Review of The Virgin Spring (1960) by Kevin W — 02 Dec 2007

Bergman's first Academy Award winning film has inadvertently became the blueprint for the revenge movie, most notably Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left", which directly lifts this film. Set during a medieval Sweden torn between Christinaity and Paganism, a devout family ha their faith shaken when their daughter is raped and murdered by a bunch of goat herders. These men unwittingly take refuge at the family's house, and when the goat herders are discovered with the daughter's bood stained clothing, a strong revenge is unleashed.

Based on a 13th century Swedish ballad, this is one of the very few films Bergman didn't write himself, but the themes that permeate most of his films are present, notably man's crisis of faith. Upon discovering the death of his daughter, Tore (von Sydow) questions how God can allow such cruelties to take place - he then has to take matters of justice into his own hands.

The Virgin Spring is important for the first proper collaboration between Bergman and Sven Nykvist, one of the greater director/DP partnerships in film history. The contrasts between light and dark, the use of shadows, and the gorgeous black and white photography - all part of the naturalism Nykvist was famous for, are all present, and give the film the ravishing look to match the sombre importance of the narrative.