From Our Vaults
Mauritz Stiller directed Berling (Swedish: Gösta Berlings saga), a 1924 Swedish romantic drama film, starring Lars Hanson, Gerda Lundequist and Garbo in her film breakthrough.
It is based on Swedish Nobel Prize-winning author Selma Lagerlöf’s 1891 debut novel Gösta Berlings saga.
The film is also known as Gösta Berling’s Saga, The Story of Gösta Berling and The Atonement of Gösta Berling.
Narrative Premise:
Lutheran vicar Gösta Berling is s sacked because of his inappropriate lifestyle. He entertains a wealthy lady who in return supports him.
After various adventures, he meets up with Elizabeth Dohna, a former duchess, and they start a new life together.
Versions and Restorations:
The film was originally released in two parts in Sweden, Gösta Berlings saga del I on March 10, 1924, and Gösta Berlings saga del II seven days later.
The two-part version was also released in Finland and Norway, but for the rest of the world a shorter one-part export version was made.
In 1927 the film was recut substantially, and it became the only version archived. In 1933 a sound version was released theatrically in Stockholm, with the intertitles removed, along with additional edits and reordering of scenes. Most of the missing material was discovered 20 years later and restored version with new intertitles was released in theatres. The Swedish Film Institute added newly found throughout the years, but as of the 1975 restoration about 450 metres of film from the original cut remained missing.
In February 2018, a new, comprehensive restoration was made, a version that’s 16 minutes longer than the previous restoration and brings the film close to its original running time. It also restores the film’s tinting scheme for the first time since original release.
In 2008, a Swedish DVD was released by AB Svensk Filmindustri, with English, French, and German subtitles. The 192-minute restoration played at 184 minutes, due to PAL’s 4% speed-up. It featured a specially commissioned 2005 score by pianist and silent film music composer Matti Bye. The same version was also released on US DVD in 2006 by Kino International. It also played at 184 minutes as the NTSC DVD used the unconverted PAL transfer.
Cast
Lars Hanson as Gösta Berling
Greta Garbo as Elizabeth Dohna
Sven Scholander as Sintram
Gerda Lundequist as Margaretha Samzelius
Ellen Hartman-Cederström as Märtha Dohna
Mona Mårtenson as Ebba Dohna
Torsten Hammarén as Henrik Dohna
Jenny Hasselqvist as Marianne Sinclaire
Sixten Malmerfelt as Melchior Sinclaire
Karin Swanström as Gustafva Sinclaire
Oscar Byström as Patron Julius
Hugo Rönnblad as Beerencreutz
Knut Lambert as Örneclou
Svend Kornbeck as Christian Bergh
Otto Elg-Lundberg as Samzelius
