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The Virgin Spring

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The Virgin Spring
original poster
Directed byIngmar Bergman
Written byUlla Isaksson
Produced byIngmar Bergman
Allan Ekelund
StarringMax von Sydow
Birgitta Valberg
Gunnel Lindblom
Birgitta Pettersson
CinematographySven Nykvist
Edited byOscar Rosander
Music byErik Nordgren
Distributed byJanus Films
Release date
8 February 1960 (1960-02-08)
Running time
89 minutes
CountrySweden
LanguageSwedish

The Virgin Spring (Template:Lang-sv) is a 1960 Swedish drama film directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set in medieval Sweden, it is a revenge tale about a father's merciless response to the rape and murder of his young daughter. The story was adapted by screenwriter Ulla Isaksson from a 13th century Swedish ballad, "Töres döttrar i Wänge" . The film contains a number of themes that question morals, justice, and religious beliefs, and was considered controversial when first released due to its infamous rape scene. It won for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1961 Academy Awards, and was also the basis for the 1972 exploitation horror film The Last House on the Left. John Waters later found inspiration in Jungfrukällan, and claims it is the first movie to portray on-screen vomiting[1].

Plot

The Virgin Spring tells the story, set in medieval Sweden, of a prosperous Christian whose daughter, Karin (Birgitta Pettersson) is appointed to take candles to the church. Karin is accompanied by her pregnant foster sister, Ingeri (Gunnel Lindblom), who secretly worships the Norse deity Odin. Along their way through the forest on horseback, the two part, and Karin sets out on her own.

Ingeri encounters a one-eyed man at a stream-side mill, converses briefly with him, and then flees in terror. Karin meets three herdsmen (two men and a boy), and invites them to eat her lunch with her. Eventually, the two older men rape and murder Karin (while Ingeri watches from a hidden distance). The trio then leave the scene with Karin's clothing.

The herders then, unknowingly, seek shelter at the home of the murdered girl. Her parents, played by Max von Sydow and Birgitta Valberg, discover that the goat herders murdered their daughter when the goat herders offer to sell Karin's clothes to her mother. In a rage, the father locks the trio in the chamber and kills them.

The next day, the parents set out to find their daughter's body, with the help of Ingeri. Her father vows that, although he cannot understand why God would allow such a thing to happen, he will build a church at the site of his daughter's death because his conscience is forcing him to atone. As her parents lift her head from the ground, a spring begins to flow from where she was lying. Her sister Ingeri then begins to wash herself with the water, and Karin's parents clean her muddied face.

Cast

Awards and nominations

The Virgin Spring won the following awards:

It was also nominated for the following categories:

Themes

The Virgin Spring contains a variety of themes (many of them focusing on the religious aspects of the film), including Christianity, Paganism, Norse mythology, vengeance, the occult, questioning of religious faith, sexual innocence, justice, and the nature of evil. The film poses many moral questions to its audience, primarily concerning the revenge enacted by the parents of Karin, and whether or not it was justified, or was just plain, savage murder. Threads of nihilism also run within the film, primarily displayed in the lack of human sympathy that is found in the herdsmen, and their unashamed rape, abuse, and ultimate murder of an innocent young girl. The story of The Three Living and the Three Dead, to which the film is indebted, was very common in the Middle Ages, and formed the basis for many texts and images, including the Dance of Death, and Geoffrey Chaucer's 'Pardoner's Tale'.

The film is based on the 13th century Swedish ballad, Töres döttrar i Wänge. In the ballad, it is not one but three daughters that are slain by the herdsmen, and the springs gush as they're beheaded rather than at the very end. The three herdsmen are all adults, and the last one is left alive by the father. "Karin" is the mother's name rather than the daughter's, and Ingeri's character has no dialogue.

The ending of the film focuses on redemption within the story, in which Karin's father, Töre, pleads to God for forgiveness for his vengeful actions, subsequently proclaiming he will build a church on the site of his daughter's murder. He also remarks his confusion toward God for the events that have unfolded over the past day, and asks why God would allow such horrendous things to happen to his people.

Controversy

Fort Worth, Texas, banned showings of the movie because of the rape scene, Janus Films v. City of Fort Worth, 354 S.W.2d 597 (1962), and the Texas Supreme Court upheld that ban, 358 S.W.2d 589 (Tex. 1962).

Home media

The Virgin Spring was released in the Criterion Collection on 26 January 2006, and was the 321st entry into the Criterion series. The film was completely re-mastered with a high definition transfer that was approved by director Ingmar Bergman. Bonus materials included:

  • an audio commentary with Ingmar Bergman scholar Birgitta Steene
  • an introduction by filmmaker Ang Lee
  • video interviews with Gunnel Lindblom and Birgita Pettersson
  • a recording of the 1975 American Film Institute seminar by Ingmar Bergman
  • and a 28-page booklet featuring essays concerning the film.

The bonus features included on the disc were also approved by director Bergman.

References

  1. ^ Daniel Ekeroth: SWEDISH SENSATIONSFILMS: A Clandestine History of Sex, Thrillers, and Kicker Cinema, (Bazillion Points, 2011) ISBN 978-09796163-6-5.
  2. ^ IMDB.com – The Virgin Spring awards
  3. ^ "Festival de Cannes: The Virgin Spring". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 15 February 2009.

See also

Awards
Preceded by Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film
1961 		Succeeded by
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