Remove ads

Information

A.k.a.
Day of Wrath
Year
1943
Runtime
110 min.
Director
Carl Theodor Dreyer
Genres
Drama, History
Rating *
8.1
Votes *
6,989
Checks
2,329
Favs
301
Dislikes
17
Favs/checks
12.9% (1:8)
Favs/dislikes
18:1
* View IMDb information

Top comments

  1. Dieguito's avatar

    Dieguito

    Dark Masterpiece! Incredible cinematography! 12 years 1 month ago
  2. Siskoid's avatar

    Siskoid

    15 years after The Passion of Joan of Arc, Dreyer returns to the concept of burning women at the stake in Day of Wrath, a talky, a talky but still awash with a silent cinema atmosphere, stark sets, expressionistic lighting, and faces and body language often telling more than the dialog. In Dreyer's world, God and the Devil are real forces, whether active entities, or merely symbols for virtue and sin, is something left ambiguous (and yet). The film opens and closes on verses from Revelations, but shows a more intimate Apocalypse, epic passages writ on the personal, individual level. In the wake of a witch being burned, the preacher's all-too-young wife falls in love with her husband's more vital son who has just returned home. So sin is definitely at play, but is she necessarily communing with the Evil One? Therein lies the suspense - fear of discovery, of accusation founded or unfounded, in a world where women especially can be murdered by a pointing finger - that makes the film so riveting despite being really rather quiet and introspective. If the staging sometimes feels old-fashioned, Dreyer captures subtle performances that demand examination. It's required if one is to make sense of so complex a study of the relationship between sin and guilt, which I think is at the heart of the matter - guilt defining what is virtuous or sinful. 4 years 10 months ago
  3. ClassicLady's avatar

    ClassicLady

    Dark, gloomy, and slow moving in places. But beautifully photographed and an excellent work of art. 10 years 3 months ago
See all comments

Friends

Login to see which of your friends have seen this movie!

Activity

  1. Aadje checked this movie 3 days 14 hours ago
  2. Lisbeth Salander23 checked this movie 5 days 2 hours ago
  3. Mark Van Bel checked this movie 6 days 20 hours ago
See more activity

In 14 official lists

  1. This movie ranks #9 in IMDb's Horror Top 50
    IMDb's Horror Top 50's icon

    IMDb's Horror Top 50

    9
  2. This movie ranks #18 in IMDb's History Top 50
    IMDb's History Top 50's icon

    IMDb's History Top 50

    18
  3. This movie ranks #18 in IMDb's 1940s Top 50
    IMDb's 1940s Top 50's icon

    IMDb's 1940s Top 50

    18
  4. This movie ranks #23 in iCheckMovies's 1940s Top 100
    iCheckMovies's 1940s Top 100's icon

    iCheckMovies's 1940s Top…

    23
  5. This movie ranks #101 in Harvard's Suggested Film Viewing: Narrative Films
    Harvard's Suggested Film Viewing: Narrative Films's icon

    Harvard's Suggested Film…

    101
  6. This movie ranks #123 in Amos Vogel's Film as a Subversive Art
    Amos Vogel's Film as a Subversive Art's icon

    Amos Vogel's Film as a S…

    123
  7. This movie ranks #145 in The Criterion Collection
    The Criterion Collection's icon

    The Criterion Collection

    145
  8. This movie ranks #190 in Anthology Film Archives's Essential Cinema
    Anthology Film Archives's Essential Cinema's icon

    Anthology Film Archives'…

    190
  9. This movie ranks #220 in Jonathan Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
    Jonathan Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema's icon

    Jonathan Rosenbaum's Ess…

    220
  10. This movie ranks #276 in David Thomson's Have You Seen?
    David Thomson's Have You Seen?'s icon

    David Thomson's Have You…

    276
  11. This movie ranks #282 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films
    TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films's icon

    TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…

    282
  12. This movie ranks #297 in UNESCO's Memory of the World
    UNESCO's Memory of the World's icon

    UNESCO's Memory of the W…

    297
  13. This movie ranks #346 in Halliwell's Top 1000: The Ultimate Movie Countdown
    Halliwell's Top 1000: The Ultimate Movie Countdown's icon

    Halliwell's Top 1000: Th…

    346
  14. This movie ranks #602 in Sight & Sound's The Greatest Films of All Time
    Sight & Sound's The Greatest Films of All Time's icon

    Sight & Sound's The Grea…

    602
View all lists this movie is in