How Long to Read Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud

How Long Does it Take to Read Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud?

It takes the average reader 2 hours and 12 minutes to read Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud by James Schamus

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

If there is one film in the canon of Carl Theodor Dreyer that can be said to be, as Jacques Lacan might put it, his most �painfully enjoyable,� it is Gertrud. The film's Paris premier in 1964 was covered by the Danish press as a national scandal; it was lambasted on its release for its lugubrious pace, wooden acting, and old-fashioned, stuffy milieu. Only later, when a younger generation of critics came to its defense, did the method in what appeared to be Dreyer's madness begin to become apparent. To make vivid just what was at stake for Dreyer, and still for us, in his final work, James Schamus focuses on a single moment in the film. He follows a trail of references and allusions back through a number of thinkers and artists (Boccaccio, Lessing, Philostratus, Charcot, and others) to reveal the richness and depth of Dreyer's work--and the excitement that can accompany cinema studies when it opens itself up to other disciplines and media. Throughout, Schamus pays particular attention to Dreyer's lifelong obsession with the �real,� developed through his practice of �textual realism,� a realism grounded not in standard codes of verisimilitude but on the force of its rhetorical appeal to its written, documentary sources. As do so many of the heroines of Dreyer's other films, such as La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928), Gertrud serves as a locus for Dreyer's twin fixations; written texts, and the heroines who both embody and free themselves from them. Dreyer based Gertrud not only on Hjalmar Soderberg's play of 1906, but also on his own extensive research into the life of the �real� Gertrud, Maria van Platen, whose own words Dreyer interpolated into the film. By using his film as a kind of return to the real woman beneath the text, Dreyer rehearsed another lifelong journey, back to the poor Swedish girl who gave birth to him out of wedlock and who gave him up for adoption to a Danish family, a mother whose existence Dreyer only discovered later in life, long after she had died.

How long is Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud?

Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud by James Schamus is 128 pages long, and a total of 33,024 words.

This makes it 43% the length of the average book. It also has 40% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 3 hours to read Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud aloud.

What Reading Level is Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud?

Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud is suitable for students ages 10 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud?

Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud by James Schamus is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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