p e n g u i n d e v i l

What do you get if you let a girl out into the big world, she gets attacked and killed and then her killers unknowingly seek refuge at her parents house? Yes, you do get Last House on the Left, but in this case Ingmar Bergman brings it back 700 years and you get the story of Virgin Spring!

Max von Sydow is awesome as Töre, a pious Scandinavian farmer who sends his virginal daughter to the village to bring candles to the church. Of course, this trip is presaged with much direness from her mother who tries to dissuade Pa from sending off their only remaining child. But off she goes, with the local fallen woman as a companion.

Virgin Spring is a beautiful film, the crisp black and white rural footage brings to mind a peaceful fairy tale, but, as with most fairy tales, this one ends up quite unpeacefully. The fallen women is such due to being attacked and though she also has great bitterness to Karin, the blessed daughter, she also is quite free with many warnings of how Karin should watch her behavior and be wary of men. But Karin is a proud maiden, good natured, trusting and more then a bit naive. On the journey, they meet a number of fellows, but nothing to worry the brave Karin on her godly mission.

The other soon overwhelms herself with her warnings and she bows out of the journey, fearing for what might lay ahead and leaving Karin to trot off on her own. Of course, she is set upon by three scoundrels who she offers to share her lunch with, but they have other activities in mind.

At times, it seems a morality tale on the sins of pride, but one could also view it as a case of “god drops lots of misery on people who don’t deserve it”. And there is some good god-stuff in it. The crucifix in the house is totally horrifying and rad, the bad girl speaks continually of Odin (an old fashioned kind of girl) and the ending is one of those great and crazy “humility before god” scenes.

But on a more human note, it is filled with pride, guilt, remorse and sadness, and it is actually a sad and touching movie. But it’s also got the goods as Töre unleashes his hard-earned parental revenge prerogative. It is also quite entertaining, there are great characters, some great lines (“live out your wretched little life , the way god allows all of us to live” and “then give me a thrashing and nothing to eat” stand out) and it’s just great to look at.