Overview
A haunting tale of vengeance and morality unfolds in the shadowy forests of medieval Sweden.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- sombre
- foreboding
- austere
- arthouse film night
- classic cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, beautifully made Bergman drama, while some find its brutality and extended vengeance sequence excessive.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ingeri invokes a pagan curse while Töre and Märeta confront the murder through a Christian moral framework.
Töre's discovery of the killers transforms parental grief into a prolonged and troubling act of retribution.
The Swedish countryside, household rituals, and spring are presented in sumptuous black and white compositions.
The film's brutal assault and retaliatory plot are framed as a sombre fable about sin, grief, and belief.
Films like The Virgin Spring, and why
The Seventh Seal
shared medieval setting, religious symbolism, moral reckoning, and stark historical drama
The Last House on the Left
shared rape and revenge structure, rural brutality, and grim moral confrontation
Winter Light
shared austere black and white imagery, spiritual crisis, and psychologically severe family drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Ingmar Bergman
- Release Date
- 1960-02-08
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 7.8 / 10 (692)
Cast
- Max von Sydow
- Birgitta Valberg
- Gunnel Lindblom
- Birgitta Pettersson
- Axel Düberg
- Allan Edwall
- Tor Isedal
- Ove Porath
- Axel Slangus
- Gudrun Brost
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Virgin Spring about?
- A medieval Swedish household confronts the spiritual and moral cost of revenge after a daughter’s murder exposes a collision between pagan fear and Christian faith.
- What is The Virgin Spring like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Virgin Spring as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Virgin Spring violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Virgin Spring as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Virgin Spring?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, beautifully made Bergman drama, while some find its brutality and extended vengeance sequence excessive.
- Which films are like The Virgin Spring?
- Films with a similar feel include The Seventh Seal, The Last House on the Left, and Winter Light.
- How long is The Virgin Spring?
- The Virgin Spring runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Virgin Spring?
- In United States, The Virgin Spring streams on Criterion Channel.
