This film never gets off the stylistic fence and decides whether it is a realistic film or a symbolic allegory. Thus it fails on both scores, and the bulk of the blame for that can be laid upon the pro-Christian leaning script of the novelist Ulla Isaksson, who wrote an earlier Bergman film, So Close To Life, a few years before.
While there is no comparing Wes Craven’s 1972 spin on this theme, Last House On The Left, in any cinematic nor artistic terms to The Virgin Spring, in one odd way, Craven’s later film does seem more relevant, for it never attempts to find reasons for, nor make sense of, its anomic violence, thus it cannot fail on that level. Bergman’s film asks the big questions, and when its own silence bellows forth no answers, its hollowness only too easily engulfs its own inquisitions, which displays flaws the lesser film could only dream to be vilified for.
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Article comments
1 - Chris Beaumont
I have always been curious about this. My Bergman has thus far been limited to Seventh Seal.
I must also take offence at referring to Craven's career as forgettable. If only for the fact that he brought us Freddy. ( I enjoy about half of Craven's output.)
2 - bliffle
Good review. Very thoughtful and provocative.