AllMovie

Set in early 19th-century Iceland, this moving drama pays tribute to the courage of a young woman who fought back against the sexual repression and misogyny of the times and paid for that fight with her life in a public execution, the last ever held in the country. The story begins as Agnes works as a servant for Richter, a local magistrate and representative of the Danish (the country that first colonized Iceland) government. Because Agnes bore a daughter out of wedlock (scuttlebutt said the father was the town priest) Richter considers her a tramp and therefore available. She is not a trollop though and successfully fends off his attempts to rape her. Her physical and emotional strength causes Richter to hate Agnes. Agnes' real troubles begin when she falls in love with Natan, a local herbalist who is called to help Richter's wife through a difficult birth. Unfortunately, she doesn't realize that the seductive Natan is secretly a thief who only seduces her to enable his brother and another successfully rob the Richter residence. After the theft, Agnes is sold to Natan. His farm is located in an isolated place and for a time, she is happy to be with him. Unfortunately, the herbs Natan ingests make him violent and during one struggle he dies. Agnes is accused of the death and executed.