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Victor Sjöström's early feature film "Ingeborg Holm" is not only considered by many the first film in the golden age of Swedish cinema lasting from 1913 to 1924 but also the real beginning of Swedish cinema in general. A film scholar, Peter Cowie, for one, claims that the film marks the highest achievement of the seventh art before David Wark Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" (1915) which was to follow two years after. Although "Ingeborg Holm" is not as well known as many of its contemporary films, it surely stands out from the crowd to anyone who has seen more than a few films from the period. "Nothing like this was being made in 1913," writes Peter von Bagh, a Finnish film historian, capturing the historical importance of the film. The film's authenticity, realism, and moral seriousness have even been seen to bear far-reaching connections to Italian neorealism.

As many of the films of the Swedish golden age, "Ingeborg Holm" is also based on a literary source. It is based on a play by Nils Krok. The story concerns a married woman, Ingeborg Holm whose husband dies just after earning credit for establishing his own business. After the death of her husband, Ingeborg falls to the bottom of the society, loses her children to foster parents, and eventually ends up in an asylum.

The film is very raw and poignant in showing the grim consequences of social actions. It never, however, turns its back on the individual. Although it can be seen as a story of one woman's abasement, it grows into an intimate treatise on the sickness of a society that lacks humanity and tenderness. The shot of Ingeborg losing her children as a bureaucratic official calmly signs the documents in the background is definitive to say the least. The social reality as well as the psychological turmoil and suffering ignored by the society are relayed in a stark and riveting fashion. The scene bears a visual parallel to an earlier scene in which Ingeborg's husband dies in the foreground, while their children are innocently playing in the background of the image -- in another space, almost as if in another time, too.

Already the first film of the movement gives us its basic lessons: acting is more realistic than theatrical (to as large an extent as one can imagine given the film was made in 1913), moral themes are presented with the utmost seriousness, and emphasis lies on the simplicity and careful precision of mise-en-scène. Above all, the power of light is vital which was to be consummated in Sjöström's subsequent films such as "Terje Vigen" (1917) and "Körkarlen" (1921). In the beginning of the film, Ingeborg tries to continue her late husband's business, but fails, and we see the darkness in the grocery store almost swallowing her whole from the scarce source of light in the space.

Overall, and quite surprisingly, "Ingeborg Holm" lacks a sentimental or overly melodramatic tone. Sjöström's tone is subtle and restraint which once again reminds one of Italian neorealism. Although the film has no drama of nature which one so closely associates with the golden age of Swedish cinema, it uses a lot of outdoor on-location shooting, and its grimness, sobriety, and artistic excellence bring the style of the movement to mind very vividly. All in all, the film stands as a perfect instance for Peter Cowie's seemingly exaggerated claim that "there is no more stirring feat in the entire history of silent film than the Swedish achievements between 1913 and 1921." Sjöström's "Ingeborg Holm" is precisely this to any film enthusiast: something utterly stirring.

The Holms are a happy Swedish family who live an easy bourgeoisie life. In order to further improve their living, Herr Sven Holm requests a line of credit in the amount of 10.000 kronor in order to open a grocery shop.

Unfortunately things will change drastically for the Holms when Herr Sven falls ill with tuberculosis and dies. The grocery store, in the meanwhile, was left improperly unattended by an employee. Frau Ingeborg Holm is left bankrupt and alone with her three small children. This forces her to ask for help in a poorhouse.

Sweden has contributed to mankind some debatable inventions. For example, there's the safe but unstylish tank automobiles made in that Northern country ( nothing in common with elegant "Hispano-Suiza" cars )... or.. that modernen and consequently, ugly furniture manufactured in pieces that the buyer must to try to assemble ( ah, the "Rococo" overloaded style! ) ...or ...with not a trace of a four string quartets, the Swedish instead tormented aristocracy with bands of four longhaired youngsters singing tunes that even today are popular among commoners… But certainly the most important Swedish contribution to the whole world was Social Security for their population via a program that provides protection to their commoners with unemployment insurance, poverty protection and pensions, among others. It's a public welfare state that other countries will model years later.

But unfortunately things weren't always that way as Herr Victor Sjöström depicted in his early silent film "Ingeborg Holm", directed by the Swedish director in the silent year of 1913.

The film was based on a play by Herr Nils Krok, who can be seen posing as the film starts in an elegant old photograph ( nothing in common with the coloured ones that the youngsters put in their modernen profiles ). The picture version tells the human tragedy of Frau Ingeborg Holm, who due to circumstances and the blows of fate, will face destitution. Her personal drama is worsened by the unsympathetic and strict poorhouse rules that during the last centuries were applied by Swedish officialdom.

Herr Sjöström admirably depicts the process of loss that affects Frau Holm's life and her desperation, abandonment, helplessness and finally insanity. It's a terrible sad odyssey that Frau Holm will suffer and includes making heartbreaking decisions such as when she is forced to put her children in an orphanage.

Certainly "Ingeborg Holm" is not an easy film. It is an uncomfortable drama in which Herr Sjöström denounces in a realistic and harsh way the injustice caused by strict central government laws that have no concern for their subjects.

Such bitterer sensations continue during the whole film climaxing at the end of the picture when Frau Holm, after 15 years, reunites again with one of her sons. This is a wonderful scene full of infinite sadness and very moving ( at this point it must be said that the original music score composed and performed by Herr David Drazin for the longhaired "Kino" modernen disc edition, is absolutely touching and elegant ).

But this is not a happy ending because there is no comfort in this reunion; there is not a chance in recovering the happy old days when times were better for Frau Holm and her three children. Instead Frau Holm has lived a miserable life in where everything she had and loved was destroyed. Herr Sjöström depicts a desperate, hard and moving portrait of a ruined life.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must pay a visit to his aristocratic fostered parents.

Over the weekend I watched "Ingeborg Holm" (1913), directed by Victor Sjöström, and starring Hilda Borgström as Ingeborg. This early Swedish feature is 96 minutes long, and it has recently been released by Kino Video. I must admit that the film rather astonished me because of the quality of pacing, of acting, of story - nearly everything; others from this year and before that were anything near a feature length, for the most part, are exceedingly antiquated by modern standards. "Ingeborg Holm" is anything BUT antiquated. I recently watched "Terje Vigen" (1917), also directed by Sjöström, and was riveted from beginning to end. It made me want to see more of his work. This became available to me, and I eagerly watched it. It certainly didn't disappoint. The story concerns what were called "workhouses" in Scandinavia. It begins by showing Ingeborg Holm's husband, through diligence and good economic behavior, being able to begin to operate his own grocery store. Unfortunately, just after opening, the husband suffers a hemorrhage and dies. Ingeborg takes over the running, but unfortunately, through the untoward grafting of an employee she ends up bankrupt. She and her three children are left with a choice to take 20 kronor a month or for Ingeborg to go work in a workhouse. She chooses the latter. I won't give away all the plot, but you can be sure that she suffers the incredible inhumanity that was inherent in that system at the time. It is said that this film nearly single-handedly began an improvement in the social system of Sweden.

I can't say enough nice things about this film because the comparison that most Americans will make will be with D. W. Griffith. Griffith only compares in a few shorts by 1913, maybe "Female of the Species", and others like it. But his next year's (1914) "Judith of Bethulia" doesn't begin to compare favorably with "Ingeborg Holm". "Ingeborg Holm"'s pacing is superb, its plot line developed as many feature silents wouldn't be for years yet. The acting has moments of early histrionic style, but for the most part it is remarkably realistic and measured. The film could bring tears to some. For me, it was a wonder to behold such an early film with such high quality.

The lead is Hilda Borgström. There were moments, especially near the end, where her eyes kept reminding me of Bette Davis. Those who have seen "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" will see the eye comparison immediately! Also, the man who plays the Poorhouse Superintendent, Georg Grönroos, looks so much like the American President, Theodore Roosevelt, as to be uncanny. His habit of taking off and putting on his reading glasses is so similar as to make one wonder if he wasn't copying Roosevelt. Anyway, it was nearly unnerving at times! One more note: the film, as with many of the period, is divided into acts, each act obviously following the length of a reel. At the end of each reel there is considerable nitrate deterioration. At the end of the picture there is massive deterioration, but still not enough to not be able to follow the picture. Overall, the quality is first rate, the picture usually quite good, if not excellent. If you're a fan of silent film, especially early silents, and if you like social drama, this is an outstanding way to quickly go through 96 minutes!

Again, this is an early not-that-bad drama from Sjostrom about a person driven mad by tragic circumstances. It has a nice sense of restraint, especially for its era, with a fine performance by Hilda Borgstrom and a well-paced story. Nothing about the movie sucks. It just takes a little something extra for me to get involved with a silent film... some sort of avant-garde twist or dazzling technique or some thrilling action. Yeah, it's a good plot with a sympathetic protagonist, but my heart just wasn't in it. I can't imagine anyone besides a Sjostrom scholar watching this more than once.

6/10

There are two historical things that make this worth watching: the fact that it's often considered the first real narrative full-length film, and that it's emotional storyline made a real-world impact on Swedish social security laws. Otherwise, it's largely a melodramatically sad slog with a few great moments (hiding Ingeborg in the floor).

Beautiful background music added to this Swedish silent film from 1913. This is first silent film I've seen and I didn't know what to expect. To my surprise, I was able to stay engaged for the full 73 mins and ended up enjoying the style in which the film is presented. The story of a widowed mother tugs at your heartstrings and is a bold commentary on the treatment of lower-class individuals (particularly women) at the time. Would recommend this film to anyone interested in deepening their understanding of European film from the early 20th century. I would not recommend this film to anyone looking to tune out to a relaxing (somewhat short) film.

Ingeborg Holm / Margaret Day (1913) : Brief Review -

Master Victor Sjöström's Swedish Melodrama is one of the earliest notable works about a mother's Tragedy in the cinema world. I am a big fan of Victor Sjöström and his prominent classics from the 1920s decade. It gives me an immense pleasure to view his early films, which were made on basic formulas as per the requirements and understanding of the era. Ingeborg Holm forced me to think about all the films based on Mother's tale, and I quickly realised how influential it was. It was much before Chinese cinema made "SheNu" / "The Goddess" (1934) and Indian cinema made the classic "Aurat" (1940). However, Holm's story is not that broad. It sticks to the basics while dealing with a relatable and emotional topic like motherhood. When I tried to find out the similarities between this film and other ones, I found the Marathi film "Chimni Pakhare" close to it, but then the main character had to go through different conflicts. The best close answer was the Telugu flick, "Jeevana Jyothi" (1975), which also had a double role boost. Imagine, a film from the 1910s decade influencing modern well-known films. The film is about a mother with three children who had to send her children to foster homes due to the financial crisis after her husband's death. The insanity angle is also used well by mixing it with high-end melodrama. I remember Hilda Borgström from Victor's "The Phantom Carriage" (1921), but today I noticed that her face and expressions are familiar with those of Lillian Gish. Her face kept reminding me of Gish, who also happened to work during the same period of time. Victor Sjöström's film has everything to make a classy watch, but it missed the classic tag by just an inch, in my opinion. Nevertheless, a great work from the early stages of movies that set many iconic formulas once and for all.

RATING - 7.5/10*

By - #samthebestest.

I dont know if netflix got involved before or after the restoration .but this a great achievement for1913 may be I'm a wimp but the end made me cry. More like this netflix please

A woman loses her husband and children in quick succession as the hand of fate lands her a tragic blow. Good direction, cinematography and acting for the time make this one of the essential silents and a standout in Scandinavian and world cinema. A must for fans of film history and movies in general.

The classic narrative films so familiar in "The Golden Age of Hollywood" movies had its beginning in October 1913 with Sweden's "Ingeborg Holm." Writer/director Victor Sjostrom adapted the Nils Krok 1906 play about a family who sinks to the depths of poverty after the father dies just as he assumes ownership of a store.

What sets "Ingeborg Holm" apart from the movies produced previously to the autumn of 1913 was the breath of its plot. Instead of taking a slice of a full-scale biography of the characters and producing a film on one particular stand alone event, here Sjostrom portrays an entire family's history, beginning when the head of the household receives bank funding to begin his enterprise. He continues the plot until years later, concluding in an emotional reunion with the mother and her long-absent son.

"Ingeborg Holm" fits all the criteria in cinema's full narrative definitions. A classic narrative begins by introducing all the characters who will propel the plot forward, just as Sjostrom illustrated with the comfortable middle-class family embarking on its new enterprise. Narratives contain a triggering event which shakes things up. Here, the father dies and his assistant at the store rips off the family's profits. Sjostrom continues the narrative plot by showing the mother-led family sinking into poverty, with the kids shunt off to the poor house. Events lead up to the conclusion, where the director visually reveals Sweden's lack of a safety net for the country's poor caused by, through no fault of themselves, their hardships.

Hollywood would follow Sjostrom's pattern of full narrative movies, especially during its classic 1930's--1950's golden age. There are variations of the narrative pattern in movies today, but the Swedes were the first to put into practice on film what literature and drama had been delivering for centuries.

Today's movie viewers may be familiar with Sjostrom by his last appearance on the screen in Ingmar Bergman's 1957's "Wild Strawberries," where he had the leading role of an aging professor who rediscovers his past through a journey to receive a honorarium.

Especially in contrast to other titles whose prints have severely deteriorated before preservation, it's always astonishing to see a silent film that's marked by such pristine image quality, not least one from as early as 1913. All the rich detail of the sets and costume design, and the nuances in the cast's performances, are seen with perfect fidelity, and even handwritten notes before the camera are perfectly legible, something which can much more rarely be said of any contemporary fare. Similarly, it's sadly, infuriatingly noteworthy that the narrative core of 'Ingeborg Holm' remains as relevant and impactful today as it was over 100 years ago; conditions have changed, but not meaningfully so. This may not make as immediate an impression as other pictures Victor Sjöström would go on to make, yet this is only because it pointedly takes its time to let the plot unfold in its own time. In every substantive way it's just as compelling and stands just as tall on its own merits, and at length is a classic completely on par with anything else in the Swede's body of work.

Part and parcel of being a social drama, but also perhaps reflective just of how Sjöström would continue to refine his skills and style over time, I think it's safe to say this feature is relatively simple and straightforward, with perhaps less of the artistic slant or utmost depth that would define 1917's 'A man there was,' let alone 'He who gets slapped' in 1924. Yet that purity might be more appropriate anyway for a movie starkly portraying the cruel, indifferent treatment, harsh judgment and stigma, and profound failures of capitalist society to provide for those who are least able and most in need. Sweden in the 1910s, as seen in 'Ingeborg Holm,' looks much more like modern global society than too many people would have the courage or honesty to admit as unfeeling bureaucracy and contemptible socioeconomic machinery drive people to ruin. Sjöström's tale, adapted alongside Nils Krok from his own play, may center the titular character, in a particular time and place, yet this could just as easily be a story unfolding in, say, the United States in 2023. That says as much, I think, about Sjöström, and Krok, as it does about the state of the world.

That universality lends the production immense, terrible power. As it does, the crew behind the scenes put in excellent work enrich the visuals with fine minutiae for our eyes to wash over. The busy aesthetics of the Holm homestead or business, or other functional settings, notably contrast with the bare, dour appearance of Ingeborg's new surroundings, and the costume design and hair and makeup likewise take a turn. To an extent one can observe in the acting the more exaggerated expressions and body language that flowed from the stage into the silent era to compensate for lack of sound, yet still the players demonstrate a commendable measure of subtlety in their performances. As Hilda Borgström and her costars explore their roles, we can see glimpses of the more tactful, natural comportment that would become more prominent in the later years of the silent era and certainly following the advent of talkies - and it is most gratifying. Meanwhile, Sjöström's direction and the cinematography of Henrik Jaenzon may not readily leap out in the same way such facets would even a few years later in the man's career, yet still I don't think there's any arguing that there's a precision and mindfulness to the craft that is everything it needs to be while letting the story itself take precedence. By any point of comparison the construction here is rather uncomplicated, but Sjöström nevertheless shows keen intelligence in orchestrating shots and scenes; if in any way 'Ingeborg Holm' is fundamentally less dynamic than successors like 'Eld ombord,' it's primarily just because of the unflinching approach to such a serious topic.

So maybe 'Ingeborg Holm' isn't as wholly resplendent and inspired as the likes of 'The outlaw and his wife' or 'The wind.' I'd say this has less to do with the filmmaker himself, though, than it does with the status of an art form that was still developing. Practically speaking, cinema was still learning to walk in 1913. But even at that, this picture bursts with significant weight, tremendous heart, grave intent, and absolute sincerity while telling a tale that comes to bloom with compelling tension and emotional gravity all its own. Maybe it's not instantly grabbing as other works even within Sjöström's own oeuvre, yet its import then and now is undeniable, and its strength builds to a soft yet potent, rather staggering crescendo over these 73 minutes. When all is said and done I dare say this is ultimately just as superb and essential as anything else the filmmaker gave us, with the differences being merely the nature of the subject matter, and the deliberate pace at which it metes out its striking drama. I can understand why silent movies don't appeal to all comers, yet aside from the most stubborn of modern viewers, all told frankly I think this is a title that earns a solid recommendation for one and all. Well made in every regard, and specifically very well written with crucial themes that ring true even many decades later, 'Ingeborg Holm' may be a less celebrated gem in Sjöström's crown as a filmmaker, but it's just as deserving and is well worth seeking out.