Hour of the Wolf

The production usually counted as Bergman's only horror film. Johan is a painter. He and his wife Alma have moved to a remote island. He cannot sleep; he draws at night and starts talking towards dawn, at the hour that gives the film its title. Alma finds his notebook. There are drawings and notes in it: he writes that he has seen other people on the island. Then those people actually appear and invite the couple to a castle. The question is whether these people exist or come out of Johan's mind. The narrative does not resolve it, and Alma begins seeing the same things. The dinner scene is the best-known passage: the guests at the table talk fast and mockingly, the camera moves face to face, and the scene turns into a nightmare. The image is black and white; the light is hard and the shadows sharp. Max von Sydow plays Johan and Liv Ullmann plays Alma. Ingmar Bergman directed. Sven Nykvist photographed. A strong example for anyone who likes European cinema and psychological horror. For a viewer who wants a clear story, the film is deliberately uncertain and explains nothing.