Day of Wrath

I'm certain I'll never be a big Dreyer fan, but it's clear the man has his own way of making films. On paper, a film like Day of Wrath has nothing for me, but thanks to the stark black and white cinematography it becomes a bit easier to stomach. It's still quite the ordeal, but not as bad as some of the other classics.

A young woman is married to a priest, but she is actually in love with his son. One night she feels brave enough to break the news to her husband, which ultimately leads to his death. The mother of the priest gets wind of the story, and she claims the young woman is a witch, hoping she'll be prosecuted.

The conversations are very theatrical, and the settings are minimalistic. While there are whiffs of witchcraft present, the film is a clear drama and never comes close to being a horror film. Not a very riveting film, certainly not one I'll ever revisit, but it's not as bad as I'd feared up front.