Master of the House

Carl Theodor Dreyer's intimate domestic drama about a husband who takes his hardworking wife for granted, mistreats her, and is reformed by the quiet intervention of his old nanny. After Ida is driven to leave, the nanny moves in, takes over the household, and forces Viktor to confront how much his wife did and how little he appreciated it. Dreyer, better known for his austere spiritual films like The Passion of Joan of Arc, here works in a warm, observational register, using close-ups and carefully composed interiors to build a portrait of a marriage. The film was a commercial success in Denmark and helped establish Dreyer's reputation. Published in 1925, it is in the public domain in the United States.