Directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer
Screenplay by Kaj Munk
Director of photography: Henning Bendtsen
Music by Poul Schierbeck
Cast: Henrik Malberg, Emil Hass Christensen, Preben Lerdorff Rye, Brigitte Federspiel, Hanne Aegesen, Kristen Andreasen
Production: Palladium Film

Christian peasant-farmer Morten Borgen lives in a province ruled by the mentality of Danish pastor-poet Grundtvig, living according to the Gospel. Borgen has three sons. Mikkel workson the family farm and does not share the faith of his father and his wife Inger. Johannes,who went insane, is a student of theology. Anders would like to marry the tailor’s daughterAnne, but the fact that the girl’s family belong to a different congregation stands in the wayof the young lovers. Inger dies giving birth and this tragedy softens the father’s heart and hegives his permission to Anders to marry. Inger’s daughter, and Johannes, who has beencured, pray at the coffin of Inger, beseeching God to bring back the woman from death. Thefilm’s female image, or in fact the general portrayal of women in Dreyer films, can be tracedback to Dreyer’s own traumatic experiences. One of the defining personalities of European cinema was born the illegitimate child of a Swedish maid. Dreyer’s mother died soon after the birth and the Dreyers were in fact the adoptive family. The early part of the boy’s life was pretty unsettled, and these early years defined his female image and relationship to women. It is sufficient to consider his most famous film, The Passion of Joan of Arc, whichspeaks of the suffering of woman, the passion and humility of the saint.