The Virgin Spring (1960)

After the brutal rape and murder of his teenaged daughter, the devout Christian Max von Syndow stumbles on an opportunity to enact a furious revenge on the perpetrators. For a film with such a simple plot and short runtime, in it lies a deep exploration of religion and classic views on vengeance and innocence. Even beyond the medieval setting, the film presents the tale as a bit of age-old folklore. Unsurprisingly, Ingmar Bergman’s inspiration for the film was taken from a ballad describing the origins of a 12th century Swedish church.

Oscar Win: Best Foreign Language Film

Oscar Nomination: Best Costume Design, Black-and-White