Review of Master of the House (1925) by Tim S — 29 Nov 2014

Master of the House (AKA Du skal ære din hustru, or Thou Shalt Honour Thy Wife in English) tells the story of a Danish family with a tyrannical father figure whose persona causes much discontent in an unhappy home.

Soon his thoughtlessness and carelessness are used against him as he is made to endure what the women and children in his life have endured at the cruel command of himself, which is the only way that he can get his wife back and that the family can become whole once again.

Carl Theodor Dreyer directed the film in 1925 before his success with his films The Passion of Joan of Arc and Vampyr (both of which audiences are more familiar with). This film was a major success when it was released in Denmark, but not so much in the United States.

The strange thing about its release abroad is that when it was distributed outside of Denmark, the intertitles were changed and didn't make use of translations from Danish. Not only that, but all of the characters' names were changed to be more accepted by English-speaking audiences.

I wouldn't go so far as to call it a masterpiece from beginning to end. Despite being a marvelous film that should hold one's interest all the way through quite powerfully, I found the subject matter oversimplified and a bit out of date.

One also can't deny that it basically drags at times, hitting the nail over the head of an idea or a story mechanic that really should have moved on from two or three minutes sooner. Regardless of all of that, it's still a beautiful film, told by an innovative storyteller.

It may not throw you any curve balls or leave you with any sense of awe, but it's damn fine cinema.