Axel Düberg

The Virgin Spring, Jungfrukällan 1960 - The Killers In The Woods, Mördarna I Skogen - Ingmar Bergman

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• published: 28 Dec 2016
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Scene from The Virgin Spring, Jungfrukällan, a somber, dark and masterful Ingmar Bergman film. Karin shares her food with her killers in the woods before being raped and murdered. She is an innocent, trustful, kind-hearted girl, brutally attacked by evil, forest-dwelling goat herders and thieves. Töre, her father, exacts revenge on his daughter's murderers for the loss of his only child, killing everyone involved. The film is set in medieval, 14th century Sweden at a time when traditional folklore, paganism and Christianity existed side by side. The movie has strong, expressive cinematography by world-acclaimed Sven Nykvist. The Virgin Spring tells the tale of a girl whose kindness, trust, innocence and graceful beauty sometimes brought out the very opposite in others; feelings of envy, jealousy, hostility, anger and cold desire. Karin is the daughter of wealthy land-owning farmers. She is sweet, romantic, trusting, beautiful and pampered, therefore admired by men but envied and resented by many women. Karin is brutally attacked, raped and murdered on her way to church when she was bringing candles for Virgin Mary. Traditionally, the candles are to be delivered by a virgin. On horseback alone in the woods she meets and takes pity on three peculiar strangers. They are goat herdsmen, but also thieves who stole the goats. Unbeknownst to trusting Karin, the men are deceptive, dangerous and violent with darkness and malice in their hearts. Karin lacks the experience to sense that something is wrong. Having eaten Karin's food in a forest glade, the herders'demeanor suddenly changes. They become sexually aggressive and subjects Karin to a brutal rape. When she traumatized and shocked tries to flee to her horse, she is murdered in cold blood with a blow to the head. Karin's father - played by screen legend Max von Sydow - avenges her cruel death by killing her attackers during the night in his home. They had unknowingly made the mistake of choosing his very house when seeking shelter for the night and trying to sell her clothes and profit from her murder. Töre is a devoted Christian man and he struggles with feelings of remorse since he also killed a boy. He seeks redemption by vowing to build a church to God out of stone and mortar with his own bare hands at the very place where his daughter died - a worthy place of worship. The film won an Oscar, Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 1961. It has been criticized for its brutality, but Bergman wanted to instill in the audience the same feelings of rage and fury that Töre had when he became aware of his daughter's cruel fate, and in revenge during deep emotional pain killed her murderers. Karin's death can be seen as a religious sacrifice and martyrdom - her innocence, trust and goodness resulting in her violent death. At the very place where her head rested after her death, there suddenly flows a clear water stream - a spring of innocence. The spring forever symbolizes Karin's purity and innocence. Director: Ingmar Bergman Cinematography: Sven Nykvist Töre: Max von Sydow Virgin Karin: Birgitta Pettersson Ingeri: Gunnel Lindblom Märeta: Birgitta Valberg Thin Herdsman: Axel Düberg Mute Herdsman: Tor Isedal Beggar: Allan Edwall Frida: Gudrun Brost jungfrukällan källa hämnd våldtäkt mord brunn jungfru mordet murder murderer mördare brutal brutalitet våld violence mö ungmö oskuld synd sin dödlig mortal våldtagen raped raping våldtar mördar hämnas vedergällning vendetta skådespelare regi regissör fotografi fotograf cinematographer skådespelerska ondska ond godhet god godhet gods gudar religion religiös kristen faith tro kristendom norse hedning hednisk hedningar heathen heathens asa asatro gud nordisk fornnordisk mytologi mythology ritual ritualer repentance ånger remorse bot förlåtelse forgiveness kyrka holy mother maria jesus christ cross kors korset helig heliga moder familj family fader far mor mamma pappa son bror bröder brothers brother be pray prayer aftonbön evening night natt kvällsbön kväll supper bön bordsbön kvällsvard döda död dead kill döden killer killed dog getter get goats herdsman herder herders herde herdar banditer bandits bandit stråtrövare rövare vagabond vagabonder traveller vandrare bonde bönder peasant peasants farmer farm gård bonddotter dotter forest skog mystisk mysticism övernaturlig magisk magical witch witches häxa häxor trollkarl magician magiker tiggare ondskefull tragedy tragedi occult mystical black svart vit white magic magi witchcraft häxkonst häxkonster trolleri trollkonst trollkonster padda groda toad frog nordic warrior warriors fighter fighters scandinavian scandinavia skandinavien skandinavisk nordisk krigare kämpe norden kultur culture tradition traditioner brott straff crime punishment film noir realism neo-realism neorealism