This movie was controversial and received a harsh response from Norwegian film critics when it came out. A fierce newspaper debate ensued that lasted half a year, in which director Løkkeberg was "demonized as a national witch" by some. The film was particularly accused of being immoral and too boring, with lingering scenes and little action.
Compared to the TV series, the longest version of Hud (269 minutes), many scenes in the Blu-ray version (115 minutes long, based on the one shown in Cannes in 1987 and released on VHS) are completely cut out, but also some other ones are carefully re-cut, for example, scenes of abuse, where the motivation does not seem to be due to any shame, but perhaps a desire to create something more subtle. One such sequence is the second incest scene. Perhaps the foremost study of Løkkeberg's films, Tone Kristine Kolbjørnsen's Living Pictures of Women (1992), describes the original scene as follows: "The next incest sequence comes almost immediately after the first, and this too is a visualization of Vilde's childhood memories: The father carries Vilde into the living room and places her on a stool in front of the window. He pulls up her dress, touches her sex and penetrates her from behind, while she looks at the "golden mountain". The abuse is interrupted when a man who does not belong to the family enters the living room where Vilde and Sigurd are. The man understands what has just happened and exclaims in horror: 'Whore'. In the Blu-ray version the camera's tilt down to the stepfather 'touching her sex' seems considered "at the request of the director" as unnecessary or inappropriate, perhaps even immoral. In addition, the man who witnesses the whole scene is removed."
Tonje Kleivdal Kristiansen, who in the film plays Malene (Vilde's daughter), is the real life daughter of Vibeke Løkkeberg, who plays Vilde.
It was until then the most expensive film in Norwegian film production.
This film was selected for the Cannes Film Festival, where it was screened as part of the "Un certain regard" program.
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