Review of Gertrud (1964) by Brad S — 08 Oct 2016

This film is a masterpiece in my opinion, and is the last film of the great Carl Theodor Dreyer, who directed one of my top ten films of all-time, "The Passion of Joan of Arc." This film is based on a play, and you can sense that as it is dialogue heavy, and often only two characters onscreen at a time.

The story follows Getrud who is leaving a loveless marriage to pursue a relationship with her lover with whom she is in live with. Her husband has let her down and not lived up to her high standards of what she feels love should be, but her lover then in turn also lets her down, and she decides to isolate herself afterwards.

The films has several themes are work, dealing with love, isolation, and people's expectations of what their life should be. The direction is excellent in my opinion, the film looks great, and even though there isn't a lot of action, and there are many static shots, the viewer is kept engaged.

Nina Pens Rode is excellent in the lead role, and really anchors the film. I have a strong suspicion I will revisit this film more than once, and will discover new things with each progressive viewing.

Highly recommended for serious films fans!