Loosely based on a 12th-Century ballad about the origin of a church, Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring is not unlike his other work, i.e. it questions the existence, purpose and morality of God in a universe of inequity and cruelty. The greatest cruelty of the Judaeo-Christian faiths is, quite possibly, the guilt we are supposedly born with, well-dramatized in the film when a young girl is raped and murdered by three highwaymen after she shows them only kindness. Every act of kindness in the film is in fact repaid with treachery and malice, an echo of prayer and worship being rewarded with hardships we must then justify with the unknowability of the Divine Plan. So in the film, while there are two real culprits, everyone feels guilt. Those who let her go into the woods, the boy who was forced to watched and feels complicit, the jealous girl who wished her dead, and then guilt begets guilt once the father takes his revenge (in the ballad, it's even worse, because he kills his own vanished sons). And as usual for Bergman, God answers with gaping silence, and still the characters double-down on their worship. At times harrowing, this is another meticulous master class from Bergman, the most resounding image Max von Sydow reenacting the violation of his daughter with a sapling, and throughout, you are asked whether you can forgive any of the characters, or indeed, God for creating a Hell on Earth (also part of the iconography).
An exceptionnally beautiful movie, unfortunately stained by one unnecessary violent scene. Still a remarkable work, both spiritual and intelligent, really worth seeing.
A great film, a stunning meditation on death, anger, spirituality and revenge. It contains moments of chilling beauty and an admirably controlled atmosphere of despair that builds until being purged by the purifying imagery of the final scene.
I was mesmerized and revolted at the same time. Bergman is so heavy handed at times with his films that I always expect to be mentally raped by his movies. Surprisingly, this makes him an excellent moviemaker.
It's a very loose definition of horror, I'll give you that, but it does involve murder, revenge, and possible witchcraft. It's as much a horror movie as Dreyer's "Day of Wrath", another film that regards its "supernatural" events with ambiguity.
Also, it was the inspiration for the original "Last House on the Left", which is without question in the horror category.
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Siskoid
Loosely based on a 12th-Century ballad about the origin of a church, Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring is not unlike his other work, i.e. it questions the existence, purpose and morality of God in a universe of inequity and cruelty. The greatest cruelty of the Judaeo-Christian faiths is, quite possibly, the guilt we are supposedly born with, well-dramatized in the film when a young girl is raped and murdered by three highwaymen after she shows them only kindness. Every act of kindness in the film is in fact repaid with treachery and malice, an echo of prayer and worship being rewarded with hardships we must then justify with the unknowability of the Divine Plan. So in the film, while there are two real culprits, everyone feels guilt. Those who let her go into the woods, the boy who was forced to watched and feels complicit, the jealous girl who wished her dead, and then guilt begets guilt once the father takes his revenge (in the ballad, it's even worse, because he kills his own vanished sons). And as usual for Bergman, God answers with gaping silence, and still the characters double-down on their worship. At times harrowing, this is another meticulous master class from Bergman, the most resounding image Max von Sydow reenacting the violation of his daughter with a sapling, and throughout, you are asked whether you can forgive any of the characters, or indeed, God for creating a Hell on Earth (also part of the iconography).ben0005
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IV-fim6L9ggama_jr
In a Horror list? Go shop and get some balls.Windill
An exceptionnally beautiful movie, unfortunately stained by one unnecessary violent scene. Still a remarkable work, both spiritual and intelligent, really worth seeing.nicolekidman
One of my favourites by Bergmannicolaskrizan
envy, vengeance, guilt – really strong and heavy stuff, could well have been in the book but isn'thttp://beyond1001movies.wordpress.com/
ChrisReynolds
A great film, a stunning meditation on death, anger, spirituality and revenge. It contains moments of chilling beauty and an admirably controlled atmosphere of despair that builds until being purged by the purifying imagery of the final scene.ClassicLady
I was mesmerized and revolted at the same time. Bergman is so heavy handed at times with his films that I always expect to be mentally raped by his movies. Surprisingly, this makes him an excellent moviemaker.thestuman101694
How could a human being even make a movie like this? Bergman's ability not only amazes me, but his existence as a director and story-teller as well.Sethcanes
One of Bergmans weaker ones imo. Still a great film, but it doesn't feel like Bergman being Bergman, more like Bergman trying to be Kurosawa.mightysparks
I would like to buy this film, not Girls Gone Wild: Virgins!Nine99
"One of the most mentally disturbing film ever."I guess you haven't seen that many disturbing films...
LordKinbote
It's a very loose definition of horror, I'll give you that, but it does involve murder, revenge, and possible witchcraft. It's as much a horror movie as Dreyer's "Day of Wrath", another film that regards its "supernatural" events with ambiguity.Also, it was the inspiration for the original "Last House on the Left", which is without question in the horror category.
George Bailey
I liked it very much, but why is it on the Top 500 Horror Movies?