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

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

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ingmar Bergman

Stars:

Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Gertrud Fridh

2 wins.

Cast

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

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.

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Plot Keywords:

island | nightmare | artist | pregnant woman | homosexual subtext | 

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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.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish Norwegian

Release Date:

9 April 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hour of the Wolf

Filming Locations:

Hovs Hallar - Naturreservat, Skåne län, Sweden

Company Credits

Production Co:

Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 99 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ingmar Bergman originally penned the script in 1964 under the title "The Cannibals". A serious bout of pneumonia led him to reconsider the project whilst lying in hospital; he deemed it to be potentially too expensive in concept and execution. Bergman revised the script idea into a more low budget piece to accompany Persona.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Referenced in Don't Look Now (1973)

User Reviews

Most hauntingly surreal

This film is extremely delicate. It deals within that thin line between genius and madness, reality and imagination as one and the same thing. Artist Johan Borg is haunted by demons of both past and present. His wife Alma loves him so intimately that she is prepared to dive deep into his inner world, desperate to help him, shares in his hallucinations, which is great but futile in the long run to where he must go alone. To me Bergman, along with Tarkovsky and only a few others like Fellini deal so splendidly with our most inner selves, our conscious and subconscious as in 'The Hour of the Wolf'. Here as in Fellini's 'Juliet of the Spirits' that which is real and that which is not is hardly the point. What matters here is the stirrings of the soul, hence Borg's fear of the dark and lack of sleep until the day breaks and he can finally get some rest.