Carl Theodor Dreyer was a very odd sort of filmmaker. Although he had a very long career, the time between films was often very long-- sometimes a decade or so as is the case with "Gertrud". He apparently liked to do things his way or not at all. Regardless, "Gertrud" is his final film--completed just a few years before his death. Because of this, you would hope it would be an excellent film, as he did make quite a few classics. Sadly, though, the movie is just dreadful--- the sort of pretentious and boring drivel some artsy folks might like but also the sort of film that most people would truly hate.
The story is very simple. Although you might think Gertrud would be happy since she has a husband that loves her and money, she is filled with ennui. She instead wants a young lover and to cast aside conventions and run off with him. Erland, on the other hand, just wants another notch on his bedpost. Soon after sleeping with Erland, she meets an old lover, Gabriel. Unlike Erland, he wants her. However, instead, she leaves her husband and Gabriel and lives alone.
If this sort of story sounds interesting, believe me, it is NOT. There are so many problems that conspire to make this a bore-fest. First, the performances are underplayed to say the least. The characters really DON'T talk and interact--especially Gertrud. Instead, they talk out into space and these scenes are often filled with folks also staring blankly. Second, nothing interesting happens in the film nor does it really make a lot of sense. Third, you really don't care about anyone. Fourth, it's full of nonsense lines such as 'Love is unhappiness...love is suffering'....wow, where do I even begin to start with claptrap dialog like this?! Overall, it's an artsy-fartsy mess of a film--one that left me wondering why Dreyer would make this as his ultimate creation.
The story is very simple. Although you might think Gertrud would be happy since she has a husband that loves her and money, she is filled with ennui. She instead wants a young lover and to cast aside conventions and run off with him. Erland, on the other hand, just wants another notch on his bedpost. Soon after sleeping with Erland, she meets an old lover, Gabriel. Unlike Erland, he wants her. However, instead, she leaves her husband and Gabriel and lives alone.
If this sort of story sounds interesting, believe me, it is NOT. There are so many problems that conspire to make this a bore-fest. First, the performances are underplayed to say the least. The characters really DON'T talk and interact--especially Gertrud. Instead, they talk out into space and these scenes are often filled with folks also staring blankly. Second, nothing interesting happens in the film nor does it really make a lot of sense. Third, you really don't care about anyone. Fourth, it's full of nonsense lines such as 'Love is unhappiness...love is suffering'....wow, where do I even begin to start with claptrap dialog like this?! Overall, it's an artsy-fartsy mess of a film--one that left me wondering why Dreyer would make this as his ultimate creation.