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Thorkild Roose, Lisbeth Movin, Sigrid Neiiendam, Preben Lerdorff Rye, Albert Høeberg ... see more see more... , Olaf Ussing , Anna Svierkier , Sigurd Berg , Harald Holst

Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer's Day of Wrath (Vredens Dag) is set in 1623 Denmark, where Anne Pedersdotter (Lisbeth Movin), the second wife of a Danish pastor, grows to loathe her husband for hi... read more read more...s self-asceticism and instead falls in love with the minister's son - with whom she spends an inordinate amount of time. Locals overhear her wishing aloud for her husband's death; when he dies of a stroke not long after, she is accused of witchcraft, a charge taken seriously enough to be punishable by death. Eventually, the poor woman is tortured and traumatized to such a point that she actually believes she is a witch - and she gives in to being burned at the stake. Yet Dreyer then shifts the perspective from internalized - illustrating the woman's paralyzing fear - to externalized, a point of view that enables the director to depict his subject's spiritual purification. Even allowing for the aura of raw terror, Dreyer never loses sight of the eroticism inherent in the concept of witchcraft. Based on a play by Wiers Jensen, Day of Wrath was filmed during the Nazi occupation of Denmark and not released abroad until after the war, and the director reportedly had to flee his native country when he angered the government with the film's political content. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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23 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Carl Theodor Dreyer

Release Date: August 29, 2008

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DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008

Stats: 124 reviews

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'Vredens dag' Lisbeth Movin as Anne Anne and Martin Thorkild Roose as Rev. Absalon 'Vredens dag' 'Vredens dag' (Dreyer, 1943) Lisbeth Movin as Anne Anne and Martin Martin and Anne Marte Herlofs and Rev. Absalom Anna Svierkier as Marte Herlofs Absalom and Anne Rev. Absalom and Marte Herlofs
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Flixster Reviews (124)

  • ceWEBrity
    October 11, 2010
    ceWEBrity
    A Dreyer film to the bone: technically innovative, critical of the dogmatic nature of Christianity, and brimming with fully-immersed, intelligent actors. I think Lisbeth Movin is a little bit unsubtle, but it might also be that she's portraying a woman so overwhelmed with new pas... read moresion that she can't help but express it against her will. I love the way the movie is lit, and how it interacts dynamically with the characters' discussions of the "fire" in her eyes; she is a fascinating protagonist, repellent and sympathetic at the same time, and the language of the movie seems to reflect our constantly-shifting notions. What she is doing is wrong, but as the text unfurls to reveal a loveless marriage that she was essentially forced into, you cannot help but commend her for salvaging some bit of happiness.

    Fascinating work, if not totally groundbreaking in the grand scheme of Dreyer's oeuvre.
  • webalina
    May 22, 2010
    webalina
    Another triumph by Carl Dreyer. A young woman marries a pastor quite a bit older than her. She meets his grown son, and they begin an affair. In the meantime, a neighbor woman who is accused of witchcraft asks the young woman to protect her from the authorities. This story of hyp... read moreocrisy, intolerance and betrayal should be on everyone's must-see list. However, if you're not familiar with Dreyer's work --- AND WHY AREN'T YOU?!? -- be prepared that it's slow going. But like all of Dreyer's films, it's well-worth the effort of a little patience.
  • kenstachnik
    October 21, 2008
    kenstachnik
    I know this is a masterpiece, but I just wasn't into it. It's sooo solemn and glum and metaphorical.
  • gator681
    September 26, 2010
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]"Day of Wrath" takes place in 1623 when Herlofs Marte(Anna Svierkier) is suspected of being a witch and that is just as good as being guilty and burned at the stake. At this point, the only thing the authorities are concerned with is the state of her soul. ... read moreSo, she makes a break for it, ending up at the household of Anne(Lisbeth Movin), whose mother was herself denounced as a witch but was released on the testimony of the Reverend Absalon(Thorkild Roose), Anne's much, much older husband. In fact, his son, Martin(Preben Lerdorff Rye), is older than she is. Herlofs Marte is soon discovered and tells Absalon that if she burns, she won't be the only one...[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]It may be odd that 15 years after Carl Theodor Dreyer made "The Passion of Joan of Arc, " that he would return to similar territory with "Day of Wrath," which is a haunting movie about religious hypocrisy, the attitude towards women and the ignorance of the time period. Absalon did the right thing by letting Anne's mother go but it was so very wrong to covet her in the bargain. That event sets up the tragic circumstances of the movie, particularly the near incestuous relationship between Anne and Martin.[/font]
  • holmennnguy
    July 19, 2009
    holmennnguy
    I was very surprised on how spectacular this film was. The only other Dreyer film I'd seen previous was Vampyr which I also loved. From the very first couple of minutes I was glued to the screen and could not wait to see what happens next. There were several twists and turns that... read more I absolutely loved. Terrific acting by the entire cast! Overall I would say that this is one of the best Horror films to come out of the 1940s and I now look forward to seeing some of Dreyer's other works since I really liked his style.
  • JasonDennis91786
    April 10, 2009
    JasonDennis91786
    dreyer is very quickly becoming one of my favorite directors because of the potent themes he writes about and his artistry in depicting them. however this film is not one that will be enjoyed by all. and i'm not just referring to religious people. the acting in this movie is extr... read moreemely stilted. especially by the two romantic leads. you are dealing with a silent film director here. the dialogue is very play-like, with directly metaphorical conversations dominating the screen time. also if you don't like pans, don't watch this movie. after only two films i can tell a dreyer from anything else because he pans the hell out of everything all the time. don't expect the sets to be great, either. at a couple of points i swear i saw 15 year old sets for the passion of joan of arc. if you can handle a subtly anti-religion, purely intellectual morality play, you will love and appreciate day of wrath. if those things don't appeal to you, don't see anything by this director.
  • columbiatch
    August 29, 2008
    columbiatch
    A good bridge between Passion and Ordet, as elements from both can be seen here. Sexual freedom is perceived as witchcraft, though the film leaves as possible a supernatural interpretation. One of the reason this and Ordet work so well is that both can be interpreted in many ways.
  • thrusz
    December 17, 2007
    thrusz
    So I wastched the Dreyer set this week. I can translate this out for you very quickly. I watched all of the Dreyer set means "I am now wildly depressed." These are some gloomy ass movies. No cheer. No happiness. JUST MISERY! AHHHHH!

    Okay, but here's the real beef. This... read more film is pretty darned solid. I'm not usually a fan of witch-hunt stories. I love Arthur Miller, but The Crucible is not one of my favorites of his. It's just not something that jives with me that easily. Mainly because I really can't understand such a mindset. To be that closeminded almost seems like all of the characters are two dimensional. Dreyer really toes the line of that kind of character simply due to the nature of the story. But he does create some three-dimensional characters. What is odd for me to see is the actual existance of witches in his story. I mean, it's not outright said, but there is a heavy implication that there is something beneath the surface of an otherwise traditional tale. I have to say, I kind of like that. I haven't watched the documentary on Dreyer yet, but one cannot help but notice the theme of religion and belief in these tales. I'm not quite sure what side of the camp Dreyer falls on, but regardless, these stories have universal messages within.

    Visually, this movie is graphic. Now, I'm not saying "horror movie" graphic. But it is a story about witch hunts. Do I think most people can handle it? Definitely. Do I think that people should be able to handle it? No way, Jose. Things are really just matter-of-fact in Day of Wrath, and that gets me. I think it is a strong aesthetic choice on Dreyer's part and the movie is really much stronger because of it. Again, am really hesitant to write about this movie being graphic, but in its own way, it is somewhat brutal. But the story isn't about gore or blood. Most of the story is about a trapped woman and that's what is really focused on in this story.

View All Day of Wrath (Vredens Dag)(Day of Anger) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Andrew Sarris
October 23, 2008
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

However bleak, Day of Wrath is a masterpiece. See it. Full Review

Andrew O'Hehir
August 28, 2008
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com

I'd be saving a spot for it near the top of my 10-best list if the movie hadn't been made 65 years ago. Full Review

J. Hoberman
August 28, 2008
J. Hoberman, Village Voice

A stark, brooding treatment of adultery, incest, and murder, an elemental tragedy not so far from a James M. Cain triangle, albeit shot so as to deliberately evoke the Dutch masters. Full Review

Sara Cardace
August 25, 2008
Sara Cardace, New York Magazine

Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1943 masterpiece begins as a film about seventeenth-century witch hunts in Northern Europe, but it's really a psychological thriller about the pull of evil on wea... Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
January 19, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Astonishing in its artistically informed period re-creation as well as its hypnotic mise en scene, it challenges the viewer by suggesting at times that witchcraft isn't so much an illusion as an activ... Full Review

Donald J. Levit
July 14, 2011
Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews

This masterwork is as modern as Euripides, timeless as O'Neill and Arthur Miller, militant as Friedan or Steinem, and empathetically devastating as Hawthorne. Full Review

Kelly Vance
November 22, 2010
Kelly Vance, East Bay Express

Anne is a romantic trapped in a vengeful world. Thus, she's doomed. Full Review

Joshua Rothkopf
August 27, 2008
Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out New York

A lesser Dreyer work, but only in comparison with his own achievements. Full Review

Urban Cinefile Critics
July 12, 2008
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile

Dryer's precision proves highly effective in creating the film's mood of dark oppression, and every detail is perfectly in keeping with the film's tone %u2013 which often resembles a thriller. Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
February 29, 2008
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

Dreyer's fluid, softly moving camera that takes in long, slow shots heightens the sensual nature of the film as well as its mystery. Full Review

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