The Virgin Spring [VHS]
by Ingmar Bergman
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Product details
Actor: Axel D?berg, Birgitta Pettersson, Birgitta Valberg, Gunnel Lindblom, Max von SydowDirector: Ingmar Bergman
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: German (Original Language); Swedish (Original Language), Analog
Format: Black & White, NTSC
Running Time: 88 minutes
Release Date: 2000-06-13
Audience Rating: Unrated
Publisher: Homevision
Studio: Homevision
VHS Movie Reviews of The Virgin Spring [VHS]
Movie Review: A good presentation overburdened by by mediocre extras
Summary: 4 Stars
It's hardly one of Bergman's best films, but "The Virgin Spring" is nonetheless magnificent. Bergman has made a variety of attractive films, but few feature such beautiful scenery and exacting composition as this one. The production also benefits from graceful dialogue, intense performances and stark cinematography - elements that overcome a weak story that was ineptly adapted from the ballad "T?res dotter i W?nge." But even at its weakest - probably during the stilted, conspicuously Christian ending - the proceedings are so powerfully enacted that it's impossible not to be moved by it.
I wasn't surprised by the content of this DVD edition. It's like so many other Criterion products - high-quality but stuffed with irrelevant makeweight to justify its exorbitant price. The HD transfer of a Janus Films print was approved by Bergman himself, and it's immaculate; layman and enthusiast alike could not possibly ask for a more beautiful picture, or more vibrant sound.
Scene selections are comprised of three lists of twenty scene titles, and access to an SMPTE color bars test pattern, presumably as a means to determine if the viewer's TV settings are properly calibrated.
The English subtitles are translated with a slightly more lyrical phrasing than those of the old Nelson Entertainment VHS edition that I used to own. I only wish that they were yellow, as they're a bit difficult to see in a few particularly bright scenes. However, the dubbed English dialogue track is not kind to the ear; the few ably voiced roles are eclipsed by some intolerably melodramatic readings. It's unfortunate that von Sydow didn't participate in this dub; he's been fluent in English for a very long time and he's a capable voice actor besides.
"Ingmar Bergman: A Reference Guide" author Birgitta Steene voices the commentary track, which I imagine is useful for those who need to be promptly anesthetized prior to a surgical procedure. In addition to being mind-numbingly boring, the track is obviously and clumsily read by Mrs. Steene. Even if this weren't the second-worst commentary track that I've heard (the first is Stephen Barber's awkward recording for "Un Chien Andalou"), it would still be inappropriate. "The Virgin Spring" is one of those very rare films that can't possibly benefit from a commentary track. A voice-over for this film is analogous to a display of Mir?'s "The Tilled Field" in which the canvas has been overlaid with a transparent sheet of plastic on which a summary of surrealist visual art has been printed. It's a bad idea, and it's badly executed.
An introduction to the film consists of an interview with Ang Lee, who discusses the movie from a personal perspective. Lee's insights regarding this picture are sound but hardly revelatory, and he's a poor orator. Unlike the literary medium, most films require no introduction, and this one is no exception.
In contrast, the DVD's best special feature is a featurette comprised of a pair of exclusive interviews with Gunnel Lindblom and Birgitta Pettersson, who relate some interesting details and a few charming stories about the movie's production and reception.
Probably the most baffling of all the special features is "Ingmar Bergman at AFI," a forty-minute audio recording of Bergman at the American Film Institute in October, 1975, passionately discussing numerous aspects of film making. While this is certainly interesting, it's not well-suited to a DVD presentation; rather, it's the sort of thing that one might download from a file-sharing network to pleasant - if mild - surprise.
Despite all my criticism, this is hardly a bad disc; if one is to consider the A/V quality and Lindblom/Pettersson interviews, admirers of this film could hardly ask for a better product. However, I think that I type for many in noting that extras featuring people who weren't involved in the making of the film are usually substandard and almost invariably uninteresting. Why pad a classic with filler? I'd rather it without, especially if it meant that Criterion would subtract five to seven dollars from the unreasonable cost of this disc.
Movie Review: An unrepentant mis-interpretation
Summary: 5 Stars
As someone with wide interests, but only a self-taught layman's perspective on the world, I realize that I tread on thin ice when venturing to comment on such an icon of art films as Ingmar Bergman. But surely art films aren't intended only to be viewed by scholars and critics. And those of the rest of us who want to explore those realms, while giving credence to the views of those scholars and critics, must develop our own opinions to validate the worth of such an endeavor. With this disclaimer out of the way, I must say that I had decided that this was one of Bergman's greatest films, based on the staying power of its imagery and the esoteric musings which they evoked in my mind. Then, just to double-check what I assumed was my penetrating insight, I went to a website called Bergmanorama. This site offers synopses and criticism of Bergman films, as well as comments about his films by the master himself. Much to my surprise, I discovered that Bergman had all but renounced this film, regarding it as unsatisfactory and no longer relevant ,even at the time of its completion, to the central thrust of his artistic intentions. My understanding, from Bergman's comments and those of critics, is that The Virgin Spring was meant to be a simple portrayal of the displacement of paganism in medieval Sweden by the moderating and restraining influence of Christianity. The actual virgin spring of the film symbolized the purifying influence of faith and submission, even in the face of cruel and monstrous misfortune. From what I gather, Bergman no longer found such a morality tale to be representative of his artistic or personal outlook. So, many critics, while admiring the artistic look of the film and its authentic medieval atmosphere, took Bergman's lead and assigned it a minor place in his body of work. Not knowing all this when I watched the film, I was struck by what seemed to me the metaphysical depth of the story, which was reinforced by the beautiful, dreamy black and white cinematography. If the true aim of the film was a simple, straightforward portrayal of Christian triumph, through faith, over paganism, then I would have to agree it was a failure. Max von Sydow, as the stolid, imperturbable lord of the manor,Tore, with striking Nordic features which seem to be chiseled out of hardwood, alas, seems also to have a wooden persona. He seems well-satisfied with his own righteousness, validated by his position in life. His wife, Mareta,(Birgitta Valberg) is only slightly more interesting. For the most part a very conventional character, she does, however, seem to have more of an awareness than her husband of the dark forces at large in the world and in her own soul; hence her penchant for burning stigmata into her wrists as a reminder of the cost of her salvation. Their pampered daughter, Karin(Birgitta Pettersson), is simply that-- a naive, spoiled child; misled by her parents indulgence into believing she is the center of the universe. None of these main characters are very interesting in themselves. That is just the nature of their roles, not a deficiency in acting. They all exhibit, with different emphasis, an innocent faith in the sureness of their position in the worldly hierarchy. To me, the truly interesting characters of the film were the minor characters. These are the ones whose roles touched on the deep, ambiguous, suggestive themes which elicited my interest in the film. The main person of interest in this story is the step-daughter, Ingiri(Gunnel Lindblom), who instigated the calamity--out of jealousy for the preferred daughter, calling on the old pagan god, Odin, to bring ruin upon the favorite. Here we see a deep contrast between the tempering influence of the Christian faith and the old pagan beliefs, which evidently made no moral distinctions between good and bad desires; but responded to the powerful psychic outcry of the supplicant whether these solicitations were negative or positive. Ingiri's beseechings are indeed answered by the god, not in an overtly supernatural way, but through human agents who, unwittingly but inexorably, fulfill the wicked wishes of the step-daughter. It seemed to me that Bergman was examining some deep concepts here: For one, the old pagan religion was not seen as false. It was powerful enough to consolidate extant forces in the world to bring about someone's strong purpose. For another, it was a look at how the raging emotional impulses of humans usually generate a very negative outcome unless there is a universal restraining influence imposed from without which applies equally to everyone. You could see this as morals ethics, or religion. And also, I wondered if Bergman was hinting at a suggestion that strong emotional states could engender a psychic emanation that does, indeed, influence events to some extent. This is a belief that is still manifested not only as superstition, but also has credibility in some scientific circles. Other minor characters also gave me a strong impression of depth and intensity. The bridge keeper, who seemed to be an incarnation of Odin, or one of his earthly agents, gave off an impression of a sinister force which was both powerful and untrustworthy, highlighting the danger of striking out on our own in imploring elemental powers. They might, on least provocation, turn against the beseecher. The two herdsmen, in their opportunistic criminality, presented an unmitigated and total contrast to the main characters. They were only interesting in that their dedication to evil was complete and untroubled by any conflicts of conscience such as consumed those of faith. Here we see the primeval pure force of malignity with which Odin interceded to bring about Ingiri's desires, a travesty and pagan counterpart to the Christian concept of intercession. The young boy who accompanied the herdsmen is a model of the horrifying consequences upon an unshielded and relatively innocent soul which feels the weight of damnation for having participated in an unspeakable crime. The farmhand of the manor who, though Christian, displays the old talent of the seer, sees into the depths of the boy's torment, predicting his demise, a trial, and ultimate redemption. If the virgin spring which flows forth at the end is meant to be a consolation for the horror which had befallen, then it does seem woefully inadequate, and Tore's promise to build a church on the spot as atonement for his revenge doesn't seem to bring about a satisfactory completion to the film. For this reason, I had thought that maybe Bergman had brought about this ending as an ironical observation on the inability of such a mundane faith as Tore exhibited to deal meaningfully with the circumstances. The point I would like to make is that even though a work of art may not satisfy the artist's personal vision, if it is rich and suggestive in imagery, it can fire the imagination and provide fuel for the vision of the viewer. Even though Bergman essentially disowned this film, I still find it quite remarkable in its evocations and am unrepentant in giving it five stars.Movie Review: A tragedy and a spiritual renewal?
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm certainly glad this was better than his opera.
The rape and murder witnessed by a servant girl is revenged.
The result is much harder for the survivors than the victims and criminals?
The point seems to be a religious legend from the middle ages.
Movie Review: Bathing in the stream of purity...
Summary: 5 Stars
Some films abruptly attack your senses, leaving their mark on you almost immediately. Other films, like `Jungfrukallan', make it a point to creep up on you slowly, never really unveiling its true motive until the final frames. Films like this are haunting to say the least, and this is truly a film that will never leave you.
Set in medieval Sweden, `Jungfrukallan' tells us the story of Tore, a peasant farmer who is trying to raise his only daughter Karin and his adopted daughter Ingeri to live the Christian way. Karin is beautiful yet na?ve and slightly vain, while Ingeri, who has managed to get herself pregnant, is resentful of Karin's beauty and charm. She herself is not na?ve to the way of the world as her sister is, and this causes her to become hardened towards her.
The panicle scene in the film comes when Karin and Ingeri are on their way to a distant church. As they travel through the woods Karin is savagely attacked by three herdsmen. She is violated and then murdered. The three men then turn and venture to find shelter, unknowingly calling upon Tore for room and board, which he provides. Tore and his wife Mareta are desperately waiting for their daughter to return, but since the journey was a long way off they conclude that she must have spent the night in the village. But light is shed and they realize that these men sleeping in their barn may very well have had something to do with their daughter's disappearance.
`Jungfrukallan' is a wonderful example of a film that broaches a wide variety of subjects and emotions without running over two hours in length. In fact, the film isn't even an hour and a half, yet it devastatingly captures the purity in human emotion and reaction.
Ingmar Bergman is one of those filmmakers that is lauded as the best of the best, and while I am new to his fan club and have only seen a few of his films I must say that he approaches each film with such honesty. What I love so much about his work, especially in `Jungfrukallan', is that he allows the audience to take what they must from the film, and he offers so much that we are bound to find something we need. Within the final frames alone `Jungfrukallan' broaches the need for god, for forgiveness, for understanding; he also broaches the idealism of purity, which is embellished by the corruption and eventual demise of a young boy. Bergman, without bias, looks deeply into the heart of love and vengeance, and the power of suggestion. Guilt is seen as each surviving character blames themselves for the tragedy, and layers of humility are seen as they attempt to put back all the pieces.
This is not a film for everyone. Not only is it tragic and brutal in scenes, but Bergman is also an acquired taste so-to-speak. I know a lot of people who find his style of filmmaking boring and tedious, but if you appreciate the artform that is film then you will see the genius behind each and every frame.
Movie Review: Solid
Summary: 3 Stars
Ingmar Bergman's 1960 film The Virgin Spring (Jungfruk?llan) is, despite its winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1961, one of his lesser outings. Part of this is, no doubt, due to the fact that the bulk of the film was not written by Bergman, but by novelist Ulla Isaksson, who based her thin script upon a medieval ballad called T?re's Daughter At V?nge. The title of the film is a double entendre which refers to the chaste lead character's outing during the springtime, and a rivulet of water that emerges from where her corpse is eventually found by her family after she is raped and murdered. Compared to the films which preceded it, it lacks the emotional heft of The Seventh Seal or Wild Strawberries, and compared to the films that followed it, it lacks the filmic daring of Persona or A Passion. It is an odd film in the Bergman canon, and ranks with Cries And Whispers and The Serpent's Egg as one of the few filmic mediocrities the director ever crafted. Its characters are wooden, almost unintendedly comic, their motivations and reactions are wholly stilted and artificial, and the symbolism is often heavyhanded. Fortunately, it's only an hour and a half in length. It's little wonder that only a dozen or so years later horror filmmaker Wes Craven (and Sean Cunningham) would launch his forgettable career with a film heavily influenced by, if not flat out based upon, it, called Last House On The Left.... Yet, the reason why this film fails to live up to the high standards of most Bergman films- although, by contrast, it's still worlds better than 99.9% of the Hollywood crap churned out today, all boils down to that most important, yet overlooked, reason why all films fail or succeed, and that's because, despite being a visual medium, a film must be well written, with well developed characters and a scenario that can emotionally affect a viewer, be that in the archetypal or realistic vein, to succeed artistically. This film never gets off the stylistic fence and decides whether it is a realistic film nor a symbolic allegory. Thus it fails on both scores, and the bulk of the blame for that can be laid upon the pro-Christian leaning script of the novelist Ulla Isaksson, who wrote an earlier Bergman film, So Close To Life, a few years before. While there is no comparing Wes Craven's 1972 filmic spin on this theme, Last House On The Left, in any cinematic nor artistic terms to The Virgin Spring, in one odd way, Craven's later film does seem more relevant, for it never attempts to find reasons for, nor make sense of, its anomic violence, thus it cannot fail, on that level. Bergman's film asks the big questions, and when its own silence bellows forth no answers, its hollowness only too easily engulfs its own inquisitions, which displays flaws the lesser film could only dream to be vilified for.
Summary of The Virgin Spring [VHS]
When a devout young girl is raped and killed by herders, her father is consumed by a violent need for vengeance. Based on medieval legend, The Virgin Spring exposes a society on the cusp between mysticism and Christianity and explores the power of reconciliation. Bergman won his first Oscar? for this exquisitely composed film.Made in 1960 and set in medieval Sweden, Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring is based on a folk ballad. It also examines a society in transition from Norse pantheism to Christianity. The film starkly contrasts Ingeri--a dark, feral, Odin-worshipping foster daughter to a Christian family headed by Max Von Sydow--and their own daughter, a pretty and blond but also vain and na?ve girl named Karin, whom Ingeri resents. They travel out together to a distant church where Karin is to offer votive candles to the Virgin Mary. However, en route, Karin is raped and murdered by two desperate goatherds, accompanied by a 13-year-old boy. By coincidence, the goatherds then seek refuge with Karin's parents and even try to sell them her clothes, which proves to be a mortal error.
Bergman was greatly influenced by Akira Kurosawa when he made The Virgin Spring, as evinced in its ominous use of dark and shade and lengthy sequences without dialogue. However, this is more than pastiche. Although the Christian ending with which Bergman feels obliged to conclude the film doesn't quite sit well in a movie in which God is as palpably absent as in any Bergman movie, the slow, remorseless pace of the murder and subsequent retribution bring to mind Krzysztof Kieslowski's A Short Film About Killing in their sense of the futility of vengeance. --David Stubbs
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