De Düva: The Dove (1968)

This short film is a parody of some of Ingmar Bergman's best known films, including Wild Strawberries (Smultronstaellet) and The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde Inseglet). The dialog, seemingly in... See full summary »

Directors:

George Coe, Anthony Lover

Writer:

Sidney Davis

Stars:

Pamela Burrell, George Coe, Sid Davis

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Pamela Burrell	...	Inga
George Coe	...	Viktor
Sid Davis	...	Death
Madeline Kahn	...	Sigfrid
Stan Rubinstein	...	Olin
Tom Stone	...	Gustav
Peter Turgeon	...	Uncle Anders
David Zirlin	...	Chauffeur

Storyline

This short film is a parody of some of Ingmar Bergman's best known films, including Wild Strawberries (Smultronstaellet) and The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde Inseglet). The dialog, seemingly in Swedish, is actually a Swedish-accented fictional language based on English, German, Latin, and Swedish, with most nouns ending in "ska". The principal character, Professor Viktor Sundqvist, 76, is being driven to a lecture at the university, when dove droppings splatter the car's windshield. Detouring at his uncle's old house, his mind wanders back to his youth, when Death came to a family picnic to claim his sister, Inga. Knowing that Death is a gambler, Viktor has Inga challenge Death to a single-point game of badminton for her life. While they are playing, a dove flies above, soiling Death's cape, and distracting him enough to miss the birdie. Having won the game, Inga is free, and she and Viktor run off for a swim in the lake.

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Plot Keywords:

dove | picnic | professor | uncle | badminton | 

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Genres:

Short | Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

October 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Dove

Company Credits

Production Co:

Coe-Davis Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

15 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Madeline Kahn.

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Quotes

Death: [shaking fist at dove, after having been splattered with dove droppings; in parody Swedish] Duva shmucka!

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Connections

Spoofs Wild Strawberries (1957)

User Reviews

Hilarious spoof of Ingmar Bergman

I'm a fan of Ingmar Bergman and respect him as one of cinema's greatest and most intelligent stylists. Still, I can see where many of his detractors are coming from and I find this affectionate parody absolutely hilarious. Anyone who says Bergman is too serious an artist to be mocked is simply put a snob. "De Duva" accurately portrays what the average person's idea of a Bergman film is like yet is never disrespectful to him. I'm sure Mel Brooks has seen this and is an admirer because, in addition to the casting of Madeline Kahn in her first role, it definitely prefigures the style of spoof he'd prefect with "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles". The film needs to be watched twice, once to catch the hilarious subtitles and than to pay attention to the uproarious parody of the Swedish language. "De Duva: The Dove" is short and sweet, and a must see for any film buff who doesn't take the art form too seriously. (8/10)