User reviews

Hasse Ekman always made movies with the best Swedish actors of his time. 'Banketten' is no exception with great performances from Sven Lindberg, Eva Henning and Sture Lagerwall. This is the story of an upper-class family with internal problems. The old patriarch father must decide who will inherit his company, but one son, Ivar, is a socialist, the other one, Pierre, is a big-spending irresponsible brat. Hasse Ekman and Eva Henning is the young married couple, locked in a marriage where love and romance have been replaced by insults and cynicism. It is interesting to know that the two were married to each other also outside the screen.

Of the 40 movies that Ekman directed, this is one of his five best.

Hasse Ekman had already established himself as the leading director at the time (before Bergman) but the leading role as the sadistic Hugo Stenbrott also established him as a gifted actor. Ingmar Bergman was impressed an gave Ekman one of the parts in "Gycklarnas afton", 1953. Eva Henning (Ekmans wife in real life as well) gives a striking performance as the lovesick Vica.

A frightening peak into the world of the upper-class, where the devil hides under a polished surface. Almost a masterpiece! **** (out of five)