The Dove (1968 film)
Encyclopedia
The Dove is a 1968 American short film that humorously parodies
the films of Swedish director Ingmar Bergman
. The film borrows heavily from the plot lines of some of Bergman's most famous films made before 1968. There is a journey by car back to the location of childhood memories as in Wild Strawberries
. The main characters meet with the shrouded figure of Death as in The Seventh Seal
. The film was directed by George Coe
and Anthony Lover. Madeline Kahn
made her first film appearance, in a supporting role. The dialogue and voice-over
narration are spoken mostly in a heavily accented fictional language, which is mostly English made to sound like Swedish
, with many of the nouns ending in "ska". (For example, the subtitled word "eventually" is spoken in dialogue as "sooner or lateska".) There are also a smattering of Yiddish
words. The subtitles, which often do not literally match the dialogue, add to the humor.
The film was often shown in repertory film houses as a short feature when Bergman films were on the bill. Audiences frequently did not realize that the short was a comedy until individuals started laughing when they began to understand the fake Swedish.
) competition with Inga -- parodying The Seventh Seal, in which the competition is a game of chess
. Death agrees, with the condition that if he wins he will take both Inga and Victor. After Inga wins the competition, she and Victor happily run to the lake to go skinny-dipping.
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
the films of Swedish director Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...
. The film borrows heavily from the plot lines of some of Bergman's most famous films made before 1968. There is a journey by car back to the location of childhood memories as in Wild Strawberries
Wild Strawberries (film)
Wild Strawberries is a 1957 Swedish film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, about an old man recalling his past. The original Swedish title is Smultronstället, which literally means "the wild strawberry patch", but idiomatically means an underrated gem of a place...
. The main characters meet with the shrouded figure of Death as in The Seventh Seal
The Seventh Seal
The Seventh Seal is a 1957 Swedish film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set during the Black Death, it tells of the journey of a medieval knight and a game of chess he plays with the personification of Death , who has come to take his life. Bergman developed the film from his own play...
. The film was directed by George Coe
George Coe
George Coe is an American film, stage, and television actor. He is best known for having been a cast member on the first three episodes of Saturday Night Live, as well as for his work on various television shows.-Career:...
and Anthony Lover. Madeline Kahn
Madeline Kahn
Madeline Kahn was an American actress. Kahn was known primarily for her comedic roles in films such as Paper Moon, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, What's Up, Doc?, and Clue.-Early life:...
made her first film appearance, in a supporting role. The dialogue and voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
narration are spoken mostly in a heavily accented fictional language, which is mostly English made to sound like Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
, with many of the nouns ending in "ska". (For example, the subtitled word "eventually" is spoken in dialogue as "sooner or lateska".) There are also a smattering of Yiddish
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
words. The subtitles, which often do not literally match the dialogue, add to the humor.
The film was often shown in repertory film houses as a short feature when Bergman films were on the bill. Audiences frequently did not realize that the short was a comedy until individuals started laughing when they began to understand the fake Swedish.
Plot
Victor, a seventy-six year old physics professor traveling by chauffeured car to give a university lecture, decides to visit his boyhood home. In the outhouse, he finds a figurine of a dove which reminds him of a summer picnic from his youth. Later in the flashback, Victor (played by Coe) and his beloved sister Inga run through the woods until they come across Death, who has come to claim Inga. Victor wagers that Death will not win a badmintonska (badmintonBadminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
) competition with Inga -- parodying The Seventh Seal, in which the competition is a game of chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
. Death agrees, with the condition that if he wins he will take both Inga and Victor. After Inga wins the competition, she and Victor happily run to the lake to go skinny-dipping.