Carl Th. Dreyer is best known for his religious dramas like The Passion of Joan of Arc, Day of Wrath, and Ordet, so that he made this little family comedy is quite a shock. Possessing no religious themes whatsoever, Master of the House (1925) focuses its attention on the plight of women in the domestic sphere. The movie concerns a woman whose duties as wife and mother leave her exhausted due to her husband's nastiness and lack of understanding. She lets his behavior slide since she knows he has been stressed since he lost his high ranking position at work, but this neglect of her own health leads to a nervous breakdown. Fed up with the injustice, the elderly Nana has the wife go away for a few days so she can put the master of the house back in his place.
While the film is comic, it is not of the laugh out loud variety. It is a gentle comedy, though it pulls no punches when it comes to calling out the undervaluing of domestic work. All the actors are restrained and portray family tensions and tenderness with great realism, making the film feel more authentic. It's a shame it has been so overlooked; a feminist gem silent film geeks shouldn't miss.
While the film is comic, it is not of the laugh out loud variety. It is a gentle comedy, though it pulls no punches when it comes to calling out the undervaluing of domestic work. All the actors are restrained and portray family tensions and tenderness with great realism, making the film feel more authentic. It's a shame it has been so overlooked; a feminist gem silent film geeks shouldn't miss.