Carl Theodor Dreyer and Ordet

Book excerpt: This illustrated memoir shares a rare inside look at the legendary director’s process and vision during the filming of his award-winning masterpiece. Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer is considered one of the most influential filmmakers in cinematic history. His 1955 film Ordet (The World) won numerous prizes, including the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion. In 1954, Dreyer invited young film student Jan Wahl to accompany him during this classic work. This captivating account of Wahl's time with the director is based on Wahl's daily journal and transcriptions of his conversations with Dreyer. Offering a glimpse into the filmmaker's world, Wahl fashions a portrait of Dreyer as a man, mentor, friend, and director. Wahl's detailed account is supplemented by exquisite photos of the filming and by selections from Dreyer's papers, including his notes on film style, his introduction for the actors before the filming of Ordet, and a visionary lecture he delivered at Edinburgh.