The Virgin Spring details
| Format: | 15 DVD |
|---|---|
| Starring: | Max von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg, Gunnel Lindblom, Brigitta Pattersson |
| Directors: | Ingmar Bergman, Ingmar Bergman |
| Genres: | Drama - Comedy, World Cinema - Swedish |
| Studio: | PALISADES TARTAN |
| Original title | Jungfrukallan |
| Collections: | Nordic Drama |
| Name | Discs | |
|---|---|---|
The Virgin Spring |
15 Feature |
DVD Information
| Run time: | 1 hour 26 minutes |
|---|---|
| Rental release: | 28 Oct 2002 |
| Main languages: | Swedish |
| Subtitles: | English |
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Most helpful review
Virgin Springs Anew
By johnnyL from County Antrim , 22 Mar 2005[Highly rated reviewer]
This is a black and white film. Not because it’s filmed in monochrome, but because it’s from a time of contrasting certitudes.
Bad men were truly evil; the innocent is pure; the wild girl is almost feral; and a father’s revenge is dreadful.
There is no subtlety in the story but there is in the acting. Although the characters may be extreme, the actors avoid being caricatures my showing great feelings with consummate understatement.
I’d seen this a quarter of a century ago and was taken back, not only to the middle ages, but also to the time I had first seen it.
Great art always has the power of connecting the personal with the universal.- Was this review helpful to you?
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(18)The Virgin Spring - My Review
By DaddyTank (203 reviews) from Ulan Bator , 27 Jun 2012Surprisingly harrowing for a black and white film. Brilliantly acted with just the right amount of melodrama, it is a simple story and very effective because of it. Much more engaging than some of his more fey and introspective films. Listen to me talk about Bergman like I have some kind of a clue.- Was this review helpful to you?
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beautiful, simple tale
By filmlover55 (111 reviews) from New Malden , 19 Nov 2010What a revelation. I had not tried a Bergman film before, and I'm glad I started with this one. Beautifully shot, very poetically photographed, with no background music, and no superfluous dialogue. Many scenes are filmed silently, but this makes you watch more carefully. Max von Sydow gives a great performance as a tormented father avenging his daughter's death.
One gripe: when I watched on full screen, the picture became quite 'pixillated' and broke up, so quite difficult to watch. However, I was enjoying the film so much, I continued.
I can understand why Bergman has such a good reputation, and will be checking out more of his films on the 'watch online' feature.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Bergman gets medieval on your ass
By Oldbloke (308 reviews) from Sidmouth , 16 Jun 2010Cursed by her pregnant half sister, a young girl is raped and murdered by travelling goatherds. Her deeply religious father unwittingly gives them shelter before realising the truth and taking bloody revenge. A dark swedish fairytale brought stunningly to life, the small god fearing farming community is utterly convincing, the story simple, brief and powerful. As always, this comes with the traditional Bergman health warning, it's serious stuff and laughs and entertainment should be sought elsewhere.- Was this review helpful to you?
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A good place to start (and maybe finish?) with Bergman.
By GlynIngram (10 reviews) from Bracknell , 20 Jan 2010This is the film Wes Craven later remade - sort of - in 'Last House on the Left.' It's actually pretty decent and also features a nasty killer who looks quite a lot like Vince Clark from Erasure.
For those who want to impress their friends and say they've 'watched some Bergman,' this is a good one to choose, because, well, apart from anything else, it's a pretty simple tale about a father who delivers some serious retribution after his daughter is savagely raped and murdered by a bunch of pikeys. Whilst it doesn't feature a scene with a man's head being placed inside a microwave - unlike the most recent version of the story starring the legendary Tony Goldwyn in the role of ‘the father’ - a young Max Von Sydow (The exorcist from the slightly-later 'The Exorcist') still delivers a satisfyingly good hiding when 'dealing' with the young scoundrels. The film's out-and-out, undemanding simplicity probably explains why Bergman was never supposedly very keen to talk about it but this film easily matches the like of any modern Hollywood 'retribution' film. If that's your thing.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Foreign Triumph
By Joi (133 reviews) from Rochester , 03 Aug 2008Previously on my to see list, “The Virgin Spring”1959 Swedish film staring Max von Sydow, as a wealthy Christian, husband and father in medieval Sweden, has all the elements that make a good movie - innocence, evil, tragedy, vengeance and love. In Swedish, with English subtitles it is however easy to follow, the facial expressions of the actors say more than words. Directed by a master….. Ingmar Bergman, it won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film 1961- Was this review helpful to you?
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