

An early film from Ingmar Bergman, it is just as interesting on a visual scope as his films usually are, with the docklands filmed well and good use of panning and dolly work throughout. In terms of story and acting though, this is rather ordinary stuff, despite some interesting ideas… More
An early film from Ingmar Bergman, it is just as interesting on a visual scope as his films usually are, with the docklands filmed well and good use of panning and dolly work throughout. In terms of story and acting though, this is rather ordinary stuff, despite some interesting ideas and philosophies about freedom. It seems the easy way to out to just classify this film as interesting but not up to the standard that Bergman would later set, however I cannot think of much else to say here. It certainly is not as thought-provoking and intense as some of his later films, and for those not interested in Bergman or clever camera movement, I could easily imagine this piece coming across as boring.