The Virgin Spring

Infobox Film
name = The Virgin Spring


caption = original movie poster
director = Ingmar Bergman
producer = Ingmar Bergman
Allan Ekelund
writer = Ulla Isaksson
starring = Max von Sydow
Birgitta Valberg
Gunnel Lindblom
Birgitta Pettersson
music = Erik Nordgren
cinematography = Sven Nykvist
editing = Oscar Rosander
distributor = Janus Films
released = flagicon|Sweden February 8, 1960
flagicon|USA November 14, 1960
runtime = 89 mins.
country = SWE
language = Swedish
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
amg_id = 1:52855
imdb_id = 0053976

"The Virgin Spring" ( _sv. Jungfrukällan) is a 1960 Swedish film directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set in medieval Sweden, it is a revenge tale about a father's merciless response to the murder of his daughter. The story is based on a 13th century Swedish ballad named "Töres dotter i Wänge" and which was adapted by screenwriter Ulla Isaksson. The Virgin Spring inspired the 1972 Wes Craven film The Last House on the Left.

ynopsis

"The Virgin Spring" tells the story, set in medieval Sweden, of a prosperous Christian whose daughter, Karin (Birgitta Pettersson), the "light" child, is appointed to bring candles to the church. She is accompanied by her pregnant foster sister, Ingeri (Gunnel Lindblom), the "dark" child, who secretly worships the ancient Norse deity Odin. Along the way the two part, and Karin sets out on her own. She meets three herdsmen (two men and a boy), and invites them to eat her snack with her. Later on the two older brothers rape and murder Karin, then leave the scene with her 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 goatherds murdered their missing daughter when the goatherds offer to sell Karin's clothes to her mother. Locking them in their chamber, the father then kills the two murderers, along with the innocent younger brother. The next day, the parents set out to find their daughter's body. Her father vows that, although he cannot understand God, he will build a church at the site of his daughter's death. As her parents lift her head from the ground, a spring begins to flow from where she was lying. Her sister Ingeri now wishes to wash herself with the water.

Cast

* Max von Sydow - Töre
* Birgitta Valberg - Märeta
* Gunnel Lindblom - Ingeri
* Birgitta Pettersson - Karin
* Axel Düberg - Thin Herdsman
* Tor Isedal - Mute Herdsman
* Allan Edwall - Beggar
* Ove Porath - Boy
* Axel Slangus - Bridge Keeper
* Gudrun Brost - Frida
* Oscar Ljung - Simon

Awards and Nominations

The Virgin Spring won the following awards:
* Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film 1961
*A Special Mention for Ingmar Bergman in the Cannes Film Festival 1960
* Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film-1961 (tie with "La Vérité")
* Kinema Junpo Award for Best Foreign Language Film and Foreign Film Director (Ingmar Bergman)-1962It was also nominated for the following categories:
* Golden Palm-Cannes Film Festival
* Best Costume Design, Black & White- 1961 Academy Awards

References

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).

ee also

*Middle Ages in film
* "The Last House on the Left" is a 1972 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven, the story of which closely follows "The Virgin Spring".
* Falconer, a Swedish power metal band, performs a song 'Per Tyrssons Döttrar I Vänge' which is based on the old ballad which forms the basis of "The Virgin Spring".

External links

*Imdb title | id=0053976 | title=The Virgin Spring
* [http://www.criterion.com/asp/release.asp?id=321&eid=461&section=essay Criterion Collection essay by Peter Cowie]
* [http://www.math.su.se/~joeb/kvad/Texter/PerTyrsson.html Per Tyrssons döttrar ] , also known as "Herr Töres' döttrar" - a version of the old ballad, in Swedish

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
title=Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
years=1960
before="Black Orpheus"
after="Through a Glass Darkly"succession box
title=Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film
years=1961
before="Black Orpheus
after="Through a Glass Darkly"