Often striking Swedish film from that country's film-making auteur Ingmar Bergman, here working from an original story by Ulla Isaksson which has been copied or duplicated throughout the years, but never matched. Two 14th century vagrants invade a sleepy village, raping and killing the young daughter of a farmer; fate eventually brings the father and the murderers together, where the sorrowful man seeks his revenge. "The Virgin Spring" goes a bit heavy on the knuckle-biting angst, though this is (unfortunately) a trademark of Bergman's and his devotees will not be disappointed. The religious symbolism also seems blunt in this context, and Bergman's continuity is occasionally bumpy. There are, however, many haunting, powerful, and memorable images, and the picture deservedly won the Oscar as the Best Foreign Film of its year. **1/2 from ****
Review of The Virgin Spring
