Carl Theodor Dreyer
Carl Theodor Dreyer (Danish: [ˈkʰɑˀl ˈtsʰe̝ːotɒ ˈtʁɑjˀɐ]; 3 February 1889 – 20 March 1968), commonly known as Carl Th. Dreyer, was a Danish film director and screenwriter. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his movies are noted for emotional austerity and slow, stately pacing, frequent themes of social intolerance, the inseparability of fate and death, and the power of evil in earthly life.
Carl Theodor Dreyer | |
|---|---|
Dreyer in 1965 | |
| Born | 3 February 1889 Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Died | 20 March 1968 (aged 79) Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Nationality | Danish |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1919–1968 |
| Spouse |
Ebba Larsen (m. 1911) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Golden Lion at the 1955 Venice Film Festival for Ordet (The Word) |
His 1928 movie The Passion of Joan of Arc is considered to be one of the great movies of all time, renowned for its cinematography and use of close-ups. It frequently appears on Sight & Sound's lists of the great films ever made, and in 2012's poll, it was voted the ninth-best film by film critics and 37th by film directors.
His other well-known films include Michael (1924), Vampyr (1932), Day of Wrath (1943), Ordet (The Word) (1955), and Gertrud (1964).