Prison is a film within a film, Bergman’s 1948 exploration of the self-fulfilling darkness and moral narcissism of filmmaking. An unexpected visit from his old mathematics teacher inspires young film director Martin Grundé with the idea for a new project. In conversation with the teacher, frail, haunted and recently released from a mental hospital, Grundé envisions his new story: Hell is on Earth, the devil reigns. A labyrinthine series of scenes follows, illustrating both the complex of events leading up to the film’s shooting and the darkening form of the story as it is slowly being shot.Prison captures the young Bergman perfectly as he struggled with form, content, existential issues and the very morality and process of film itself. Prison is a film within a film, Bergman’s 1948 exploration of the self-fulfilling darkness and moral narcissism of filmmaking. An unexpected visit from his old mathematics teacher inspires young film director Martin Grundé with the idea for a new project. In conversation with the teacher, frail, haunted and recently released from a mental hospital, Grundé envisions his new story: Hell is on Earth, the devil reigns. A labyrinthine series of scenes follows, illustrating both the complex of events leading up to the film’s shooting and the darkening form of the story as it is slowly being shot.Prison captures the young Bergman perfectly as he struggled with form, content, existential issues and the very morality and process of film itself.