427. Gertrud

Gertrud
1964
Directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer

Seeing Dreyer in The Book again was like running into someone from your old high school.  For a moment I was like "oh you still, exist!  I mean, it is great to see you!"  It was nice to see Dreyer again since it provided us with what I think is the greatest silent film of all time: The Passion of Joan of Arc.  Still, the reunion was a little...awkward.

Gertrud begins the film by telling her husband that their marriage is over and she is in love with someone else in an excruciatingly long take.  It turns out her lover is kind of a jerk, but that's okay because every man in this movie seems to be in love with her.  Next!

Like I said, the takes are painfully long and almost have an Ozu-esque feel to them.  This worked extremely well for the scenes in this film.  This is particularly true for the scene when Gertrud tells her husband it is over; we feel a bit of the pain and horror that her husband is feeling at that moment.

Still, this film is not without its flaws.  For one thing, we are never given to understand why everyone is so obsessed with Gertrud.  I get that she is pretty but she is such a bitch!  I suppose that is more of a flaw of the male gender than the film, though.

I feel like I am always saying this but some parts definitely could have been cut out.  I swear I am not that impatient but a two hour film about the same silly woman is tiring.

Overall, worth a watch but there is a lot of dead time.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Only 90 shots and one exterior shot.

Available on YouTube:

292. Ordet

Ordet
1955
Directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer

What a throwback.  Many moons ago, I watched The Passion of Joan of Arc, directed by Dreyer as well, which I listed as the best movie of the 1920s.  I was quite happy to see another Dreyer film.  However, it was a little bit like seeing the star quarterback ten years after high school ends.  This director is really past his prime and his mere presence is an embarrassment.  Not that I exaggerate.

This film centers on three sons.  One is an atheist, one believes that he is Jesus Christ, and one is in love with a woman from another denomination.  Religion is then shoved down the viewers' throats.  I don't know if Dreyer was always this preachy and just was unable to reach his true level of obnoxiousness because of the restrictions of silent film or if this was a later development.  Either way it was annoying.

This film was also just incredibly dull.  You would think that a character believing he was Jesus Christ would be interesting but no such luck.  Skip it.

RATING: *----

Interesting Facts:

Even the trivia from this movie is boring.

61. Vampyr

Vampyr
Vampire
1932

I keep watching horror films in September which is completely inappropriate.  I am sure all of October will be happy musicals.  IT"S ALL WRONG!

I was expected to get really freaked out by this film.  It is supposed to be like the scariest movie ever not to mention the director is one of my favorites, Carl Theodor Dreyer.  However, it was just kind of...meh.  I watching this on Netflix Instant, and it was an awful version.  I couldn't even hear the people speaking let alone understand the German words coming out of their mouths.  I also thought it would be a really interesting mystery.  The plot takes forever to get started and then you have to watch the awful acting.  Really a lose-lose situation.  It felt like a silent movie; there were even title cards.

Overall, it is a lot worse than you would expect.  It pratically blew out my speakers!

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

The dirty floor was made by smashing jam jars on the floor and waiting for insects to be attracted to the mess.

Cool use of shadows and camera angles.

No YouTube videos.  As we get to newer movies (and yes, 1932 is new to me right now) they are going to be harder to find.

41. La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc

La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc
The Passion of Joan of Arc
1928

Oh my gosh, that was incredible!


Let me just start by asking when the last time a good Joan of Arc movie came out.  I mean, this story has so much potential but yet no one ever does anything with it.  This film, however, told the story wonderfully so I guess no one ever tried to top it.

The acting?  Amazing.  The storyline? Amazing.  And it was in French so I could practice my dismal language skills.  The score in my version was really eerie.  I have the same kind of fascination with this story that I do with the Romanovs.  It is just so heart-breaking and interesting.  The directing was also really good.  There was this one shot of one of the judges that I jumped at.  This was a bit of an overreaction since it is not even a horror movie, but my point is that it was skillfully done.

Some of those images will stick with me and now I think I have to go do more research about Joan of Arc.  The only reason I am not giving this five stars is because I can't see watching it constantly, which is my criteria for a five star film (why didn't I go a four star maximum?  That would have made so much more sense!).  Still, an excellent movie; one of the best we have seen.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

None of the actors wore make up which was very unusual for silent movies.

The lost print was found in a mental hospital.  Another spooky element!

Real blood was used in one of the scene's but it was a stand-by's.  I am curious about how that went down.

Available on YouTube.  First part: