Film: Day of Wrath (100/250)
First Time/Rewatch: First Time
100 films! I made to 100, guys! And I couldn't be more pleased with the film I picked to be #100. Okay, there wasn't actually an involved thought process, it just happened to fit with the window of time I had available! This was my second Carl Th. Dreyer film after Vampyr, which I'm a big fan of, so it came as no surprise that I really responded to this one too.
The world of this film is stark. Shadows loom, and minimalism reigns supreme. The look is perfectly married to the story of a young woman in a loveless marriage to an older pastor, trapped living with him and his severe and diseapproving mother. Her world is colorless, devoid of any merriment. It isn't until her grown stepson comes into the picture that she finds any joy. With the threat of accusations of witchcraft (and the possible curse of a recently executed witch) looming over her, she tries to hold onto the smallest dream of happiness.
I often write these posts long after I watch the film (for better or worse) and it's pretty telling which films stick and which don't. This one really stayed with me. The visuals, the simplicity of the story, no frills, just good filmmaking. Bravo!
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