The Virgin Spring (1960)
"Jungfrukällan" (original title)

After a group of men brutally attack a young woman they unknowingly ask for food and shelter from the girl's parents, setting the stage for chilling revenge.

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ulla Isaksson

Stars:

Max von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg, Gunnel Lindblom

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Max von Sydow	...	Töre
Birgitta Valberg	...	Märeta
Gunnel Lindblom	...	Ingeri
Birgitta Pettersson	...	Karin
Axel Düberg	...	Thin Herdsman
Tor Isedal	...	Mute Herdsman
Allan Edwall	...	Beggar
Ove Porath	...	Boy
Axel Slangus	...	Bridge Keeper
Gudrun Brost	...	Frida
Oscar Ljung	...	Simon
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tor Borong	...	Farm-hand
Leif Forstenberg	...	Farm-hand

Storyline

Set in beautiful 14th century Sweden, it is the sombre, powerful fable of wealthy land-owning parents whose daughter, a young virgin, is brutally raped and murdered by goat herders after her half sister has invoked a pagan curse. By a bizarre twist of fate, the murderers ask for food and shelter from the dead girl's parents, who, discovering the truth about their erstwhile lodgers, exact a chilling revenge.

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Plot Keywords:

stepsister | revenge | shelter | girl | farm | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish German

Release Date:

14 November 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Virgin Spring

Filming Locations:

Dalarnas län, Sweden

Company Credits

Production Co:

Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mentioned in the Van Halen song The Seventh Seal.

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Goofs

If you look closely when the boy is placing dirt on Karin's body, you can see her torso move as the actress breathes (even though she was supposed to be dead).

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Quotes

Töre: You see it, God. You see it. The innocent child's death, and my revenge. You allowed it. I don't understand You. I don't understand You. Yet, I still ask your forgiveness. I know no other way to live. I promise You, God... here on the dead body of my only child, I promise you that, to cleanse my sins, here I shall build a church. On this spot. Of mortar and stone... and with these, my hands.

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Connections

Referenced in Lemminge: Arkadien (1979)

User Reviews

Compelling and frightening

A powerhouse piece of filmmaking from one of the all-time great directors. This 14th-century exploration of good and evil, morality and chaos, love and revenge is pretty much a faultless viewing experience and one which retains its ability to shock and provoke thought in the viewer even today. I can only imagine what it would have been like to see this on first release.

The story is deceptively simple and yet filled with harrowing imagery. The assault in the woods is difficult to watch, even in these jaded times, and of course Bergman wrings the maximum tension out of it right from the very beginning. The second half is, perhaps, even more tense, with the expectation of impending violence and the strong, subtle filmmaking techniques (think: lots of lurking shadow, religious iconography, haunted faces). The excellent use of black and white photography reminded me of Kurosawa's work on RASHOMON. Max von Sydow holds it all together as the brusque father and family man, but he heads a cast who can do no wrong.

Wes Craven went for a lurid, contemporary remake in LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, but despite the graphic nature of Craven's film I don't think it holds a candle to this one.