The Virgin Spring
Encyclopedia
The Virgin Spring is a 1960 Swedish drama film directed by Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...

. 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
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of 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
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...

, and was also the basis for the 1972 exploitation
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...

 horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...

 The Last House on the Left
The Last House on the Left (1972 film)
The Last House on the Left is a 1972 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Sean S. Cunningham.The story is inspired by the 1960 Swedish film The Virgin Spring, directed by Ingmar Bergman, which in turn is based on the 13th century Swedish ballad "Töres döttrar i Wänge"...

. John Waters
John Waters
-Entertainment:*John Waters , American film director, active 1926–29 and 1947*John Waters , American film director, writer, visual artist, actor and cult figure...

 later found inspiration in Jungfrukällan, and claims it is the first film to portray on-screen vomiting.

Plot

The Virgin Spring tells the story, set in medieval Sweden, of a prosperous Christian whose daughter, Karin (Birgitta Pettersson
Birgitta Pettersson
Birgitta Pettersson is a Swedish film actress. She was born in Uppsala, Sweden.-Selected filmography:* The Magician * The Virgin Spring * In the Presence of a Clown -External links:...

) is appointed to take candles to the church. Karin is accompanied by her pregnant maid servant, Ingeri (Gunnel Lindblom
Gunnel Lindblom
Gunnel Lindblom , is a Swedish film actress and director. As an actor she has been particularly associated with the work of Ingmar Bergman, though in 1965 she performed the lead role in Miss Julie for BBC Television...

), who secretly worships the Norse deity
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...

 Odin
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....

. Along their way through the forest on horseback, the two part, and Karin sets out on her own.

Ingeri encounters a one-eyed man
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....

 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 two older men then leave the scene with Karin's clothing. The younger (a boy) is left with the body to watch the sheep. He obviously takes the situation poorly because he quickly becomes sick with guilt.

The herders then, unknowingly, seek shelter at the home of the murdered girl. Her parents, played by Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow is a Swedish actor. He has also held French citizenship since 2002. He has starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more...

 and Birgitta Valberg
Birgitta Valberg
Birgitta Valberg is a Swedish actress who attended the Dramatens elevskola.- Filmography :*1992 - Söndagsbarn*1989 - Peter och Petra*1980 - Flygnivå 450*1977 - Paradistorg...

, 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. Ingeri then begins to wash herself with the water, and Karin's parents clean her muddied face.

Cast

  • Max von Sydow
    Max von Sydow
    Max von Sydow is a Swedish actor. He has also held French citizenship since 2002. He has starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more...

     – Töre
  • Birgitta Valberg
    Birgitta Valberg
    Birgitta Valberg is a Swedish actress who attended the Dramatens elevskola.- Filmography :*1992 - Söndagsbarn*1989 - Peter och Petra*1980 - Flygnivå 450*1977 - Paradistorg...

     – Märeta
  • Gunnel Lindblom
    Gunnel Lindblom
    Gunnel Lindblom , is a Swedish film actress and director. As an actor she has been particularly associated with the work of Ingmar Bergman, though in 1965 she performed the lead role in Miss Julie for BBC Television...

     – Ingeri
  • Birgitta Pettersson
    Birgitta Pettersson
    Birgitta Pettersson is a Swedish film actress. She was born in Uppsala, Sweden.-Selected filmography:* The Magician * The Virgin Spring * In the Presence of a Clown -External links:...

     – Karin
  • Axel Düberg
    Axel Düberg
    Axel Düberg was a Swedish film actor. He was born and died in Stockholm, Sweden.-Selected filmography:* Dreams * Rabies * The Magician * The Virgin Spring...

     – Thin Herdsman
  • Tor Isedal
    Tor Isedal
    Tor Isedal né Tor Carlsson was a Swedish actor on stage, screen and television. He appeared in 75 films between 1952 and 1990.-Selected filmography:* Rabies * The Virgin Spring...

     – Mute Herdsman
  • Allan Edwall
    Allan Edwall
    Johan Allan Edwall was a Swedish actor, director, author, composer and singer, best-known outside Sweden for the small roles he played in some of Ingmar Bergman's films such as Fanny and Alexander...

     – Beggar
  • Ove Porath – Boy
  • Axel Slangus – Bridge Keeper
  • Gudrun Brost
    Gudrun Brost
    Gudrun Lisa Johanna Brost was a Swedish actress.-Selected filmography:* The Heavenly Play * Sawdust and Tinsel * The Seventh Seal * The Virgin Spring...

     – Frida
  • Oscar Ljung
    Oscar Ljung
    Oscar Ljung was a Swedish film actor. He appeared in 44 films between 1935 and 1983. He was born in Landskrona, Sweden.-Selected filmography:* Den store gavtyv * The Magician...

     – Simon

Awards and nominations

The Virgin Spring won the following awards:
  • Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
    Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
    The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...

     1961
  • A Special Mention for Ingmar Bergman in the Cannes Film Festival
    Cannes Film Festival
    The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...

     1960
  • Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
    Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
    The Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the awards presented at the Golden Globes, an American film awards ceremony.Until 1986, it was known as the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film, meaning that any non-American film could be honoured...

    -1961 (tie with La Vérité
    La Vérité (film)
    The Truth is a 1960 French film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.- Cast :*Brigitte Bardot as Dominique Marceau*Charles Vanel as Maître Guérin*Paul Meurisse as Maître Éparvier...

    )
  • Kinema Junpo Award for Best Foreign Language Film and Foreign Film Director (Ingmar Bergman)-1962

It was also nominated for the following categories:
  • Golden Palm at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival
    1960 Cannes Film Festival
    -Jury:*Georges Simenon *Marc Allégret *Louis Chauvet *Diego Fabbri *Hidemi Ima *Grigori Kozintsev *Maurice Leroux *Max Lippmann *Henry Miller...

  • Best Costume Design, Black & White- 1961 Academy Awards
    34th Academy Awards
    The 34th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1961, were held on April 9, 1962 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California. They were hosted by Bob Hope; this was the seventh time Hope hosted the Oscars...


Themes

The Virgin Spring contains a variety of themes (many of them focusing on the religious aspects of the film), including Christianity, Paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....

, Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...

, vengeance, the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...

, questioning of religious faith, sexual innocence
Innocence
Innocence is a term used to indicate a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, sin, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence refers to the lack of legal guilt of an individual, with respect to a crime.-Symbolism:...

, justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...

, and the nature of evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...

. The film poses many moral
Moral
A moral is a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim...

 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
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...

 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
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...

'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 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
Redemption (theology)
Redemption is a concept common to several theologies. It is generally associated with the efforts of people within a faith to overcome their shortcomings and achieve the moral positions exemplified in their faith.- In Buddhism :...

 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 film 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
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...

.

See also

  • Middle Ages in film
    Middle Ages in film
    Medieval films imagine and portray the Middle Ages through the visual, audio and thematic forms of cinema.-Background:The 20th century is not the first to create images of life during medieval times. The Middle Ages ended over five centuries ago and each century has imagined, portrayed and depicted...

  • The Last House on the Left
    The Last House on the Left (1972 film)
    The Last House on the Left is a 1972 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Sean S. Cunningham.The story is inspired by the 1960 Swedish film The Virgin Spring, directed by Ingmar Bergman, which in turn is based on the 13th century Swedish ballad "Töres döttrar i Wänge"...

     is a 1972 horror film
    Horror film
    Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...

     (remade in 2009) written and directed by Wes Craven
    Wes Craven
    Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...

    , the story of which closely follows The Virgin Spring.
  • List of historical drama films
  • List of submissions to the 33rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
  • List of Swedish submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

External links


The Virgin Spring is a 1960 Swedish drama film directed by Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...

. 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
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of 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
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...

, and was also the basis for the 1972 exploitation
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...

 horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...

 The Last House on the Left
The Last House on the Left (1972 film)
The Last House on the Left is a 1972 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Sean S. Cunningham.The story is inspired by the 1960 Swedish film The Virgin Spring, directed by Ingmar Bergman, which in turn is based on the 13th century Swedish ballad "Töres döttrar i Wänge"...

. John Waters
John Waters
-Entertainment:*John Waters , American film director, active 1926–29 and 1947*John Waters , American film director, writer, visual artist, actor and cult figure...

 later found inspiration in Jungfrukällan, and claims it is the first film to portray on-screen vomiting.

Plot

The Virgin Spring tells the story, set in medieval Sweden, of a prosperous Christian whose daughter, Karin (Birgitta Pettersson
Birgitta Pettersson
Birgitta Pettersson is a Swedish film actress. She was born in Uppsala, Sweden.-Selected filmography:* The Magician * The Virgin Spring * In the Presence of a Clown -External links:...

) is appointed to take candles to the church. Karin is accompanied by her pregnant maid servant, Ingeri (Gunnel Lindblom
Gunnel Lindblom
Gunnel Lindblom , is a Swedish film actress and director. As an actor she has been particularly associated with the work of Ingmar Bergman, though in 1965 she performed the lead role in Miss Julie for BBC Television...

), who secretly worships the Norse deity
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...

 Odin
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....

. Along their way through the forest on horseback, the two part, and Karin sets out on her own.

Ingeri encounters a one-eyed man
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....

 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 two older men then leave the scene with Karin's clothing. The younger (a boy) is left with the body to watch the sheep. He obviously takes the situation poorly because he quickly becomes sick with guilt.

The herders then, unknowingly, seek shelter at the home of the murdered girl. Her parents, played by Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow is a Swedish actor. He has also held French citizenship since 2002. He has starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more...

 and Birgitta Valberg
Birgitta Valberg
Birgitta Valberg is a Swedish actress who attended the Dramatens elevskola.- Filmography :*1992 - Söndagsbarn*1989 - Peter och Petra*1980 - Flygnivå 450*1977 - Paradistorg...

, 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. Ingeri then begins to wash herself with the water, and Karin's parents clean her muddied face.

Cast

  • Max von Sydow
    Max von Sydow
    Max von Sydow is a Swedish actor. He has also held French citizenship since 2002. He has starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more...

     – Töre
  • Birgitta Valberg
    Birgitta Valberg
    Birgitta Valberg is a Swedish actress who attended the Dramatens elevskola.- Filmography :*1992 - Söndagsbarn*1989 - Peter och Petra*1980 - Flygnivå 450*1977 - Paradistorg...

     – Märeta
  • Gunnel Lindblom
    Gunnel Lindblom
    Gunnel Lindblom , is a Swedish film actress and director. As an actor she has been particularly associated with the work of Ingmar Bergman, though in 1965 she performed the lead role in Miss Julie for BBC Television...

     – Ingeri
  • Birgitta Pettersson
    Birgitta Pettersson
    Birgitta Pettersson is a Swedish film actress. She was born in Uppsala, Sweden.-Selected filmography:* The Magician * The Virgin Spring * In the Presence of a Clown -External links:...

     – Karin
  • Axel Düberg
    Axel Düberg
    Axel Düberg was a Swedish film actor. He was born and died in Stockholm, Sweden.-Selected filmography:* Dreams * Rabies * The Magician * The Virgin Spring...

     – Thin Herdsman
  • Tor Isedal
    Tor Isedal
    Tor Isedal né Tor Carlsson was a Swedish actor on stage, screen and television. He appeared in 75 films between 1952 and 1990.-Selected filmography:* Rabies * The Virgin Spring...

     – Mute Herdsman
  • Allan Edwall
    Allan Edwall
    Johan Allan Edwall was a Swedish actor, director, author, composer and singer, best-known outside Sweden for the small roles he played in some of Ingmar Bergman's films such as Fanny and Alexander...

     – Beggar
  • Ove Porath – Boy
  • Axel Slangus – Bridge Keeper
  • Gudrun Brost
    Gudrun Brost
    Gudrun Lisa Johanna Brost was a Swedish actress.-Selected filmography:* The Heavenly Play * Sawdust and Tinsel * The Seventh Seal * The Virgin Spring...

     – Frida
  • Oscar Ljung
    Oscar Ljung
    Oscar Ljung was a Swedish film actor. He appeared in 44 films between 1935 and 1983. He was born in Landskrona, Sweden.-Selected filmography:* Den store gavtyv * The Magician...

     – Simon

Awards and nominations

The Virgin Spring won the following awards:
  • Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
    Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
    The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...

     1961
  • A Special Mention for Ingmar Bergman in the Cannes Film Festival
    Cannes Film Festival
    The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...

     1960
  • Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
    Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
    The Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the awards presented at the Golden Globes, an American film awards ceremony.Until 1986, it was known as the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film, meaning that any non-American film could be honoured...

    -1961 (tie with La Vérité
    La Vérité (film)
    The Truth is a 1960 French film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.- Cast :*Brigitte Bardot as Dominique Marceau*Charles Vanel as Maître Guérin*Paul Meurisse as Maître Éparvier...

    )
  • Kinema Junpo Award for Best Foreign Language Film and Foreign Film Director (Ingmar Bergman)-1962

It was also nominated for the following categories:
  • Golden Palm at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival
    1960 Cannes Film Festival
    -Jury:*Georges Simenon *Marc Allégret *Louis Chauvet *Diego Fabbri *Hidemi Ima *Grigori Kozintsev *Maurice Leroux *Max Lippmann *Henry Miller...

  • Best Costume Design, Black & White- 1961 Academy Awards
    34th Academy Awards
    The 34th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1961, were held on April 9, 1962 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California. They were hosted by Bob Hope; this was the seventh time Hope hosted the Oscars...


Themes

The Virgin Spring contains a variety of themes (many of them focusing on the religious aspects of the film), including Christianity, Paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....

, Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...

, vengeance, the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...

, questioning of religious faith, sexual innocence
Innocence
Innocence is a term used to indicate a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, sin, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence refers to the lack of legal guilt of an individual, with respect to a crime.-Symbolism:...

, justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...

, and the nature of evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...

. The film poses many moral
Moral
A moral is a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim...

 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
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...

 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
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...

'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 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
Redemption (theology)
Redemption is a concept common to several theologies. It is generally associated with the efforts of people within a faith to overcome their shortcomings and achieve the moral positions exemplified in their faith.- In Buddhism :...

 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 film 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
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...

.

See also

  • Middle Ages in film
    Middle Ages in film
    Medieval films imagine and portray the Middle Ages through the visual, audio and thematic forms of cinema.-Background:The 20th century is not the first to create images of life during medieval times. The Middle Ages ended over five centuries ago and each century has imagined, portrayed and depicted...

  • The Last House on the Left
    The Last House on the Left (1972 film)
    The Last House on the Left is a 1972 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Sean S. Cunningham.The story is inspired by the 1960 Swedish film The Virgin Spring, directed by Ingmar Bergman, which in turn is based on the 13th century Swedish ballad "Töres döttrar i Wänge"...

     is a 1972 horror film
    Horror film
    Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...

     (remade in 2009) written and directed by Wes Craven
    Wes Craven
    Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...

    , the story of which closely follows The Virgin Spring.
  • List of historical drama films
  • List of submissions to the 33rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
  • List of Swedish submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

External links


The Virgin Spring is a 1960 Swedish drama film directed by Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...

. 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
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of 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
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...

, and was also the basis for the 1972 exploitation
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...

 horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...

 The Last House on the Left
The Last House on the Left (1972 film)
The Last House on the Left is a 1972 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Sean S. Cunningham.The story is inspired by the 1960 Swedish film The Virgin Spring, directed by Ingmar Bergman, which in turn is based on the 13th century Swedish ballad "Töres döttrar i Wänge"...

. John Waters
John Waters
-Entertainment:*John Waters , American film director, active 1926–29 and 1947*John Waters , American film director, writer, visual artist, actor and cult figure...

 later found inspiration in Jungfrukällan, and claims it is the first film to portray on-screen vomiting.

Plot

The Virgin Spring tells the story, set in medieval Sweden, of a prosperous Christian whose daughter, Karin (Birgitta Pettersson
Birgitta Pettersson
Birgitta Pettersson is a Swedish film actress. She was born in Uppsala, Sweden.-Selected filmography:* The Magician * The Virgin Spring * In the Presence of a Clown -External links:...

) is appointed to take candles to the church. Karin is accompanied by her pregnant maid servant, Ingeri (Gunnel Lindblom
Gunnel Lindblom
Gunnel Lindblom , is a Swedish film actress and director. As an actor she has been particularly associated with the work of Ingmar Bergman, though in 1965 she performed the lead role in Miss Julie for BBC Television...

), who secretly worships the Norse deity
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...

 Odin
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....

. Along their way through the forest on horseback, the two part, and Karin sets out on her own.

Ingeri encounters a one-eyed man
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....

 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 two older men then leave the scene with Karin's clothing. The younger (a boy) is left with the body to watch the sheep. He obviously takes the situation poorly because he quickly becomes sick with guilt.

The herders then, unknowingly, seek shelter at the home of the murdered girl. Her parents, played by Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow is a Swedish actor. He has also held French citizenship since 2002. He has starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more...

 and Birgitta Valberg
Birgitta Valberg
Birgitta Valberg is a Swedish actress who attended the Dramatens elevskola.- Filmography :*1992 - Söndagsbarn*1989 - Peter och Petra*1980 - Flygnivå 450*1977 - Paradistorg...

, 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. Ingeri then begins to wash herself with the water, and Karin's parents clean her muddied face.

Cast

  • Max von Sydow
    Max von Sydow
    Max von Sydow is a Swedish actor. He has also held French citizenship since 2002. He has starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more...

     – Töre
  • Birgitta Valberg
    Birgitta Valberg
    Birgitta Valberg is a Swedish actress who attended the Dramatens elevskola.- Filmography :*1992 - Söndagsbarn*1989 - Peter och Petra*1980 - Flygnivå 450*1977 - Paradistorg...

     – Märeta
  • Gunnel Lindblom
    Gunnel Lindblom
    Gunnel Lindblom , is a Swedish film actress and director. As an actor she has been particularly associated with the work of Ingmar Bergman, though in 1965 she performed the lead role in Miss Julie for BBC Television...

     – Ingeri
  • Birgitta Pettersson
    Birgitta Pettersson
    Birgitta Pettersson is a Swedish film actress. She was born in Uppsala, Sweden.-Selected filmography:* The Magician * The Virgin Spring * In the Presence of a Clown -External links:...

     – Karin
  • Axel Düberg
    Axel Düberg
    Axel Düberg was a Swedish film actor. He was born and died in Stockholm, Sweden.-Selected filmography:* Dreams * Rabies * The Magician * The Virgin Spring...

     – Thin Herdsman
  • Tor Isedal
    Tor Isedal
    Tor Isedal né Tor Carlsson was a Swedish actor on stage, screen and television. He appeared in 75 films between 1952 and 1990.-Selected filmography:* Rabies * The Virgin Spring...

     – Mute Herdsman
  • Allan Edwall
    Allan Edwall
    Johan Allan Edwall was a Swedish actor, director, author, composer and singer, best-known outside Sweden for the small roles he played in some of Ingmar Bergman's films such as Fanny and Alexander...

     – Beggar
  • Ove Porath – Boy
  • Axel Slangus – Bridge Keeper
  • Gudrun Brost
    Gudrun Brost
    Gudrun Lisa Johanna Brost was a Swedish actress.-Selected filmography:* The Heavenly Play * Sawdust and Tinsel * The Seventh Seal * The Virgin Spring...

     – Frida
  • Oscar Ljung
    Oscar Ljung
    Oscar Ljung was a Swedish film actor. He appeared in 44 films between 1935 and 1983. He was born in Landskrona, Sweden.-Selected filmography:* Den store gavtyv * The Magician...

     – Simon

Awards and nominations

The Virgin Spring won the following awards:
  • Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
    Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
    The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...

     1961
  • A Special Mention for Ingmar Bergman in the Cannes Film Festival
    Cannes Film Festival
    The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...

     1960
  • Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
    Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
    The Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the awards presented at the Golden Globes, an American film awards ceremony.Until 1986, it was known as the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film, meaning that any non-American film could be honoured...

    -1961 (tie with La Vérité
    La Vérité (film)
    The Truth is a 1960 French film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.- Cast :*Brigitte Bardot as Dominique Marceau*Charles Vanel as Maître Guérin*Paul Meurisse as Maître Éparvier...

    )
  • Kinema Junpo Award for Best Foreign Language Film and Foreign Film Director (Ingmar Bergman)-1962

It was also nominated for the following categories:
  • Golden Palm at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival
    1960 Cannes Film Festival
    -Jury:*Georges Simenon *Marc Allégret *Louis Chauvet *Diego Fabbri *Hidemi Ima *Grigori Kozintsev *Maurice Leroux *Max Lippmann *Henry Miller...

  • Best Costume Design, Black & White- 1961 Academy Awards
    34th Academy Awards
    The 34th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1961, were held on April 9, 1962 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California. They were hosted by Bob Hope; this was the seventh time Hope hosted the Oscars...


Themes

The Virgin Spring contains a variety of themes (many of them focusing on the religious aspects of the film), including Christianity, Paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....

, Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...

, vengeance, the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...

, questioning of religious faith, sexual innocence
Innocence
Innocence is a term used to indicate a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, sin, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence refers to the lack of legal guilt of an individual, with respect to a crime.-Symbolism:...

, justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...

, and the nature of evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...

. The film poses many moral
Moral
A moral is a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim...

 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
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...

 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
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...

'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 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
Redemption (theology)
Redemption is a concept common to several theologies. It is generally associated with the efforts of people within a faith to overcome their shortcomings and achieve the moral positions exemplified in their faith.- In Buddhism :...

 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 film 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
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...

.

See also

  • Middle Ages in film
    Middle Ages in film
    Medieval films imagine and portray the Middle Ages through the visual, audio and thematic forms of cinema.-Background:The 20th century is not the first to create images of life during medieval times. The Middle Ages ended over five centuries ago and each century has imagined, portrayed and depicted...

  • The Last House on the Left
    The Last House on the Left (1972 film)
    The Last House on the Left is a 1972 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Sean S. Cunningham.The story is inspired by the 1960 Swedish film The Virgin Spring, directed by Ingmar Bergman, which in turn is based on the 13th century Swedish ballad "Töres döttrar i Wänge"...

     is a 1972 horror film
    Horror film
    Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...

     (remade in 2009) written and directed by Wes Craven
    Wes Craven
    Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...

    , the story of which closely follows The Virgin Spring.
  • List of historical drama films
  • List of submissions to the 33rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
  • List of Swedish submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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