Hagbard and Signe

Hagbard and Signe
Film poster
Directed byGabriel Axel
Written byGabriel Axel
Saxo Grammaticus
Frank Jæger
Produced byBenedikt Árnason
Gösta Bergqvist
Just Betzer
Johan Bonnier
Bent Christensen
StarringOleg Vidov
CinematographyHenning Bendtsen
Edited byLars Brydesen
Music byPer Nørgård
Distributed byASA Film
Release date
  • 16 January 1967 (1967-01-16)
Running time
100 minutes
CountriesDenmark
Sweden
Iceland
LanguageDanish

Hagbard and Signe or The Red Mantle (Danish: Den røde kappe, Swedish: Den röda kappan, Icelandic: Rauða skikkjan) is a 1967 internationally co-produced drama film based on the story of Hagbard and Signy from the twelfth-century work Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus, directed by Gabriel Axel and starring Gitte Hænning. The film was shot in Iceland, with interiors built and filmed in Nacka, Sweden.

Plot

In medieval Iceland, Hagbard, son of King Hamund, arrives with his two brothers to avenge his father's murder by King Sigvor. The feud is to be settled by a duel: Sigvor's own three sons against Hamund's. After a day's fighting, no clear victor has emerged. Amid general exhaustion, Sigvor interrupts the duel and offers to end the feud peacefully, inviting Hamund's sons to his estate. They accept and the group departs in celebratory mood.

At the estate, the brothers are treated as guests. Hagbard is immediately smitten with Sigvor's daughter Signe, who is being unsuccessfully courted by treacherous nobleman Hildegisl. Hagbard and Signe secretly meet outside the estate at night; Signe reciprocates Hagbard's feelings and they promise themselves to each other. A suspicious Hildegisl follows Hagbard and covertly learns of the affair. As a feast is held to celebrate the reconciliation of the two houses, Hildegisl attempts to intimidate Hagbard, who dismisses him. Hildegisl then bribes Bolvis, Sigvor's corrupt advisor, to arrange the death of Hamund's sons.

While Hagbard is away on a hunt with fellow suitor Hake, Bolvis spreads slander which provokes the remaining men into a duel. Despite promises of a fair fight, Sigvor's sons dishonourably gang up on Hagbard's brothers. Hagbard rushes to the duelling grounds just in time to see his brothers killed. Joined by Hildegisl, Sigvor's sons also fight Hagbard, but he prevails and kills all except Hildegisl, who escapes to inform the king. Hagbard briefly meets Signe and promises he will return for her before fleeing from Sigvor's approaching party. Hildegisl claims, with Bolvis as his witness, that Hamund's sons were the aggressors; in response, Sigvor proclaims Hagbard to be an outlaw.

Hagbard seeks refuge in his late father's estate. He tells his mother of a dream, which she interprets as foretelling he will win Signe at the cost of his own life. He nevertheless commits to finding Signe. Borrowing his mother's red mantle, Hagbard disguises himself as a woman, "Gunhild", and enters Sigvor's estate as a servant. That night, he joins Signe in her chamber. They make love, and vow to escape together in the morning. Signe declares that, if anything should happen to Hagbard, she will join him in death.

Hildegisl discovers "Gunhild's" horse is in fact Hagbard's. He has head servant Bengerd retrieve Hagbard's sword and inform Sigvor of the deception. Sigvor's forces gather outside Signe's chamber and, after many casualties, finally apprehend Hagbard. Hagbard is briskly tried, Bolvis successfully pressing for death, despite the protests of Hake and Bolvis' brother Bilvis. Sigvor's wife hands Hagbard a drink she says will brace him for "the flames of Hell"; he replies tauntingly and spills the drink over her.

Preparations are made for Hagbard to be hanged from a prominent tree as Signe watches from her chamber. Hagbard asks his executioners for a final favour: to give him a view of his own death by first hanging his red mantle. They acquiesce. Taking the mantle for Hagbard, Signe sets fire to her chamber and commits suicide. Hagbard sees the rising flames and, satisfied that Signe has kept her promise, allows himself to be hanged.

Cast

Reception

The film won a Technical Prize (Mention spéciale du grand prix technique) at the 1967 Cannes Film Festival. Roger Ebert gave the film a full 4 stars out of 4 score in his 1968 review.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The place of the action is not stated in the film. Most reviewers identify the setting as Iceland, where the film's exterior shots were filmed. Saxo Grammaticus' telling is set in Zealand.

References

  1. ↑ Roger Ebert (2009). Roger Ebert's Four Star Reviews--1967-2007. Andrews McMeel Publishing. pp. 311–. ISBN 978-0-7407-9217-5.
  2. 1 2 Kevin J. Harty (2011). The Vikings on Film: Essays on Depictions of the Nordic Middle Ages. McFarland. p. 205. ISBN 978-0-7864-8638-0.
  3. ↑ Danish Films. Danish Film Institute. 1994. p. 18.
  4. ↑ "Den Roede Kappe (The Red Mantle)". Variety. 25 January 1967. p. 21. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
  5. ↑ Friis-Jensen, Karsten; Fisher, Peter (2015). Saxo Grammaticus. Gesta Danorum. History of the Danes. Vol. I. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 492 n. 13. ISBN 978-0-19-82052-34.
  6. ↑ "DEN RODE KAPPE" (in French). Festival de Cannes. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  7. ↑ Ebert, Roger (30 October 1968). "Hagbard and Signe / The Red Mantle". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 31 December 2024.