The Virgin Spring

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Isa B One element that always stands out in an Ingmar Bergman film is the meaningful dialog. This film.is no exception. It is a well written work with perfectly executed dialog. If any film in the history cinema will make you feel, this one certainly will. The young Karin was perhaps a little mischievous, but was more-or-less innocent and good-natured. She had obviously been spoiled by her mother and to a lesser degree, by her father. Her vanity and naivety got her into a dreadful situation. That scene was difficult to watch due to its brutality as it was presented in such a realistic manner. One might think the scene could have benefited from the use of theme music, however, I would argue that the lack of music gives it a much more realistic feel. It gives the scene an eerie vibe. I felt like I witnessed an awful crime and a helpless feeling came over me. This is obviously what Ingmar Bergman was going for and it worked to perfection. The film ends on a rather touching note with mankind accepting their sinful imperfections while seeking repentance from God. The miraculous appearance of the spring right where Karin's body lay was a nice touch to an already touching scene. Ingeri washing herself for the first time in the film, in effect, attempting to wash away her sins. This motion picture is very special to me. It is one of many masterpieces in the marvelous career of Ingmar Bergman. He never made the same film twice. He was arguably the greatest filmmaker of all time. I highly recommend this film. 97/100 Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/07/24 Full Review dave s Grim even by Ingmar Bergman's standards, The Virgin Spring is certainly one of his most bleak and disturbing films. Set in medieval Sweden, a young girl is sexually assaulted and murdered by a trio of goat herders, who later that evening find themselves seeking refuge in the home of the victim's father. It is a film about rape, murder, guilt, revenge and misguided religious devotion and is unrelenting in its impact. Bergman's direction, as always, is impeccable, as is Sven Nykvist cinematography. Filled with powerful images and meaningful symbolism, it is a film of grotesque beauty that is difficult to forget and even more difficult to digest. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member A well-directed film regarding a horrible tragedy. I watched this film not knowing much about it except that it was directed by Bergman. The film begins with some over-the-top smiley acting which I thought would continue throughout the film. However, the plot takes a tragic turn which allows the film to become more engaging as you don't know where the plot is going and what the reactions of the other characters will be. The film's acting is okay and the cinematography isn't good. However, the plot and screenplay helped keep my interest. Although an early film of his, Bergman's direction should be commended as the pace of the film never slows down too much. The film's direction and screenplay is good, however, most other elements of the film are sub-standard. The film won the Best Foreign Language Picture Oscar. I have not seen the other nominees except for Kapo which I did not like and was definitely not as well-made as The Virgin Spring. The film was also nominated for Best Costume Design which I didn't think made the film stand out but did allow me to believe the medieval Swedish world these characters were living in. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member A masterpiece of movie-making. The good and the evil are acknowledged and not questioned, nor condemned by Bergman. It is the way it should be. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the most powerful legends in the history of cinematography! (with "The Seven Seal") Terrible, beautiful, spellbinding. The scene with a tree - timeless. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member I have to admit, I've never been a massive fan of Bergman's flicks, but they always look spectacular. The use of natural light, and lingering close-up shots are something else. He always picks actors with uncompromisingly interesting looking faces too, which helps. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Virgin Spring

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