Jungfrukällan (The Virgin Spring). 1960. Sweden. Directed by Ingmar Bergman. Written by Ulla Isaksson. With Max von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg, Gunnel Lindblom, Birgitta Pettersson. . In Swedish; English subtitles. 35mm courtesy of Janus Films. 89 min.
Winner of the 1960 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring was made during a remarkable creative run of six films in four years (including The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries). Featuring the talents of Max von Sydow and cinematographer Sven Nykvist, Bergman's adaptation of “Töres döttrar i Wänge” frames the story of a young maiden who is raped and murdered by three sibling goat herders as a clash between Christianity and Paganism in 13th-century Sweden. Bergman layers symbols of both cultures throughout the film (Odin makes an auspicious appearance), and von Sydow’s devout Töre must ultimately grapple with his thirst for revenge and his Christian values.