Gertrud (1964)

  Carl Theodor Dreyer's "Gertrud"

In the last effort of his career, Carl Theodore Dreyer divided critics and audiences alike with "Gertrud." The plot of the film centers on the titular Gertrud, a former opera singer who ends her relationship with her politician husband. When she tries to start a new life with her artist lover, things fall apart, as he is expecting a child with another woman. Gertrud then moves to Paris alone to study psychology. Thirty years later, she regrets nothing. 

The reason for such a divide among audiences was the fact that the film is nothing but heavy dialogue for the two-hour runtime. The story is driven by the characters' ability to effectively communicate (or a lack thereof). Dreyer, in reading the original 1906 play, was inspired by the story and wanted to create a film where speech is more important than images. Because of this, there is very sparse camerawork. There are incredibly long takes in which scenes last up to ten minutes in length. Because of this, the film was booed at the Cannes Film Festival and half of the audience walked out of the 1965 Venice Film Festival screening. 

There were many, however, who understood the film's tone and pace. Many noted the themes of female independence and the subtle expressions of Dreyer's notations as an artist. Because this is Dreyer's final work, many believe that the titular Gertrud's fierce convictions in her decisions and perspective parallel with Dreyer's final comments on his career and work. Jean Luc-Goddard rated "Gertrud" the number one film of 1964. British film critic Tony Milne called the film "the kind of majestic, necromantic masterpiece that few artists achieve even once in a lifetime." Many were divided by the film when it first premiered in 1964, but since then, many now consider "Gertrud" as one of Dreyer's best works.