A landmark film from master filmmaker Ingmar Bergman that still remains potent today, "The Virgin Spring" understandably won the Best Foreign Film Oscar for its year. Haunting and unforgettable, it's pull of literate dialogue, attempting to ask some hard questions when it comes to good and evil, and faith and religion. Even at the end, the film does make clear the message that even with vengeance comes a price to pay.

The luminous Birgitta Pettersson plays Karin, the lovely & virginal daughter of a farming couple (Max von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg). The striking Gunnel Lindblom plays Ingeri, the pregnant wild child whom they've taken in. One day, the two girls set off to transport some candles to church, and the nearest church is a LONG ways away. During the journey, Birgitta makes the acquaintance of two travelling herdsmen (Axel Duberg, Tor Isedal) and their much younger "brother" (Ove Porath). The two young men rape and murder poor Karin, and as luck would have it, they find shelter and food at the nearest abode: the von Sydow and Valberg household. Once the two parents put two and two together, they're ripe for revenge.

Shot in gorgeous black & white by the great Sven Nykvist, "The Virgin Spring" will attract curious viewers if they are like this viewer and are horror fans who have already seen the crude and crass Wes Craven reimagining, "The Last House on the Left". Inevitably, comparisons will be made; while each version is quite memorable in their own way, this film retains the power to shock and depress despite cinema becoming progressively more graphic as the years have gone by.

The performances are excellent. Pettersson is such an appealing presence that it's gut-wrenching what happens to her. Von Sydow is his usual tower of strength as the father who learns that vengeance is not all it's cracked up to be. Duberg and Isedal may not quite make one want to take a bath afterwards the way that Krug and company did in Cravens' film, but they're still sufficiently creepy.

Vivid and credible, this does leave its viewers with some things to think about afterwards, and offers no easy answers.

Inspired by a 13th century Swedish ballad, and scripted by Ulla Isaksson.

Eight out of 10.

The picture is set in Sweden , during the Dark Ages , 14th-century . This the story about a young naive virgin named Karin (Petterson) who's sent by her parents (Max Von Sidow and Birgitta Valverg )towards a church to hand over candles for the holy Virgin . She's accompanied by Inger (Gunner Lindblon) , a pregnant and envious young . They meet a group of peasants and the young virgin is cruelly raped (whose images in some countries were rated ¨R¨). Later on , the killers ask for help and shelter from the parents .

The movie displays haunting and powerful scenes , it's plenty of images which stay forever in mind . Although it is sometimes slow moving ; however , the thoughtful screenplay is narrated with intelligence and sensitivity but here are developed ethic and moral issues just like death , God , religion and vengeance . The movie realizes an excellent reunion of Swedish actors with usual Bergman's players (Sidow and Lindblon , among others),showing the different characters and exploring their apprehensions , ambitions , fears and circumstances . Glimmer and riveting cinematography by Sven Nykvist (he won an Oscar for Fanny and Alexander) , he's deemed by many to be one of the world's greatest cameramen , he achieved give the movies on the most natural and simplest look imaginable , he replaced Gunner Fischer (The seventh seal) as Bergman's cinematographer . He continued an American career working for Louis Malle (Pretty baby) ,Bob Fosse (Star 80) ,Philipp Kauffman (The unbearable lightness of being) and Woody Allen (Another woman , Crimen and misdemeanors). ¨The Virgin spring¨ was wonderfully directed by Bergman , it's a real masterpiece who made his major impact gaining international acclaim and winning an Oscar to the best foreign film and a Gloden Globe . His realization was during his impressive golden period from 1957-1968 , when Bergman (recently deceased) made stunning masterpieces : The seventh seal , Persona , The communicants , The silence , Hour of Wolf . Rating : Magnificent , but it is considered by many (along with The seventh seal) to be the Bergman's best . And please to forget the horrible and ¨Sui generis¨ version made by Wes Craven titled ¨The last house on the left¨ .

Now, this was a true work of art. A quietly designed yet devastating story of a religious Medieval family and how their faith becomes challenged when their young daughter is brutally raped and murdered by three derelict brothers. Max von Sydow plays the father who is a God-fearing believer, yet finds himself overcome by his own sweet desire for revenge against those who wronged his little girl. I am happy to say I appreciated Ingmar Bergman's genius just by this movie alone. It's a visually beautiful piece to look at, but also with a story and strong convictions. So much is said without really needing to go overboard. I can see there is a recurring theme in his work where he questions the existence of God, or at least the complicated ways in which God works things out on Earth. I'm not sure whether Bergman was a full-blooded atheist or not at this point but I'd suspect he was at least a questioning agnostic. I'm sure this is partly why Woody Allen is so enamored with the director, as a similar religious thread runs through some of Allen's own movies. For the record, I am a strong believer in God, though these days I too have been faced with personal issues which have had me having difficulties in understanding, much like the father of THE VIRGIN SPRING. So this movie also touches a personal nerve within me. The performances here are all first-rate, with a special nod to Birgitta Petterson as the friendly and generous young woman who we take an instant liking to, but becomes the victim. What more can I say? An exceptional and deeply-moving film. **** out of ****