Review of The Virgin Spring (1960) by Jim H — 10 Jul 2014
A virginal girl is brutally raped and murdered, and her killers unwittingly take refuge in her parents' home.
Simply stated, this is Bergman at his best. While there is a touch of the misogyny that Bergman featured in The Seventh Seal, as Birgitta and her sister turn into metonyms for light and dark female sexuality rather than fully fleshed out characters, the film nevertheless explore tough questions about the existence of God and humans' duties in response to cruelty and despair. Is revenge ethically, morally, or religiously justifiable? If God exists, why do bad things happen to good people? Should we or can we celebrate a deity in a world this fucked up? Filmmakers like Bergman aren't didactic enough to tell us the answers to these questions; instead, we get round characters who struggle with ethical dilemmas in intelligent and compelling ways.
Overall, Ingmar Bergman is rightly celebrated as one of the world's best for good reason.
This review of The Virgin Spring (1960) was written by Jim H on 10 Jul 2014.
The Virgin Spring has generally received very positive reviews.
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