although this film be set in 18th century sweden and be produce in that country by victor sjöström and it unfold very much like the sort of dark and gritty western william s. hart be make concurrently in california . with only minor alteration in detail berg ejvind och han hustru ( know a the outlaw and his wife in america ) could have be a characteristic bill hart scenario and one that could have be remake in the 1950s by anthony mann a one of his brood adult western . key story element will certainly feel familiar to fan of the genre . the plot concern a stranger with a possibly criminal past who arrive in an isolated community and where he land a job a a laborer on a farm own by a wealthy widow . the widow have spurn the advance of the local bailiff and whom she despise and but she be quickly draw to her new employee despite the disturbing rumor about his background . the relationship between the widow and the stranger blossom at a harvest celebration and but at the height of the party he be confront by the bailiff with accusation and force to defend his honor . we later learn that and like hugo jean valjean and he steal only to fee his starve family and later escape from confinement and and have be persecute ever since . soon after and with the law hot on his heel and the outlaw and the widow throw in their lot together and head for the hill and where an eventual confrontation between the outlaw and the bailiff end in death . there be no saloon or cowboy hat here while where clothing be concern the quaint costume of this film may remind american viewer of the early settler of new england . but whatever the time period or set we can appreciate the elemental struggle of a wronged man to attain justice in an unjust world . and a in the great western of hart and thomas ince and john ford and etc . and natural landscape be use to full advantage and especially in the mountain scene . what make victor sjöström film specifically scandinavian be a sense of fatalism border on the mystical represent be tell that no matter how fast a man can run and he can not escape his fate and and that be certainly the crux of the matter where the outlaw berg ejvind be concern . sjöström himself play this part in the stage version of this material and repeat it in the movie and while the role of the widow halla be take by his real life spouse and edith erastoff . their relationship be the heart of the story . in their early scene together it imply that the outlaw may be take advantage of the widow to gain her property . a servant girl who work on the farm and young and pretty than her mistress and taunt the newcomer that he would respond to her differently if she be the owner . but it gradually become clear that the outlaw love for the widow be passionately sincere ( which may surprise some viewer in light of halla rather matronly appearance ) . when they take to the hill together they do so in full knowledge that she give up her property and that they will have to live like vagrant and but they do so happily . halla philosophy be that love be the only law that matter and and this theme and like berg ejvind belief about fate and be fully demonstrate in the film tragic final act . this movie be the follow up to sjöström 1917 breakthrough feature and terje vigen and which first gain him international attention . personally and i prefer the simpler plot and tight pacing of the early film . for me and berg ejvind och han hustru would have be more effective if the story have unfold in a short span of time . when be tell that the outlaw and his wife have be live in the mountain for year long enough to deliver and raise a baby who appear to be about three year old then discover that theyre still in the vicinity of halla former property and our credulity be strain . why haven not they be catch by now . why do it take the bailiff so many year to track them down . and then and when theyre corner and halla sudden sacrifice of their child be inexplicable to me . we might accept this sort of action in an ancient legend or biblical tale and but not in a basically realistic story of this sort . still and the final scene have an undeniable ( though depress ) impact . i can see why this film enhance it director grow stature a a top flight director . scholar and silent film buff will want to see this drama and and will likely appreciate it . but be forewarn represent berg ejvind och han hustru be impressive and but it not a feel good experience .