SYNOPSICS
Du skal ære din hustru (1925) is a None,Danish movie. Carl Theodor Dreyer has directed this movie. Johannes Meyer,Astrid Holm,Karin Nellemose,Mathilde Nielsen are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1925. Du skal ære din hustru (1925) is considered one of the best Comedy,Drama movie in India and around the world.
Victor Frandsen is a domestic tyrant. His wife Ida has to work as a slave for him and the rest of the family. She rises early to prepare everything for the day, she toils all day long, and she is often up also in the night, doing some sewing to earn extra money for the household. In daytime she is supported by an old woman called Mads, who was Victors' nanny when he was a child. Mads is filled with loathing for Victor's behavior towards his wife, and calls him a brute. She understands that Ida is on the verge of a serious breakdown, and persuades Ida's mother, Mrs. Kryer, to take Ida away. Mads will herself take care of the household and the children for a time. When Victor comes home and finds out that Ida is gone, he gets angry. He asks his daughter, Karen, where her mother is, but she refuses to tell him. She only says that her mother is very ill, and that it will be his fault if she dies. The accusation strikes Victor in his heart, and he sits down, feeling dejected. Karen ...
Du skal ære din hustru (1925) Reviews
Who says Dreyer is boring?
After seeing this movie (along with many other Dreyer's movies) I still wonder why people think that this Danish director is kind of boring. This is perfect example of what Dreyer's cinematography is and what is not. This is a film where you can find some gentle spirit lying beneath. Some sort of quietness that fulfils the whole movie. As in many other of his early movies, Dreyer puts the spectator in a superior level. We are given the opportunity to watch an everyday's scene: a woman subjugated to a spoilt man's will. We watch her wake up early in the morning, wash dishes, clean the whole house, prepare her husband's breakfast and all she gets in exchange is bad manners and retreats from him. The complot that the nanny builds up to make the man feel guilty and so, to make him behave, unfolds in a subtle and sometimes funny way, making the watching more enjoyable from the distance. It's hard to describe the perfect acting that the main characters bring to this beautiful film; an acting full of details and emotion. Enjoyable form the first frame to the last one, this film will work perfectly for Dreyer's fans as long as for those who ever thought this was a tough one. It's, probably, the perfect bridge to approach to Dreyer's masterpieces such as "Ordet" and "Gertrud". Hope you like it as much as I did.
Far from perfect, but awfully entertaining
Before I begin, I must confess that I am not eternally in awe at the genius of the director, Dreyer. While he has an absolutely amazing reputation, several of his more famous films have left me a bit flat. So it was a very welcome thing when I watched this more conventional and entertaining film--after his vampire film and the other about Joan of Arc, I was really, really looking forward to something lighter in mood. This film was exactly what I had in mind. This is a pretty ordinary domestic comedy for Dreyer. I don't say ordinary in a bad sense, but that the film felt more approachable and designed for the common person in the audience instead of being an obsessively-made art film (which he was famous for making). Okay, now that I probably have insulted all the Dreyer fans out there, I'll get on the heart of my review. This is the tale of an over-worked and completely unappreciated housewife. In so many ways, she tries so hard so be the perfect wife but the cad of a husband can do nothing but criticize and berate her as well as be harsh towards the kids. And, the wife being a "co-dependent" (a nice modern psychobabble word, huh?), she thinks all she needs to do is try even harder and she makes excuse after excuse for the jerk. This seems to be a problem without a solution until the husband's old nanny comes to the home and sees how frazzled the wife is and how the hubby is a selfish spoiled brat. "Super-nanny" comes to the rescue--getting the wife out of the house and to a sanitarium for a rest. And, with the nanny back in charge, the spoiled guy slowly starts to realize just how good he had it--as he no longer is allowed to bully and browbeat to get his way. The film is mildly funny, but is meant more as social commentary. In some ways it's pretty effective, but at times it is also kind of heavy-handed. Also, the film says things like "all men are that way" and "women do three times the work of men" and so it seems like the pro-feminist message is just a little too much at times. Instead of presenting a balanced view and showing how both men and women work hard and deserve respect, that men are like big babies and women are the backbone of every family. While this is definitely true of the family in this film, the film is itself perpetuating a stereotype. This can easily be forgiven, as in the 1920s, women were so much more under-appreciated, so it isn't like it irritated me--it just tended to occasionally use hyperbole and overstate things to drive the point home--again and again and again--making the film a tad heavy-handed. My advice is to ignore the excesses and just enjoy good film-making and entertainment.
The Shaming of the Brute
"We men are such fools!" proclaims former master of the house Viktor, and you can't help but feel a sliver of guilt as he silently utters those words. That's the timeless universality of film, I suppose: a Danish movie made over 80 years ago is still relevant today. This was my first Dreyer, and it is quite a light offering considering the man's weighty reputation. It's a social drama with a patently feminist message delivered with a typically heavy hand (by today's standards). Johannes Meyer is Viktor, the decent man turned into a brute by the failure of his business who doesn't realise just how much he takes his long-suffering wife Ida (Astrid Holm) for granted. Fortunately for Ida, Viktor's curmudgeonly former nanny (Mathilde Neilsen), takes control of the situation by packing the frazzled Ida off to a sanatorium so that she can sort Viktor out. The film drags for the first half-hour as the daily ritual of the Frandsen family is established. Let's face it, there's little of interest in watching people polishing shoes and preparing breakfast, but things get a little more interesting once Nanny takes charge. It's message is a bit too sweeping (although all us men are probably guilty to some degree) and a little too simplistic in its treatment and resolution, but there's plenty on the screen to demonstrate Dreyer's talent as a director - although some symbolism (caged birds, for example) must have been overused even by 1925. A decent enough film, worth watching despite its mundane setting.
A Dreyer Masterpiece
Victor Frandsen is a domestic tyrant. His wife Ida has to work as a slave for him and the rest of the family. She rises early to prepare everything for the day, she toils all day long, and she is often up also in the night, doing some sewing to earn extra money for the household. Dreyer is one of the greats in silent cinema, both in his homeland and internationally. His greatest achievement is probably "Joan of Arc" and many have appreciated "Vampyr". This film came a few years earlier, but is every bit as good in its own way (and with its release on Criterion, it has never looked better). The Danes are not typically known for their role in cinema history, but Dreyer was an undeniable force in the 1920s If nothing else, he inspired Bergman, who was probably the greatest Scandinavian director of all time.
exceptional entertaining film
Exceptional because 90% of the story is set in an apartment but does not bore the viewer.The main credit to the movie should go to the writers.Although the story is mainly serious many of the lines show well thought out humor.It's already been brought out how the film is a step back in time showing how a typical Danish family might of went about doing daily chores in that era.At times it has the look of being filmed for future generations to study.Seeing a person carrying a tub of clothes up a few flights of stairs can generate a lot of appreciation for a clothes dryer.The few outdoor scenes were of interest also as they reflected a lifestyle of the past.Yes the story is of a a bad husband/father mistreating the family.To add to his fearful image he seems to be a huge man.This may be best noted in a closeup scene of his hand and the oldest daughter's hand together,the difference in size is great.The emphasis on his being a tyrant is great also but quite believable.The wife's slave like existence is laid on thick and is not quite so believable.The doubt here being brought about by her total lack of verbal response to the husbands unreasonable comments.She just puts her head down and obeys.Her role is almost 100% fairytale like.Compared to her Cinderella might seem sassy.The mentioning of the wife's lack of protest is an observation not an criticism (it's not easy to make that sound right).Anyone with only a slight interest in this subject matter will probably still be entertained by this movie.