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

Johan Borg: The old ones called it "the hour of the wolf". It is the hour when the most people die, and the most are born. At this time, nightmares come to us. And when we awake, we are afraid.

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Connections

Featured in Le sourire (1994)

User Reviews

Incredible.

Hour of the Wolf is nothing short of incredible. Certainly the scariest horror/thriller i've ever seen. Forget Psycho, forget Friday the 13th, forget everything you know about thrills and chills. Hour of the Wolf is actually scary, and in a good way (unlike foul ventures such as Urban Legend 2 or Exorcist 2). What i mean is, its a brilliantly enjoyable movie to watch. Matchless performances, gorgeous photography and a script with perfectly sustained and developed suspense, a delicious sense of the surreal which has clearly been a big influence on David Lynch, and a gradual revealing of the characters which is a marvel to watch and a lesson to filmmakers the world over. The characters in Bergman are as rich as in the best literature. I'll see Hour of the Wolf again for its surrealism, its enigma, and its depth. 9/10.