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Hour of the Wolf (1968)
"Vargtimmen" (original title)

 -  Drama | Horror  -  9 April 1968 (USA)
7.6
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Ratings: 7.6/10 from 8,167 users  
Reviews: 66 user | 42 critic

While vacationing on a remote Scandanavian island with his younger pregnant wife, an artist has a emotional breakdown while confronting his repressed desires.

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Title: Hour of the Wolf (1968)

Hour of the Wolf (1968) on IMDb 7.6/10

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
...
Johan Borg
...
Alma Borg
Gertrud Fridh ...
Corinne von Merkens
Georg Rydeberg ...
Lindhorst, archivist
...
Baron von Merkens
Naima Wifstrand ...
Old Lady with Hat
Ulf Johansson ...
Therapist Heerbrand
Gudrun Brost ...
Gamla Fru von Merkens
Bertil Anderberg ...
Ernst von Merkens
...
Veronica Vogler
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Storyline

An artist in crisis is haunted by nightmares from the past in Ingmar Bergman's only horror film, which takes place on a windy island. During "the hour of the wolf" - between midnight and dawn - he tells his wife about his most painful memories. Written by Fredrik Klasson <fredrik.klasson@boras.mail.telia.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

"The Hour of the Wolf" is the hour between night and dawn. It is the hour when most people die. It is the hour when the sleepless are haunted by their deepest fear, when ghosts and demons are most powerful.

Genres:

Drama | Horror

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

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Language:

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Release Date:

9 April 1968 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Hour of the Wolf  »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (original)

Sound Mix:

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Bergman defines "The Hour of the Wolf" as "The time between midnight and dawn when most people die, when sleep is deepest, when nightmares are most palatable. It is the hour when the sleepless are pursued by their sharpest anxieties, when ghosts and demons hold sway. The hour of the wolf is also the hour when most children are born." According to "Films in Review" critic Henry Hart in the U.S. it's about 4 a.m. when the body's resistance is least. See more »

Quotes

Baron von Merkens: Now you are yourself, but not yourself; an ideal state for a meeting between lovers.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Don't Look Now (1973) See more »

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User Reviews

Depressing but Captivating
23 October 2001 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

I don't know why I'm so fascinated with Ingmar Bergman. When I was in college, I went to a film society screening of this film. I hadn't seen Wild Strawberries or The Seventh Seal at the time and this was a real mind blower. There are all those shades of darkness. There are those depressed looking people, haunted by those personal demons. There is Bergman's island, so lonely, so cold. The other inhabitants always seem so threatening. The artist, writing about affairs, assaults, murder, and we don't know whether any of it is true. I suffer through the party with all those pretentious people and their angst. This party is only eclipsed by the one in Alice in Wonderland . The people are truly beasts. Bergman is about bad dreams. The camera pulls us through our deepest fears and dumps us in that dark, evil swamp. I know this is often seen as one of his minor films, but his getting ready to meet his former lover, putting on that makeup to look younger and recapture his past virility, is so gut wrenching. This is a depressed feast for the eyes and it puts mental illness into corporeal form.


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