The Serpent's Way (1986) [N/A]
Featuring:
Stina Ekblad, Stellan Skarsgård, Reine Brynolfsson
Written by:
Torgny Lindgren
Bo Widerberg
Directed by:
Bo Widerberg
Release Date:
December 25, 1986
Original Title:
Ormens väg på hälleberget
Alternate Titles:
Der Weg der Schlange auf dem Felsen
Droga weza na skale
El camino de la serpiente
Ormens vei på Helleberget
Slangens vej
The Serpent's Way
Genres:
Drama
Production Companies:
Crescendo Films
SF Studios
SVT
Svenska Filminstitutet
Production Countries:
Sweden
Ratings / Certifications:
GB: 18 SE: 15
Runtime: 111
A salesman and his son sexually abuse the generations of women of a poor family as payment for debt. Janni must see his mother, sister, niece and wife all being exploited, and the family grow bigger with the abuser's kids.
In rural Sweden of the 19th century, it was customary for poor families' debts to landowners or shopkeepers to be repaid through sexual reciprocity of women or daughters. According to well-established moral and ethical views and rather dubious interpretation of the Bible, they have the undeniable right to levy such a kind of "rent" from any woman who owes them. Tea is surrendered to such a creditor despite the suicide of her husband. His son later takes over the role of father, but when Tea's sixteen-year-old daughter has to take her place to pay the debt, the man is neutered by one of Tea's sons.
