The Saga of Gösta Berling (1924)

A drunkard priest who has been cast out by his community struggles to atone and regain his honour and dignity.

Director:

Mauritz Stiller

Writers:

Ragnar Hyltén-Cavallius, Selma Lagerlöf (novel)

Stars:

Lars Hanson, Sven Scholander, Ellen Hartman-Cederström

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lars Hanson	...	Gösta Berling
Sven Scholander	...	Sintram
Ellen Hartman-Cederström	...	Märtha Dohna
Mona Mårtenson	...	Ebba Dohna
Torsten Hammarén	...	Henrik Dohna
Greta Garbo	...	Elizabeth Dohna
Gerda Lundequist	...	Majorskan; Margaretha Samzelius (as Gerda Lundeqvist)
Jenny Hasselqvist	...	Marianne Sinclaire
Sixten Malmerfeldt	...	Melchior Sinclaire
Karin Swanström	...	Gustafva Sinclaire (as Karin Svanström)
Oscar Byström	...	Patron Julius
Hugo Rönnblad	...	Beerencreutz
Knut Lambert	...	Örneclou
Svend Kornbeck	...	Kapten Christian Bergh
Otto Elg-Lundberg	...	Samzelius

Storyline

Gösta Berling is a young and attractive minister. Because he is an alcoholic and his preaches are far too daring, he is finally defrocked. He leaves the town in disgrace and arrives at countess Marta's manor. His new job there is to be a tutor to countess' beautiful stepdaughter. They eventually fall in love with each other. But they don't know that countess hired him only because she has some secret plans of her own...

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Plot Keywords:

sweden | varmland sweden | alcoholic | drunkard | tutor | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was originally released as two parts in Sweden: "Gösta Berlings saga I" on 10 March 1924 and "Gösta Berlings saga II" seven days later. The two-part version was also used in Finland and Norway, but for the rest of the world a shorter, one-part export version was made.

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Quotes

Elizabeth Dohna: Love had already struck my heart. Well do I know that disease. I have suffered its torment myself. Since that day I have hated love. It only brings agony and suffering.

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Connections

Referenced in Three Scenes with Ingmar Bergman (1975)

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Soundtracks

My Heart Belongs To You
Music & Lyrics by Guy K. Austin

User Reviews

Extraordinary silent epic

Three hours + and this movie had me on the edge of my seat till the last picture .Fans of Greta Garbo might be disappointed for her role is not very important in the first part of the saga.

Selma Lägerlof's " Gösta Berling" reminds me of Thomas Hardy's "Jude" and "Tess" .Like them ,he is more a victim than a "defrocked " minister. The structure of the movie is stunning including long flashbacks and flashbacks inside the flashback ,and so many characters it is sometimes hard to remember who is who.But this extravagant melodrama features so many memorable scenes it's impossible to mention all of them:

-Berling in his church,in his pulpit ,in front of the clergy .

-The "Devil" ,some kind of jack-in-the-box ,claiming another soul among the "outcasts"

-The big fire,filmed with a stunning virtuosity

-Gösta and Elizabeth,in their sleigh,escaping from a world they are not part of ,one of the most frenzied romantic scene I have ever seen.

"Gösta Berling" takes us to the decadent aristocratic world of the nineteenth century and depicts its deterioration.It is one of these rare silent movies which can still grab today's audience.

Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

None

Release Date:

27 October 1928 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Saga of Gösta Berling

Filming Locations:

Forsmark, Uppsala län, Sweden

Company Credits

Production Co:

Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

183 min 130 min (TV) 166 min (2 parts) 185 min (Swedish Film Institute restoration) 88 min (video) 199 min (2017 restoration)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1