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The Parson's Widow

The Parson's Widow
Directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer
Written by Kristofer Janson
Carl Theodor Dreyer
Starring Einar Röd
Hildur Carlberg
Greta Almroth
Cinematography George Schnéevoigt
Distributed by Svensk Filmindustri
Gaumont (France)
Release date
4 October 1920
Running time
71 minutes
Country Sweden
Language Silent

The Parson's Widow (Swedish: Prästänkan), aka The Witch Woman, is a 1920 comedy drama film directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer. The film is based on a story Prestekonen by Kristofer Janson.

Söfren, a recent seminary graduate, and his fiancee Mari make their way on foot through a Norwegian forest to a village where a church is in need of a pastor. Mari's father won't allow her to marry until Söfren obtains a full-time church assignment.

Söfren learns that he is competing with two other men who are affluent scholars from Copenhagen. The three men wait outside the church until the verger calls them in, one by one, to deliver their trial sermons.

The first candidate delivers a sermon on the creation story that promptly puts the entire congregation to sleep. The second candidate is summoned and announces that his sermon topic is "Balaam's ass and God's strange power by which He was able to open the jaws of a dumb animal so that it might speak like a man!" (Numbers 22:28-30)

The verger comes out to summon Söfren and finds him doing handstands. Söfren bounds into the church, surveys the congregation and begins:

"Now, two learned applicants have appeared here before me. One of them took us to Eden, and that is as far back as we can go. Let him stay there! The other one chose the text: Am I Not An Ass? But what has an ass to do on the pulpit? My friends, I will not take you to Eden -- you are too clever. But I will take you to the bowels of the earth, deep in the roaring jaws of Hell!" The congregation is enthralled by Söfren's "fire and brimstone" sermon. Söfren concludes: "And so my friends, beware that you are not swallowed up by the roaring jaws of Hell!"

Söfren's rivals from Copenhagen host a dinner for the townspeople and feel obliged to invite Söfren. The church committee announces that Söfren is their choice for pastor. The committee spokesman then adds that Margarete Pedersdotter, the widow of the previous pastor, has exercised her right to demand that her husband's successor marry her.

Dame Margarete, who is at least a half-century older than Söfren, enters the room. The two pastoral candidates from Copenhagen bolt from the room, hastily climb on their horses and gallop away.

Margarete doesn't take a seat near Söfren but chooses to sit next to the fireplace. Gradually the townspeople also leave the dining hall. After a lengthy period of silence, Margarete approaches Söfren and asks, in that it has grown dark outside, if he would walk with her to the parsonage.


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