It's a religious drama about evil set in 1623 in a Danish village and recounts two witch trials and the events that link them.
Marte (Anna Scierkier) is an older woman accused and convicted of witchcraft. She is burned as a witch. Absalon Pedersson (Thorkild Roose) is widowed minister, probably in his 50s, who has been involved in the witch trials, but earlier helped to save a woman accused of witchcraft because he wanted to marry her daughter, Anne (Lisbeth Movin). Anne is much younger than Absalon. Her mother has died before the movie's story begins.
Absalon's elderly mother, Merete (Sigrid Neiliendam), dominates the household and dislikes Anne intensely. When Absalon's son, Martin (Preben Lerdorff), returns home from abroad after some years, he and Anne are immediately attracted to one another. Anne especially pursues the relationship.
One night after Absalon visits a dying parishioner he returns home late at night. Anne tells him of her relationship with Martin, and that she wished him dead. He promptly dies. At Absalon's funeral Merete accuses Anne of killing Absalon, and with the help of the Evil One, has lured Martin into an illicit relationship. Anne confesses this is true.
Although "Day of Wrath" is only 97 minutes long, it seems much longer. The subject matter is interesting, and Marte's execution scene is well portrayed. Dreyer's skill with facial closeups at critical moments is evident. But the film's pace is turgid with little action except for the execution scene.
Some critics have seen the film as a commentary on the German occupation of Denmark during the war. That seems a stretch. It's a film about religious distortions that can skew a community's efforts to determine justice in times of trouble. Who really was more evil--Merete or Anne? What was Martin's responsibility in his affair with Anne? Was witchcraft simply a charge to advance Merete's own perspectives? Those are the issues of the film; not larger geopolitical matters.
Marte (Anna Scierkier) is an older woman accused and convicted of witchcraft. She is burned as a witch. Absalon Pedersson (Thorkild Roose) is widowed minister, probably in his 50s, who has been involved in the witch trials, but earlier helped to save a woman accused of witchcraft because he wanted to marry her daughter, Anne (Lisbeth Movin). Anne is much younger than Absalon. Her mother has died before the movie's story begins.
Absalon's elderly mother, Merete (Sigrid Neiliendam), dominates the household and dislikes Anne intensely. When Absalon's son, Martin (Preben Lerdorff), returns home from abroad after some years, he and Anne are immediately attracted to one another. Anne especially pursues the relationship.
One night after Absalon visits a dying parishioner he returns home late at night. Anne tells him of her relationship with Martin, and that she wished him dead. He promptly dies. At Absalon's funeral Merete accuses Anne of killing Absalon, and with the help of the Evil One, has lured Martin into an illicit relationship. Anne confesses this is true.
Although "Day of Wrath" is only 97 minutes long, it seems much longer. The subject matter is interesting, and Marte's execution scene is well portrayed. Dreyer's skill with facial closeups at critical moments is evident. But the film's pace is turgid with little action except for the execution scene.
Some critics have seen the film as a commentary on the German occupation of Denmark during the war. That seems a stretch. It's a film about religious distortions that can skew a community's efforts to determine justice in times of trouble. Who really was more evil--Merete or Anne? What was Martin's responsibility in his affair with Anne? Was witchcraft simply a charge to advance Merete's own perspectives? Those are the issues of the film; not larger geopolitical matters.