Arquivo

Young Gunnar Hede inherits a flock of sheep from his grandfather in the northern reaches of the country. The grandfather was both shepherd and pioneer, a violinist, and Gunnar is fascinated to the point he wishes to follow in his footsteps. However, his mother is oppressive, and his relatives will never allow it, so much so that they go to the extreme of breaking his violin so that he will become a mining engineer. The picture of the old man on the mantlepiece is, to the boy, the possibility of freedom. Stress, melancholy, and isolation eventually drive him to madness. Only the sound of the violin will restore him to his right mind. On level planes, skimming over a landscape covered in snow, Stiller, to many of his admirers, is at the acme of his career as a director. The scene of the flight of the frightened reindeer transformed into savage beast, is regarded as one of the peaks in his film making.