The original Last House on the Left

Let's all watch a horror movie with historical significance, shall we? One that paved the way for other similar films and actually helped create an entire sub genre. What you may have seen in Last House on the Left was done first on this film.

 
Today's film is THE VIRGIN SPRING from director, Ingmar Bergman.

And here it is.

The Virgin Spring is a Swedish film from 1960 and stars a young Max Von Sydow as the the Christian father of a young girl, Karin. One day, Karin is on a trip to church to deliver candles when she meets three poor goat herders. She is raped and murdered by the men.

The men later seek refuge at the worst possible place, Karin's parents' house. When the men offer to sell Karin's clothes to them, they discover their daughter's fate and lock the men in their room when they fall asleep.

Oh, sweet revenge! Daddy Max kills the men. Then with the help of their servant, they find the body of Karin and her father vows to build a church at the site as atonement for his violent actions. As they lift her head, a spring flows forth.

The Virgin Spring incorporates many themes, using religion and morality as the foundation. It poses the question of whether the resulting violence is simple justice or just savage revenge. It also touches on themes of redemption.