Ingmar Bergman directs Ingrid Thulin, Anders Ek and Erik Hell in this Swedish drama where a judge tries to assess a troupe of performers who act out a live work that is considered censorable.

A pretentious and talky chamber piece with spasms of psychosexual violence. The sweaty and garbled paranoia of the first hour in no way prepares you for a finale involving a carved dark wood strap-on. I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on, but beyond the nasty puzzle presented this would be difficult to recommend or rewatch.

5