The Blizzard (1923)
"Gunnar Hedes saga" (original title)

Director:

Mauritz Stiller

Writers:

Selma Lagerlöf (novel), Mauritz Stiller

Stars:

Gustav Aronson, Stina Berg, Hugo Björne

Cast

Credited cast:
Gustav Aronson	...	Bailiff
Stina Berg	...	Mrs. Blomgren
Hugo Björne	...	Mr. Hede
Pauline Brunius	...	Mrs. Hede
Julia Cederblad	...	Auktionsspekulant
Einar Hanson	...	Gunnar Hede
Gösta Hillberg	...	Lawyer
Mary Johnson	...	Ingrid
Adolf Olschansky	...	Blomgren
Lotten Olsson	...	Auktionsspekulant
Concordia Selander
Ingeborg Strandin	...	Tjänstekvinna på munkhyttan
Thecla Åhlander	...	Stava

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel

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Details

Country:

Sweden

Release Date:

1 January 1923 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

The Blizzard

Filming Locations:

Kall, Jämtlands län, Sweden

Company Credits

Production Co:

Svenska Biografteatern AB

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min 71 min 101 min (original release)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in The Voice of Bergman (1997)

User Reviews

Very curious!

This film was recently restored (not digitally) by the Swedish film institute, had its original intertitles reinserted and received colour tinting via filters (hand tinting would have bee desirable but was not cost effective here).

The storyline has an overegging of hysteria even by silent movie standards with both leads waifish, prone to fainting, and racoon-eyed, as was the fashion of the time! The plot is also quite ludicrous. I think the film is important for two reasons though, firstly I think it's interesting to look at the material that influenced of Ingmar Bergman. You can definitely see that here with the travelling artistes that first unite our two sensitive young ones. Secondly, the montage is very good in places, including a painting that comes to life, a nasty dream sequence, and a quite weird animal-phobic hallucination.

Gunnar Hede is frustrated at his existence in the tomb of Munkhyttan, the family pile. Grandad, who he hears stories about was an itinerant fiddler before striking it rich with a dangerous reindeer-importing scheme. Gunnar yearns to emulate his grandfather, but mother will have none of it. The scenes that the movie is famous for show reindeer driving, and includes an astonishing river crossing where the reindeer swim across a wide river, snaking away with the current. Gunnar must earn Munkhyttan and win the girl. That is the movie! It may sound strange but the most touching scene for me was of Ingrid helping Gunnar during a weak moment, it is so rare to see a woman helping a man in a movie. I heard somewhere recently that, "the one thing women will never forgive in a man, is weakness".

One very pretty scene was Gunnar staring at himself in the water, not quite sure how they filmed it, it looked as if I the audience member were staring at my own reflection!