''The Outlaw and His Wife'' ( sv, Berg-Ejvind och hans hustru) is a 1918 Swedish

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

directed by

Victor Sjöström Victor David Sjöström (; 20 September 1879 – 3 January 1960), also known in the United States as Victor Seastrom, was a pioneering Swedish film director, screenwriter, and actor. He began his career in Sweden, before moving to Hollywood in ...

, based on a play from 1911 by

Jóhann Sigurjónsson Jóhann Sigurjónsson (June 19, 1880 – August 31, 1919) was an Icelandic playwright and poet. Atypically, Jóhann wrote plays and poetry in both his native Icelandic and in Danish. Biography Jóhann was the son of an Icelandic farmer and wa ...

. It tells the story of Eyvind of the Hills, an 18th-century Icelandic outlaw. The film was groundbreaking for its portrayal of wild nature. It was shot in two sessions in the spring and late summer 1917, with

Åre Åre () is a locality and one of the leading Scandinavian ski resorts situated in Åre Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 3,200 inhabitants in 2018. It is, however, not the seat of the municipality, which is Järpen. 25% of the local eco ...

and Abisko in northern Sweden acting as the

highlands of Iceland The Highlands of Iceland ( is, hálendið ) are a sparsely inhabited plateau that covers most of the interior of Iceland. They are situated above 400–500 metres (1300–1600 feet) and are mostly an uninhabitable volcanic desert, because the wa ...

.Comment and summary
(in Swedish) at the Swedish Film Institute

Plot

A stranger who calls himself Kári comes to a farm in the north country. He hires on as a laborer, and the widowed farm owner Halla becomes infatuated with him. The local bailiff, who wants to marry Halla, becomes jealous of Kári. Another man tells the bailiff that Kári is in fact a thief and fugitive escapee named Eyvind. Kári at first denies being Eyvind and then defeats the bailiff in a wrestling contest as measure of his sincerity. However, when Halla proposes marriage, he confesses the truth of what happened in his earlier impoverished life as Eyvind. When the bailiff returns with others to arrest Eyvind, he and Halla abandon the farm for the bare, cold highlands where they live for many happy years. They have a baby girl and are accompanied by their friend Arnes. However, around when the girl is three, Arnes confesses his loneliness and love for Halla. Halla does not share his feelings, and he decides to leave them. As he is walking away, he sees a group of men approaching and runs back to warn Eyvind and Halla. The men arrive at the same time, and a fight ensues. In fear of capture, Halla throws her child off the cliff into the river below. Eyvind and Halla escape into the hostile winter. Some time later, they are holed up in a small cabin with no food. They are crazed with hunger. Eyvind considers abandoning Halla but does not. When Eyvind goes for firewood, Halla wanders out of the cabin and freezes in the snow. Eyvind finds her and holds her until he has died frozen by her side.

Cast

as Eyvind of the Hills *

Edith Erastoff Edith is a feminine given name derived from the Old English words ēad, meaning 'riches or blessed', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian languages and Dutch. Its French form is Édith. Contractions and vari ...

as Halla *

John Ekman John Ekman (15 November 1880 – 22 November 1949) was a Swedish film actor. Biography He first trained as an artist under Richard Bergh (1858-1919). He was employed by various theater companies; Swedish Biograft Theater in Kristianstad (19 ...

as Arnes *

Jenny Tschernichin-Larsson Jenny Tschernichin-Larsson (1867 – 15 June 1937) was a Swedish silent film actress. She appeared in more than 40 films between 1913 and 1933. Selected filmography * '' The Conflicts of Life'' (1913) * '' The Miracle'' (1913) * '' Judge No ...

as Guðfinna * Artur Rolén as Farmhand * Nils Ahrén as Björn Bergstéinsson *

William Larsson William Larsson (1873–1926) was a Swedish silent film actor. He appeared in more than 30 films between 1912 and 1925. Selected filmography * '' Ingeborg Holm'' (1913) * '' Half Breed'' (1913) * ''The Clergyman'' (1914) * '' Judge Not'' (1914 ...

as Bjarni Sveinbjörnsson

References

External links

* * * 1910s historical drama films 1918 films 1918 drama films Fictional married couples Films directed by Victor Sjöström Films set in Iceland Films set in the 18th century Swedish silent films Swedish historical drama films Swedish black-and-white films Swedish films based on plays Silent drama films {{1910s-Sweden-film-stub