Vredens dag (1943)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Carl Theodor Dreyer

Writers:

Release Date:

24 April 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

In a 17th-century Danish village, an old woman is accused of witchcraft. In the shadow of her flight...

Plot Keywords:

Pastor | Confession | Witch | Love | 17th Century

Cast

Kirsten Andreasen	...	(uncredited)
Sigurd Berg	...	(uncredited)
Albert Høeberg	...	The Bishop (uncredited)
Harald Holst	...	(uncredited)
Emanuel Jørgensen	...	(uncredited)
Sophie Knudsen	...	(uncredited)
Preben Lerdorff Rye	...	Martin (Absalon's son from first marriage) (uncredited)
Lisbeth Movin	...	Anne Pedersdotter (Absalon's second wife) (uncredited)
Preben Neergaard	...	Degn (uncredited)
Sigrid Neiiendam	...	Merete (Absalon's mother) (uncredited)
Emilie Nielsen	...	(uncredited)
Thorkild Roose	...	Rev. Absalon Pederssøn (uncredited)
Hans Christian Sørensen	...	(uncredited)
Anna Svierkier	...	Herlofs Marte (uncredited)
Olaf Ussing	...	Laurentius (uncredited)
Dagmar Wildenbrück	...	(uncredited)

Also Known As:

Day of Anger (USA) (video title)
Day of Wrath (USA)

Runtime:

97 min | USA:110 min | Argentina:94 min

Country:

Denmark

Language:

Danish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | South Korea:15 (2003) | West Germany:16 (w) | Finland:S | Argentina:13

Company:

Palladium Productions

Trivia:

Though the film is outwardly a chronicle of a religious witch-hunt, it contained many subtler comparisons to the behavior of the Nazis (torture and questioning) and Carl Theodor Dreyer fled Denmark for Sweden where he remained until the war was over.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The film is set in 1623. But at the back of the main room, where much of the action takes place, is a large wooden chest with a Latin inscription, mostly legible: "[Quae?] parum novit nemo docere potest 1639."

Quotes:

Rev. Absalon Pederssøn: There is nothing so quiet as a heart that has ceased to beat.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Carl Th. Dreyer: Min metier (1995)

A powerful story of love and belief.

Although I'm certainly not religious myself, I do find the subject of religion to be fascinating, yet whenever I see a film about religion, especially old black and white subtitled ones, it tends to be a very torrid viewing for me. This was certainly the case with Ingmar Bergman's 'Winter Light', but not the case with this film; which is actually very good. I went into it with the wrong expectations because my television guide had touted it as a film about witch hunt; which although they feature in the film, that's not what it's about. The film is about loss of faith, and having to choose between what you believe and the people you love. We follow a pastor who has indicted a woman for witchcraft and later has her burnt at the stake. Around the same time, his son has returned and he has inadvertently fallen in love with his father's wife, a woman who is his junior. Much like his earlier 'Passion of the Joan of Ark', Danish genius Carl Theodor Dreyer has created a film rich with religious tones that includes themes of witchcraft and the power of belief. The lighting and way that the atmosphere is built in the film is superb, and it's obvious that a master technician made the film. However, much like Passion of Joan of Ark, and his 1932 film, Vampyr, this film also comes across as being cold - which can make it difficult to like if, like me, you value the story and characters over technical prowess and potent themes. Day of Wrath is certainly not a film for everyone, and people that dislike thought provoking, yet completely style-less pieces of art should steer clear. For everyone else, however, this is most definitely worth a watch.