Hour of the Wolf story

movie: Hour of the Wolf (1968) · 1968-02-19

Hour of the Wolf (Swedish: Vargtimmen, lit. 'The Wolf Hour') is a 1968 Swedish psychological horror film directed by Ingmar Bergman and starring Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann. The story explores the disappearance of fictional painter Johan Borg (von Sydow), who lived on an island with his wife Alma (Ullmann) while plagued with frightening visions and insomnia.

12 total · 1 choice · 7 major · 4 minor

ThemeLevelMotivation
descent into madness choice the story showed how a tormented artist, Johan, gradually succumbed to his demons
extramarital affair major Johan had had an affair with Veronica Vogler
husband and wife major Johan and Alma
love triangle major Johan, Alma, Veronica, Lindhorst
matrimonial love major the story concluded with Alma speculating about her marriage to Johan and the love therein
painting major Johan was an unstable and tormented painter.
romantic jealousy major central to the story was whether and to what extent Alma was envious of the other women in Johan's life
sleep deprivation major Johan couldn't sleep during the night. This is alluded to in the work's title. As a roundabout consequence, Johan suffered from madness.
corporal punishment minor Johan relayed a story of having been locked in a closet and later beaten during his childhood, perhaps explaining his present mental condition.
expecting parents minor Alma was with child