Date First Watched: 15/08/2010
Date Last Watched: 15/08/2010
# Viewings: 2
I put this off for years while working through the Top 250 because of ‘the ugly guy on the cover’. Who turned out to actually be a girl. Anyway, I pretty much hate everything else Dreyer has done (I like Michael, and Prästänkan and Du skal ære din hustru are ok), but loved this.
I found it extremely engaging and loved Falconetti’s performance. I didn’t feel this as strongly this time, although I still loved it and thought it was a great film. The visuals are just beautiful and I often find Dreyer’s films ugly and wooden (like Vampyr often gets praise for its visuals but I think it’s disgusting). The camerawork seems well beyond its time. I also loved how minimalist everything was. I can imagine this being a big Hollywood production with lavish set design and such and it would lose all of its impact. Apparently most of the budget was spent on sets, but they are quite plain. The close-ups are great. The makeup-less, expressive faces are great.
Falconetti’s over-the-top-ness got to me a bit this time. I think some of it makes her look like a total lunatic, though other bits are really good. The other actors are all good too. And even though it’s not the original score, the score really is excellent and fits perfectly.
Although I’m not as blown away as I was the first time I watched this, it’s still an excellent film.
mighty rewatches 