"This lovely filmis Sjöberg's warmest, most tender work." (Elliott Stein,Village Voice) Alf Kjellin and Mai Zetterling proved to be such asuccessful pairing in Torment that Sjöberg brought them back forIris and the Lieutenant. A frivolous young officer, Robert Motander,enrages his family and particularly his domineering father by falling inlove with his aunt's housemaid, Iris. Peter Cowie suggests that"Sjöberg detested the immobile class system represented by theMotander family in Iris, and sees in the young lovers some hope for afuture that's more egalitarian in terms of both money and emotions. Butthere's an aching, melancholic tinge to the affair?. Underlying it allruns a note of guilt as a consequence of Sweden's somewhat sanctimoniousneutrality during World War II. Perhaps it's also the presence ofKjellin and Zetterling from Torment, although they transcend thesymbolic nature of their roles and come across as vivid, vulnerablepersonalitis."