The film takes place in the superstitious Denmark of the 17th century, where the burning of witches is a daily event (see clip). A young woman, Anne, has married a much older priest, and she falls in love with the priest's grown-up son, Martin. Impulsive Anne goes through a major change. She starts to question her marriage and wants her husband dead.
Timeless story
It is not a coincidence that Dreyer decided to make Day of Wrath during the World War Two occupation of Denmark. It was also a period when suspicion was enough to put a life at risk. But the film is at the same time a timeless story about the power of love, faith and superstition. Inspired by Dutch art, Dreyer hypnotises us with gliding camera movements and beautifully composed pictures stripped of extraneous features.
Indisputable masterpiece
Playing Anne with the eyes of an innocent child, Lisbeth Movin has a radiating power that alternates between surprise, sadness, knowledge and malice. It is an intense portrait of a woman, which only Dreyer could create.
Day of Wrathwas given a regular panning in the press when it first came out, but today the film considered a masterpiece all around the world, Dreyer's most admired sound film.
Christian Monggaard is a film reviewer and critic for the daily newspaper Information.
Lisbeth Movin and Preben Lerdorff Rye in Day of Wrath.
Photo: Karl Andersson.