Review of Hour Of The Wolf

Introduction

This Bergman movie from 1968 is really quite superb. `Hour of the Wolf`, filmed in Black and White and with an original 1:33:1 ratio despite its cinema release is the tale of a tortured artist, Johan Borg (Max Von Sydow, a Bergman regular and perhaps best known for his role in `The Exorcist`). The movie opens with a convincing monologue to camera from his wife (played by Liv Ullman) who claims that everything we`re about to see really happened, an idea used to great effect some thirty years later in `Blair Witch`.

We then travel with them to a bleakly remote Scandic island where Johan is to continue his important work in peace and quiet. Suffering from chronic insomnia (a recurring Bergman theme), he spends entire nights awake waiting for `Vargitimmen` (`The Hour of the Wolf`) to pass, the time between 3.15 and 4.15a.m. when `…most people die and babies are born`. His wife, deeply in love with her husband despite his tortured soul, suffers with him, trying to understand the demons that appear to haunt her husband. As the film progresses, occurrences become increasingly surreal so that it becomes difficult to separate fact from fantasy. There is a dark surrealistic air to proceedings that must have had a lasting impact on Bergman fan David Lynch, as much of the movie descends into the kind of living nightmare that he went on to portray in `Eraserhead`, though here there is less humour.

Visitors begin to come to the house (like a lady claiming to be 216 years old who later becomes the manifestation of one of Johan`s visions by removing her own face as she takes her hat off). He is invited to a local castle where he is praised and mocked in turns by the strange occupants who all have the disarming ability to seem quite normal one moment, yet sinister and macabre the next.

As Johan descends further into paranoia and madness we see him murder a child who has been bothering him (inappropriately) at the beach, though it`s unclear whether this is real or imagined.

The final descent into madness is reflected in a final visit to the cold castle which has now transformed into an intricate maze of spooky catacombs.

This movie was a labour of love for Bergman who considered this to be his first (and last) Horror film - and in some respects it could be put into that genre. He wrote the script and worked on the movie for over two years. However, this is no normal Horror film and has a uniquely desperate atmosphere all of its own.

Video

This is presented in 1:33:1 - but before you start to protest, it`s worth noting that this was the original aspect ratio. The transfer is first class.

Audio

The original soundtrack is Swedish, and the soundtrack is bleak and spacious, though presented here in original mono.. There is very little music, but true to Bergman`s form there are often barely audible sounds and washes that add to the tension and atmosphere of the movie.

Features

None other than chapters and English (hard of hearing) subtitles. Damn shame too because for once it`s a movie that I felt deserved the `Special Edition` treatment. But don`t let that stop you buying it. Now I`ve seen it I wouldn`t want to be without a copy…

Conclusion

I found this movie both impossibly mesmerising and extremely chilling. It`s one of the few films that I`ve seen that genuinely seems to capture and reflect the strange twilight world of nightmares. I`m guessing that David Lynch owes a great deal to this movie which must have been a blue-print for his `Eraserhead` which explores some of the same territory in its own unique way. (Check out the voice-less reactions of the principal in both movies for example). There are strands of `The Prisoner` here too with its remote island setting and strange cast of inhabitants.

The performances throughout are incredible and language is no obstacle as it`s an incredibly visual film. In truth much action registers only in the reaction of someone to it - a classic Bergman technique. There are lots of mood enhancing techniques used to great effect here including frequent use of background action over-riding foreground. Cinematographer Sven Nykvist does a great job with some brilliantly composed, high contrast black and white shots that are a joy to behold.

This is a film that screams for a re-watch almost as soon as you tuck it back in the sleeve. It won`t be long till I give in and give it another spin. Really excellent!