Jungfrukällan (The Virgin Spring) (1959)

Featured Audience Ratings

• First L

  
  Ingmar Bergman's films are declarations. Declarations of doubt, declarations of fear. Somehow in his confrontation of death, he tries to find the meaning of life. In The Virgin Spring, Bergman revisits medieval times (as in 1957's "The Seventh Seal"). This… More
  Ingmar Bergman's films are declarations. Declarations of doubt, declarations of fear. Somehow in his confrontation of death, he tries to find the meaning of life. In The Virgin Spring, Bergman revisits medieval times (as in 1957's "The Seventh Seal"). This time, the scene is a fourteenth century farm. Töre is the landowner and patriarch of his little family which includes wife Märeta and daughter Karin. The family, being devoutly christian, have an "adopted" family of farmhands and runaways, as well as one "fallen", heathen woman who is carrying an illegitimate child. It's with her the story begins as she prays for Odin to come and curse the daughter Karin. Karin is the perfect one, always getting her way, not having to do anything and getting spoiled by the masters of the house. So when she and Karin are sent to the church to deliver the candles for the virgin mother's mass, she gets her wish most brutally answered. Watching Töre's penance towards the end of the film, you have to wonder about the level of ritualism and meditation that precedes an act motivated almost entirely by blind retribution. As observers, we can only feel sorrow at this destruction, regardless of what end it seeks to achieve. What can we take away from the Virgin Spring? That God, if he exists, works in mysterious ways? That life is cheap? That one's notion of existence can be swept away in one callous motion? It's not enough to just exist, you have to know why you are doing it. Once upon a time, we built churches to give our lives purpose, and to try and provide some higher understanding of why we were here. With The Virgin Spring, we have a film etched hard into the celluloid, an artistic rendition of the question that plagues our human nature.

• Chris W

  
  Remade twice (both times under the title The Last House on the Left), this is a drama set in medieval Sweden about a deeply religious man who seeks revenge after his daughter is raped and murdered. Unlike the remakes, this is more of a drama than a horror film, although the events… More
  Remade twice (both times under the title The Last House on the Left), this is a drama set in medieval Sweden about a deeply religious man who seeks revenge after his daughter is raped and murdered. Unlike the remakes, this is more of a drama than a horror film, although the events that take place are horrific. The way they are handled is makes it distinct. The big push here is this film's focus on themes of religion, forgiveness, faith, heavy questions about the nature of crime and punishment. In a way, and I'm not trying to diminish the film here, you could possibly call this (if you had to) an arthouse exploitation film. Because really, it is art, it just happens to be punctuated byt two very strong (but surprisingly tasteful (as it were)) scenes of violence. I loved this movie because it has Bergman's traemark playing around with light and shadows, and gorgeous cinematography, and the participation of his long time collaborator Max von Sydow (who is excellent). It has wonderful atmosphere, and everything is made more effective and unsettling due to the lack of a soundtrack (most notable during the violence) and the fact that the film doesn't ever go out of its way to see creepy or frightening. Everything is very peaceful, quiet, and serene, and that is far more intense than being overtly gritty. The version I watched had an introduction by Ang Lee, and he really does a great job of explaining the film as being so powerful and moving because of the things I've mentioned above, and because the film is an overall classy affair despite the subject matter. Now, I'm giving this the same rating I gave to the first The Last House on the Left, but that doesn't mean the films are equal. In fact, you really can't put them in the same league, despite their similarities. They are both great in their own way. One just happens to be an artsy film with strong symbolism and heavy themes awhile the other is a gritty, disturbing, and unrelenting exploitation thriller (yet still has some subtext). As a film overall though, I think this one is better, as I see the other working better as more of an experience than as a movie. You should definitely give this one a watch, It's some great stuff.

• Melvin W

  
  One of the most symbolic and emotional movies you will ever see, and more than likely one of the best. Max Von Sydow's performance as the religious and vengeful father is one of the best when it comes to conflicts of feelings over beliefs.

• Conner R

  
  When it comes to tales of revenge, there are few finer than this. With an incredibly well paced build up, this is one of the most visually disturbing pieces from Ingmar Bergman. Any fans of The Last House on the Left should check this out, due to it essentially being a medieval… More
  When it comes to tales of revenge, there are few finer than this. With an incredibly well paced build up, this is one of the most visually disturbing pieces from Ingmar Bergman. Any fans of The Last House on the Left should check this out, due to it essentially being a medieval rendition of the story. It contains what might be the greatest feats of strength one man has displayed on camera. Max Von Sydow kills three men practically with his bare hands via burning, stabbing and raising someone above his head and throwing them. Him playing such a peaceful and religious father one minute and a warpath the next is a little shocking and a ridiculously well done tactic in terms of character development. As always with Bergman, this is a truly beautiful looking movie. Every shot is so well composed and captures the landscape and characters so well. It sort've becomes the third part of the unofficial trilogy, also consisting of The Seventh Seal and The Magician. All are period pieces revolving around a group of characters having to face death in some form. In my opinion, these are Bergman's three greatest movies. They deliver on every level and seem to have endless life.

• Pierluigi P

  
  God's indifference towards his children's suffering.

• Tim S

  
  It has been a long time coming, but I am glad that I am going through my Bergman phase at this age. This is another one of his gems that had me from the first frame and kept me going until the last. I loved the story (even though it has been hacked by some horrible remakes here… More
  It has been a long time coming, but I am glad that I am going through my Bergman phase at this age. This is another one of his gems that had me from the first frame and kept me going until the last. I loved the story (even though it has been hacked by some horrible remakes here lately) and thought it was well acted by the entire cast. Of course, when you have Sven behind the camera, you are going to have a gorgeous film and this film just keeps that legacy in tact. Max Von Sydow is the premiere badass and it's amazing how shocking the rape scene is even today. Great film.

• Cassandra M

  
  Legendary Swedish director, Ingmar Bergman's probable precursor to Wes Craven's notorious 1972 shocker 'The Last House on the Left' is a far more compelling and emotionally draining film that adroitly and continuously switches the viewers sentiments up until the… More
  Legendary Swedish director, Ingmar Bergman's probable precursor to Wes Craven's notorious 1972 shocker 'The Last House on the Left' is a far more compelling and emotionally draining film that adroitly and continuously switches the viewers sentiments up until the despondent, tranquil and haunting ending. While one minute the viewer is laughing along with the youthful, if naïve, exuberance of the young Karin (Birgitta Petterssen), the following minute will encourage different emotions as Bergman plunges the viewer into the middle of a nightmarish crime perpetrated by nothing less than the evil inside man. Although the portrayals of the acts committed in 'The Virgin Spring' are far less graphic than the modern viewer may have become accustomed to, they still retain an immense power to horrify as one cannot ignore the great lengths Bergman has gone to in order to give his characters a base in order to harden the impact of what we see. With just the simplest of dialogue, the viewer continues to learn about the relationships and personalities of each of the characters so that we may appreciate the consequences and, in some ways, forgive the actions that we see. This film is, after all, a tale of morality and repentance and therefore, even while in some cases the actions may be evil, it is necessary to accept the goodness that is still there. This thought is made no clearer than during the solemn and subdued final scene which fades out abruptly and leaves the viewer in a state of quiet reflection. Bergman's pacing and subtle direction which at one point leaves the viewer in suspense for what seems like an eternity is surely the reason for the greatness of this film. As if he were playing chess, he manipulates not only the characters, but the emotions of the viewers with intelligent and surprising maneuvers while pressing home his own sentiments regarding the story so that we may at least take into great consideration the events that we have seen. Bergman has an amazing ability to flip the atmosphere of a movie in a split second using various lighting and camera angle techniques as well as motivating his performers to follow suit. The simple expression changes on the faces of Birgitta Petterssen, Max von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg and Gunnel Lindblom at various points throughout the film quickly alter the mindset of the viewer and indicate that all is not well; so beautiful in undeniable simplicity. 'The Virgin Spring' is nothing short of a masterpiece and a film that few shall be able to forget.

• Randy T

  
  Ingmar Bergman is a taste I have yet to acquire but this is far less abstract than his other films I've seen. Cinemaphiles familiar with <i>The Last House On the Left</i> will recognize the plot but this one is enormously (and quite thankfully) more artistic and… More
  Ingmar Bergman is a taste I have yet to acquire but this is far less abstract than his other films I've seen. Cinemaphiles familiar with <i>The Last House On the Left</i> will recognize the plot but this one is enormously (and quite thankfully) more artistic and elegant.

• Stella D

  
  very dark and profound medieval fairytale. one of the most beautiful films i've ever seen

• Luke B

  
  Or what some may refer to as Ingmar Bergman's I Spit on Your Grave. It's such an eye opening experience to watch such a simplistic narrative as a revenge film, be handled with such artistic care by such a master. Bergman layers his film with such complexity that there is no… More
  Or what some may refer to as Ingmar Bergman's I Spit on Your Grave. It's such an eye opening experience to watch such a simplistic narrative as a revenge film, be handled with such artistic care by such a master. Bergman layers his film with such complexity that there is no relief in the revenge, only further hatred. Evil is shown as coming from everywhere, and the destruction of innocence also shines bright. It's quite a brutal film, especially for the time with both a traumatic rape scene and brutal murders taking place. The religious aspects also don't burden the film with a preachy method but does try and justify God's actions as well as how insignificant humans are to the planet. A wonderful film.

• Ken S

  
  I'm gonna catch hell for this, but it was okay. I think Last House on the Left does a better job of imposing a sense of dread. I often have problems with Bergman's melancholy tone. It just makes his films, no matter how expertly crafted, such chores to watch.

• Cindy I

  
  An amazing film by Ingmar Bergman about whether revenge is ever justified, and whether God can forgive that revenge. A young girl is murdered on the way to church, and the killers show up at her parents' home looking for refuge. The snence after the murder when the girl's… More
  An amazing film by Ingmar Bergman about whether revenge is ever justified, and whether God can forgive that revenge. A young girl is murdered on the way to church, and the killers show up at her parents' home looking for refuge. The snence after the murder when the girl's body is laying in the woods will stay with me forever. Wes Craven remade this in much more violent fashion as Last House on the Left.

• Dillon L

  
  Another fantastic film from one of cinema's greatest masters, Ingmar Bergman. It doesn't deal with its existential subject matter in quite the same as Bergman's other films, but that is made up for by gorgeous mise-en-scene. Another masterpiece.

• Byron B

  
  This is my first Bergman film. He dramatically uses light and darkness and rustic scenery well. In fact he presents a story in simple black and white terms, straightforward good and evil. Max von Sydow is the head of a Medieval Swedish household who runs a farm. He and his wife… More
  This is my first Bergman film. He dramatically uses light and darkness and rustic scenery well. In fact he presents a story in simple black and white terms, straightforward good and evil. Max von Sydow is the head of a Medieval Swedish household who runs a farm. He and his wife keep a very religious house and treat their servants well for the most part. The cook's daughter (Pettersson) (it's not totally clear if she is also Sydow's daughter) is brunette, dirty, a pregnant teen, pagan, a troublemaker, and in Medieval Swedish culture kind of ugly, but not really very ugly. Sydow and his wife's legitimate daughter (Lindblom) is blond, always clean, spoiled with rich clothes, an innocent Christian girl, which means a virgin. What can I say? I liked the bad girl, I was more interested in her, and shared her jealousy of the perfect much loved daughter. Anyways, these two are sent on a long trip through the forest to deliver some candles to the nearest church. The classic fairytale archetype is here showing how things really begin when the characters venture into the woods. I'm skeptical of this Christian good, Pagan bad simplicity. Because the parents practice penance by burning themselves with candle wax or whipping themselves with birch tree branches and say prayer before every meal, and the herdsmen have crooked teeth, one sounds like a monster when he tries to speak, and they are desperate and ravenous you are clearly supposed to see who the bad guys and good guys are. A different time period is presented though and one special feature interview with Lindblom suggested it was meant to be a fairytale like story, so I've tried to let my uneasiness with the simplicity pass. In fact, Bergman doesn't let you have these doubts. As soon as you start feeling sympathetic toward the pagan girl, she starts scheming to let the virgin continue ahead in the woods alone, she starts to wish genuine harm will come to the virgin and when it does she stays back and does nothing to try to stop it. The herdsmen (one well-spoken man, another who has had his tongue cut out in some previous fight, and a young boy who all claim to be brothers) spy the virgin and decide to make her their next game. It is quickly revealed that they are liars and thieves, and they brutally rape and kill her then strip her of her valuables and run off. The young boy does not participate, but stays behind as he is told until his brothers come back, but he becomes very sick from what he saw and runs off too. Later the herdsmen all together again end up at the house of the virgin they killed and left out in the woods. Her father is kind enough to let them come in for a meal, warm by the fire and sleep the night. It is unclear if they realize where they are at first and plan to further victimize the family, but clues are planted at least in the young boy's head and he begins to feel very guilty. Well the herdsmen make a couple stupid convenient moves and the mother and father come to realize that their daughter was a victim of these men. The pagan girl has now finally stumbled back and comes clean to Sydow about her part in what happened and what she saw. Sydow begins planning vicious revenge for the morning and murders all three. The young boy probably didn't deserve death by this point, but the two grown men undoubtedly got what they deserved. Everyone in the house then goes to find the virgin's body and there is an excellent scene where the father talks to God. Sydow crumbles to the ground and says something like, "You allowed it to happen. I don't understand you, God. I don't understand. My daughter was raped and murdered and I took revenge on three lives and you saw it happen." He doesn't know any other way to live than through seeking God's forgiveness though, so he vows to build a church here in this place with his own two hands. And when he lifts his daughter for his wife and himself to hug her one last time a spring of water starts flowing from where her head was nestled in the dirt. But I think the ultimate message is the part where he questions God and vows to build something good (though a church wouldn't be my choice) in this place where tragedy occurred.

• Lauren D

  
  This is the best Bergman I've seen so far, but I still didn't like it. It was just stupid. I was impressed with the rape scene, which I thought was fairly graphic for its time. But, it was too preachy. I liked Last House on the Left because it was... probably because it was… More
  This is the best Bergman I've seen so far, but I still didn't like it. It was just stupid. I was impressed with the rape scene, which I thought was fairly graphic for its time. But, it was too preachy. I liked Last House on the Left because it was... probably because it was graphic. I just didn't feel for any of the characters and I didn't like the era it was set in.

• John M

  
  Remade and renamed as ¨Last House on the Left¨ while the story is basically the same ¨The Virgin Spring¨ has a screenplay that is narrated with intelligence and sensitivity where are developed ethics and moral issues like as death,God,religion and the vengeance. The acting and… More
  Remade and renamed as ¨Last House on the Left¨ while the story is basically the same ¨The Virgin Spring¨ has a screenplay that is narrated with intelligence and sensitivity where are developed ethics and moral issues like as death,God,religion and the vengeance. The acting and directing are excellent and the cinematography is great with a dark tone threat.

• Sunil J

  
  Heartbreaking. This movie conveys so much emotion with so little words.

• Ivan D

  
  A very emotional film about revenge and faith to god, this will remain as one of the most powerful films ever made. It did not even contain any musical scores, but instead relied on the silence of the surroundings to create tension and feel of discomfort to the viewers. Max Von… More
  A very emotional film about revenge and faith to god, this will remain as one of the most powerful films ever made. It did not even contain any musical scores, but instead relied on the silence of the surroundings to create tension and feel of discomfort to the viewers. Max Von Sydow's performance as a multi-layered character forced to exact a disturbing revenge on those who raped and killed his daughter was magnificent in all of its subtle glory. The atmosphere and striking images of the film was also unforgettable, especially the "tree secene". An important film about the futility of revenge and the undying faith to god.

• Dimitris S

  
  Bergman is allegorical.A criticism isn't fully viewed without literally scratching the edges on most of his films.Certainly is symbolic,by all means ruthless in its message and yet a captivating experience.Lindblom is ethereal.

• Anthony V

  
  A visual and emotional journey.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings