Gertrud (film)
Encyclopedia
Gertrud is a 1964 Danish drama film directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer
, based on the 1906 play of the same name
by Hjalmar Söderberg
. The title role of Gertrud Kanning is played by Nina Pens Rode
, with Bendt Rothe as her husband, Gustav Kanning, and Baard Owe
as her lover, Erland Jansson.
Gertrud was Dreyer's final film. It is notable for its many long take
s, which include a 9 minute, 56 second take of Gertrud and her ex-lover, Gabriel, talking about their pasts.
Gertrud meets her lover, the promising young pianist Erland Jansson, in a park. The two go to Jansson's house. Gertrud tells him how devoted she is to him. In the evening Gustav goes to pick Gertrud up at the opera where she had said she would be, but can't find her. The next evening the Kannings attend a dinner party at the house of the poet Gabriel Lidman, with whom Gertrud has had a relationship in the past. Gertrud greets her friend Axel Nyman who attends the same party. Gustav confronts Gertrud about the opera, and demands one last night with her before the separation. Lidman tells Gertrud that he had met Jansson at a party where he had bragged about Gertrud as his latest conquest.
When Gertrud meets with Jansson the next day she tells him that she wants to go away with him and leave everything else behind. He tells her that he cannot, because he is expecting a child with another woman. Lidman makes an attempt to convince Gertrud to leave with him instead, but without success; when Lidman and Gertrud were a couple, just like Kanning, he had valued his career above her. Kanning makes a last attempt to convince Gertrud to stay with him, even allowing her to keep her lover at the same time. Impossible to convince, Gertrud moves alone to Paris to study psychology
.
Thirty years later, Gertrud, together with Nygren, looks back at her life. She says that love is the only thing that means anything in life. She is now alone because of her refusal to compromise on that position, but does not regret anything.
, he had considered adapting two Hjalmar Söderberg
works in the 1940s, the 1905 novel Doctor Glas
and the 1906 play Gertrud
. None of the projects were realised at the time. The Gertrud project was revived when Dreyer read a 1962 monograph by Sten Rein called Hjalmar Söderbergs Gertrud, which pointed out the original play's use of dialogue: how the story often is driven by trivial conversations and failures to communicate. This inspired Dreyer to make a film where speech is more important than images. Adapting the play into a screenplay, Dreyer chose to abridge the third act and added an epilogue. The epilogue was inspired by the life of Maria von Platen, Söderberg's original inspiration for the Gertrud character.
The film was produced by Palladium, and filmed at Nordisk Film
's studios in Valby
, since Palladium's own studios were used by Danmarks Radio for a television production. Exterior scenes were filmed in the Vallø
Castle park. Filming took three months, and editing three days.
A critic wrote in Variety
in 1965: "Theme, with echos of Ibsen
, in its social haranguing for female independence, and Strindberg
, in its difficulty in male and female understanding, lends itself admirably to Dreyer's dry but penetrating style. Nina Pens Rode has the right luminous quality for the romantic, uncompromising Gertrud, while the men are acceptable if sometimes overindulgent in their roles."
Jean-Luc Godard
rated the film number one in his list of the best films of 1964. As well, Cahiers du cinéma
voted it the second-best of 1964, beaten only by Band of Outsiders. Andrew Sarris
rated it the second-best of 1966, only beaten by Blowup
..
and the Prix du comité directeur at the 7th Festival des Ciné-Rencontres in Prades. It received the 1965 Bodil Award for Best Danish Film
. The film was selected as the Danish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
at the 38th Academy Awards
, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Carl Theodor Dreyer
Carl Theodor Dreyer, Jr. was a Danish film director. He is regarded by many critics and filmmakers as one of the greatest directors in cinema.-Life:Dreyer was born illegitimate in Copenhagen, Denmark...
, based on the 1906 play of the same name
Gertrud (play)
Gertrud is a Swedish 1906 play , in three parts, by author and playwright Hjalmar Söderberg.-Story description:The play is a modern relationship drama with the middle-age Gertrud in the centre and about her relationships with three different men; her husband Gustav Kanning , her older,...
by Hjalmar Söderberg
Hjalmar Söderberg
Hjalmar Emil Fredrik Söderberg was a Swedish novelist, playwright, poet and journalist. His works often deal with melancholy and lovelorn characters, and offer a rich portrayal of contemporary Stockholm through the eyes of the flaneur...
. The title role of Gertrud Kanning is played by Nina Pens Rode
Nina Pens Rode
Nina Pens Rode , was a Danish actress best known for her 1964 performance in the title role of Gertrud in Carl Theodor Dreyer's final film. Previous to this, she appeared in five other Danish films: Kispus , Arvingen , Husmandstøsen , Kærlighedsdoktoren , and Dorte . Rode made her stage debut at...
, with Bendt Rothe as her husband, Gustav Kanning, and Baard Owe
Baard Owe
Baard Owe is a Norwegian-born actor who has acted in many Scandinavian films and TV-series. He moved to Denmark in 1956, where he has lived and worked since.Owe is mostly known for his role as pathologist Dr...
as her lover, Erland Jansson.
Gertrud was Dreyer's final film. It is notable for its many long take
Long take
A long take is an uninterrupted shot in a film which lasts much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in general, usually lasting several minutes. It can be used for dramatic and narrative effect if done properly, and in moving shots is often accomplished...
s, which include a 9 minute, 56 second take of Gertrud and her ex-lover, Gabriel, talking about their pasts.
Plot
Gertrud, a former opera singer in Stockholm in the early 20th century, is married to the lawyer and politician Gustav Kanning. Gertrud tells her husband that he has become more in love with his career and status than with her. She also tells him that she has met another man who loves her more than anything else, and that she therefore prefers him to her husband and wants a divorce.Gertrud meets her lover, the promising young pianist Erland Jansson, in a park. The two go to Jansson's house. Gertrud tells him how devoted she is to him. In the evening Gustav goes to pick Gertrud up at the opera where she had said she would be, but can't find her. The next evening the Kannings attend a dinner party at the house of the poet Gabriel Lidman, with whom Gertrud has had a relationship in the past. Gertrud greets her friend Axel Nyman who attends the same party. Gustav confronts Gertrud about the opera, and demands one last night with her before the separation. Lidman tells Gertrud that he had met Jansson at a party where he had bragged about Gertrud as his latest conquest.
When Gertrud meets with Jansson the next day she tells him that she wants to go away with him and leave everything else behind. He tells her that he cannot, because he is expecting a child with another woman. Lidman makes an attempt to convince Gertrud to leave with him instead, but without success; when Lidman and Gertrud were a couple, just like Kanning, he had valued his career above her. Kanning makes a last attempt to convince Gertrud to stay with him, even allowing her to keep her lover at the same time. Impossible to convince, Gertrud moves alone to Paris to study psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
.
Thirty years later, Gertrud, together with Nygren, looks back at her life. She says that love is the only thing that means anything in life. She is now alone because of her refusal to compromise on that position, but does not regret anything.
Cast
- Nina Pens RodeNina Pens RodeNina Pens Rode , was a Danish actress best known for her 1964 performance in the title role of Gertrud in Carl Theodor Dreyer's final film. Previous to this, she appeared in five other Danish films: Kispus , Arvingen , Husmandstøsen , Kærlighedsdoktoren , and Dorte . Rode made her stage debut at...
as Gertrud - Bendt Rothe as Gustav Kanning
- Ebbe RodeEbbe Rode-Filmography:*Tango - 1933*Provinsen kalder - 1935*Millionærdrengen - 1936*Den kloge mand - 1937*Balletten danser - 1938*Frøken Vildkat - 1942*Lykken kommer - 1942*Afsporet - 1942*Søren Søndervold - 1942...
as Gabriel Lidman - Baard OweBaard OweBaard Owe is a Norwegian-born actor who has acted in many Scandinavian films and TV-series. He moved to Denmark in 1956, where he has lived and worked since.Owe is mostly known for his role as pathologist Dr...
as Erland Jansson - Axel StrøbyeAxel StrøbyeAxel Strøbye was a Danish film actor. He appeared in over 100 films between 1951 and 2000.He was born in Frederiksberg, Denmark and died in Copenhagen, Denmark.-Selected filmography:* I kongens klæ'r...
as Axel Nygren - Vera GebuhrVera GebuhrVera Gebuhr is a Danish film actress. She had appeared in 60 films from 1937 to 2005.She was born in Denmark.-Filmography:*Flådens blå matroser - 1937*Tag det som en mand - 1941*Frøken Vildkat - 1942...
as Kanning's housekeeper - Lars Knutzon as student
Production
According to Carl Theodor DreyerCarl Theodor Dreyer
Carl Theodor Dreyer, Jr. was a Danish film director. He is regarded by many critics and filmmakers as one of the greatest directors in cinema.-Life:Dreyer was born illegitimate in Copenhagen, Denmark...
, he had considered adapting two Hjalmar Söderberg
Hjalmar Söderberg
Hjalmar Emil Fredrik Söderberg was a Swedish novelist, playwright, poet and journalist. His works often deal with melancholy and lovelorn characters, and offer a rich portrayal of contemporary Stockholm through the eyes of the flaneur...
works in the 1940s, the 1905 novel Doctor Glas
Doctor Glas
Doctor Glas, an epistolary novel by Hjalmar Söderberg, tells the story of a physician in 19th century Sweden who deals with moral and love issues.-Synopsis:...
and the 1906 play Gertrud
Gertrud (play)
Gertrud is a Swedish 1906 play , in three parts, by author and playwright Hjalmar Söderberg.-Story description:The play is a modern relationship drama with the middle-age Gertrud in the centre and about her relationships with three different men; her husband Gustav Kanning , her older,...
. None of the projects were realised at the time. The Gertrud project was revived when Dreyer read a 1962 monograph by Sten Rein called Hjalmar Söderbergs Gertrud, which pointed out the original play's use of dialogue: how the story often is driven by trivial conversations and failures to communicate. This inspired Dreyer to make a film where speech is more important than images. Adapting the play into a screenplay, Dreyer chose to abridge the third act and added an epilogue. The epilogue was inspired by the life of Maria von Platen, Söderberg's original inspiration for the Gertrud character.
The film was produced by Palladium, and filmed at Nordisk Film
Nordisk Film
Nordisk Film , established in Denmark in 1906 by Danish filmmaker Ole Olsen, is the oldest continuously operating film studio in the world. Olsen started his company in the Copenhagen suburb of Valby under the name "Ole Olsen's Film Factory" but soon changed it to the Nordisk Film Kompagni...
's studios in Valby
Valby
' is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. Located in the southwestern corner of Copenhagen Municipality, it is a heterogeneous mixture of different types of housing - including apartment blocks, terraced housing, areas with single-family houses and allotments, as well as remains...
, since Palladium's own studios were used by Danmarks Radio for a television production. Exterior scenes were filmed in the Vallø
Vallø
Vallø was a municipality in the former Roskilde County on the east coast of the island of Zealand in east Denmark. The municipality covered an area of 84 km², and had a total population of 10,337...
Castle park. Filming took three months, and editing three days.
Reception
The film premiered at Le Studio Médicis in Paris on 18 December 1964. The cinema equipment failed several times during the screening, the subtitles were of low quality and the reels were shown in the wrong order, prompting extremely negative reactions from the audience. It was released in Denmark on 1 January 1965 through Film-Centralen-Palladium.Critical response
From the outset the film divided both critics and audiences. Immediately following the Paris premiere the film was frequently referred to as a "disaster" in the press; after the Danish premiere the reception became more nuanced but still divided, and the film caused a big debate in Danish media.A critic wrote in Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
in 1965: "Theme, with echos of Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
, in its social haranguing for female independence, and Strindberg
August Strindberg
Johan August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg's career spanned four decades, during which time he wrote over 60 plays and more than 30 works of fiction, autobiography,...
, in its difficulty in male and female understanding, lends itself admirably to Dreyer's dry but penetrating style. Nina Pens Rode has the right luminous quality for the romantic, uncompromising Gertrud, while the men are acceptable if sometimes overindulgent in their roles."
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard is a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is often identified with the 1960s French film movement, French Nouvelle Vague, or "New Wave"....
rated the film number one in his list of the best films of 1964. As well, Cahiers du cinéma
Cahiers du cinéma
Cahiers du Cinéma is an influential French film magazine founded in 1951 by André Bazin, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze and Joseph-Marie Lo Duca. It developed from the earlier magazine Revue du Cinéma involving members of two Paris film clubs — Objectif 49 and...
voted it the second-best of 1964, beaten only by Band of Outsiders. Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris is an American film critic and a leading proponent of the auteur theory of criticism.-Career:Sarris is generally credited with popularizing the auteur theory in the U.S...
rated it the second-best of 1966, only beaten by Blowup
Blowup
Blowup is a 1966 film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, his first English-language film.It tells of a British photographer's accidental involvement with a murder, inspired by Julio Cortázar's short story, "Las babas del diablo" or "The Devil's Drool" , translated also as Blow-Up, and by the life...
..
Accolades
The film won the FIPRESCI prize at the 1965 Venice Film FestivalVenice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
and the Prix du comité directeur at the 7th Festival des Ciné-Rencontres in Prades. It received the 1965 Bodil Award for Best Danish Film
Bodil Award for Best Danish Film
The Bodil Award for Best Danish Film is one of the categories for the Bodil Awards presented annually by the Danish Union of Film Critics . It was created in 1948 and is one of the oldest film prizes in Europe. The judging committee can decide not to give out the award if no deserving films are...
. The film was selected as the Danish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
at the 38th Academy Awards
38th Academy Awards
The 38th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1965, were held on April 18, 1966 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California. They were hosted by Bob Hope....
, but was not accepted as a nominee.
See also
- 1964 in film1964 in filmThe year 1964 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is released....
- Cinema of DenmarkCinema of DenmarkDenmark has been producing films since 1897 and since the 1980s has maintained a steady stream of product due largely to funding by the state-supported Danish Film Institute. Historically, Danish films have been noted for their realism, religious and moral themes, sexual frankness and technical...
- List of submissions to the 38th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Danish submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film