Karin Ingmarsdotter (1920) - full transcript

A filmed tale in five chapters,

based on the third
and the fourth chapters of

Jerusalem 1
by Selma Lagerl?f.

In the parish,
where the old Ingmar clan lived,

they stuck to their old ways.

When the clock struck six o'clock,

all work was halted
both indoors and outside

Everyone stood still for as long
as needed to say the Lord's prayer.

It was told in this parish,

that the Ingmar clan
had lived for so long in this world,

that they knew,
how our Lord wanted it.



He, who now was Big Ingmar.

He, who now was Little Ingmar.

Big Ingmar also had a daughter,
who's name was Karin.

Halvor Halvorsson was a young farmer,
who had opened a shop in the parish.

He was from Gimsgarden

and was therefore
usually called Gims Halvor.

It was so that Halvor
had proposed to Karin Ingmarsdotter.

He had proposed many a time,
there had been many ifs and buts.

The wife, whom he had
once upon a time

went and gotten from the prison,
had died during the winter.

Ever since her passing
he had wanted to follow her.

But on the other hand his son was
still too young to take over the farm.

He had to keep going
for the boy's sake.

"I guess you should
try doing this one more time.



When something goes wrong

we Ingmars do it all over again
till we get it right"

"Father will be the one to decide
how it's going to be"

"You know I'm not stalling
because of money, you have enough.

But your father is
quite known for his drinking,

and it could just be
that he passed it down."

At last it was decided,
Halvor would get Karin.

The day of the wedding was set.

Karin and Halvor travelled to Falun
to buy the wedding ring and a hymnbook.

"You go get the package,
while I go back to our quarters

and get everything in order
for our return home."

It was Elias Elof Ersson and his father.

They were from the same parish
as the sons of Ingmar.

The father was mean
and had always been strict with his son.

"Has there been an accident?"

Well home Karin told her father
she could no longer marry Halvor.

"My only problem with him
is that he got drunk.

I'm afraid he might
turn out like his father"

"You shame me so much
that I can't bear it.

What would people think of me?
How can you throw me away like this?

One doesn't do something like this
to an honorable man!

"It can't be helped,
I've made my choice!"

"In this matter it's up to her.
I won't force her."

Ever since the breakup last summer,
Halvor had been miserable and gloomy.

He could not forget the injustice
done to him by the sons of Ingmar.

Have you heard?

Elias Elof Ersson has been courting
over at the Ingmar Farm.

It is said he and Karin
will be wed this fall!

"I have raised him
to work and save his money.

He will be the perfect son in law
for the Ingmar clan"

"But Halvor,
what are you doing here?"

Karin and Elias Elof Ersson
had now been married for a year.

He had not gotten
to be his own man

and had moved to the Ingmar farm
to work under his father-in-law.

When he lived with his father
Elias had barely had enough to eat,

and at the Ingmar Farm
there was nothing but work and thrift.

That spring the snow melted
unusually fast,

causing the river to overflow.

Ingmar son of Ingmar
stood alone at the river bank.

It was as if the river wanted
to mock the farmer for his slowness.

It was almost as if
the river was saying

"It won't be you
who get what I carry with me"

"At least it will be salvaged
down at the village"

"Yes, I've been expecting that."

"Yet again someone lacked the sense

to get back on shore
before they were taken by the river"

Big Ingmar knew that the currents
could take them over his beach.

If only God would allowed it to be so,
Big Ingmar hoped.

"You're not a young man anymore, Ingmar.

This is too dangerous for you."

"It will end up how God wishes it."

"Now it's all over for you,
Big Ingmar."

It was the little children
he had rescued who went for help.

People came to Big Ingmar's aid
and he was brought back to the farm.

"Pastor, soon I will die.

I only wish I could
see Strong Ingmar first.

Big Ingmar had a good friend,
who was a tenant farmer on his land.

His name was also Ingmar.
To separate between the two,

people had come to call him
Strong Ingmar.

"Do you remember, Strong Ingmar,

when we went down to the church bridge,
and saw heaven opened?

I go there now."

"I'll come after you
soon enough myself.

But you know I can not come until
your son can stand on his own two feet"

"Yes, I know."

His son in law started
drinking and partying

the moment Big Ingmar
was in the ground.

He stopped working
and got drunk every day.

"Come let's go
into the living room instead!"

"This is God's punishment
for doing Halvor wrong"

She saw that he was doomed to decay,

and that she would never
get any support or love from him.

"What would Dad have said
if he saw this?

He would have done the same as me!"

Elias turned a new leaf

and set out to prove himself
worthy of Ingmar.

"Jump on and I'll let you
come with me to the store"

Karin was glad her husband
took the boy with him.

Now there was less of a chance

he'd found lying in a ditch by
the highway or driving a horse to death.

"You swore we wouldn't go
further than to the store!"

And instead of keeping his word,

he took the boy with him
to the inn in Karmsund,

one of his usual hangouts.

"Where is the boy?"

"Wake up, Ingmar,
here's something to warm yourself with!

Drink this,
it's just water and sugar!"

It was eight o'clock in the morning,
when he came home with Ingmar.

"You better come here
and get him inside.

The poor boy got himself drunk,
he can't get into the house on his own.

"You better get yourself a good meal,

because if you have
drunk my brother to death

you will never get another one
on this farm!"

"If he dies you'll get 20 years!"

"Do you think I'll die, Karin?"

"Do you think the whole parish
knows I've been drunk?"

"But if I die,
father will know of it too.

I will have shamed him!"

She thought it would do Elias good
to hear this as well.

"If father was alive, Karin,
if only father was alive!

Don't you think
he would have killed him?"

As soon as Ingmar was healthy,

Karin decided
to get him out of the house.

She could not let him share
the misery she herself lived in.

"I'm not just talking about schooling.

I would like to ask you
if he could live here."

"It would be a great favor."

"We will do everything we can
for the Ingmar clan"

I thought I would show you
my new watch.

"Does the schoolmaster
know a lot about watches?"

"This watch is far too damaged.

How in God's name have you treated it?

Looks like you
hammered a nail straight through it."

"It was father's watch.
It was ruined when the log hit him."

"I was the first to reach father
when he was laying down by the beach."

"Now it's over for me, Ingmar.

I'm sorry that the clock is broken,

because I want you to give it
to someone I did wrong,

and send him my regards."

"Who was supposed to get the clock?"

"I'll give you my father's regards
and leave it here."

"I don't think Halvor
could have asked for a better apology!"

"No one will take
this clock away from him!"

"As I have received
your father's watch from you,

I think it's only right
that you would get mine!

From this day no farmer
came to the village

without stopping by Halvor's store

to hear the story
of Big Ingmar's clock.

"Owning this watch
is a great honor, Halvor."

"Don't beat me!
My back hurts, I need help."

"No, he's not drunk.
He fell and injured his back."

Elias had broken his back
and would never be able to walk again.

From then on
he was always in bed.

But he could still speak.
Night and day he would beg for brandy.

"You know that the doctor
has forbidden me

from giving you strong liquor."

Karin lived through this misery
for one winter,

one summer,
then yet another winter.

Now it was spring, and she said that
she could not survive another summer.

"I could very well be dead.

It seems my only purpose in life

is to stop Elias
from drinking himself to death."

"I thought I'd find you here."

"I've been over at the house
talking to Elias.

I asked him if he wanted
to stay with me for awhile."

"We decided that you would
drive him down tomorrow.

He thinks he'll be allowed to drink,

but as you know, Karin,
I would never even consider it."

How could Halvor
be so good to her?

He had to be in love with her,
Halvor had to be in love with her.

Why else would he
come to her aid like this?

She felt something
she had never before experienced.

She wondered what it was,
until she suddenly realized

that Halvor's goodness
had warmed her frozen heart.

"God bless you, Halvor!
God bless you!"

Elias moved down to Halvor.
He lay in the storage room all summer.

"Remember: no liquor!"

"Halvor probably got a little impatient.
He may have helped Elias on his way."

"But it really was a good deed

freeing Karin from
the terrible human being."

"It's not that hard to believe
that Halvor killed him

so that he himself
would get Karin."

"Now, Halvor, promise to have
plenty of patience with Karin.

She's someone well worth winning,
even if it would take you seven years."

But it was not that easy
for Halvor to be patient.

He soon heard that Karin
was getting proposal after proposal.

One Sunday afternoon

he saw one of the inspectors
from Bergsana drive by.

Then he saw the innkeeper's son from Karmsund.

Then, last but not least,
Berger Sven Persson drove by.

He was the richest farmer in the county,
a wise and highly respected man.

"I know it's stupid,
but I would probably like to know

why all these men
have taken to the road."

"This is Halvor son of Halvor
from the Gims farm.

"It is quite exciting
to meet such a notorious man."

She knew at once how bad it looked

that he would visit
so soon after the death of her husband.

"Why does he have to be
in such a hurry?

He's making it impossible
for me to marry him."

"What are you laughing at, Inspector?"

"He's thinking of a hunting dog,
who drives up the hare,

but allows someone else to catch it!"

"Cheers, Halvor!
You've done Karin here a great favor

taking care of that scoundrel
she was married to!"

"Yes, yes, you've been a great help!"

"The evil gossip has already begun.

I do not know
how I could bear losing him!"

"Tell Karin goodbye for me.
We're through!"

"We in the Ingmar clan
do not need to bend for people.

We need only walk the ways of God!"

"Please, stay and finish your coffee."

"I think it best that you know

I would rather marry Halvor
than anyone else."

"People may say what they want,

but Halvor and I
have done nothing wrong!"

"When I got your father's watch

I thought nothing greater
could ever happen to me.

But what you have just done
surpasses all else!"

"Then we congratulate
Karin and Halvorto.

And it should to all be known that
he who Karin chooses is good and fair!"

"See, Karin?

Everything goes well
for the Ingmar clan!

"I don't think they need any coffee!"

The End

Subtitles by: hirvi14 and Gloede