Overview
A woman's quest for absolute love leads her through heartbreak and self-imposed exile.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Glacial
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- contemplative
- austere
- focused cinephile viewing
- quiet reflective evening
What critics said
Critics remain sharply divided, with admirers praising Dreyer's austere, penetrating study of love and independence while detractors find its theatrical minimalism excessively static.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Gertrud rejects Gustav, Erland, and Gabriel when their relationships fail to meet her uncompromising conception of love.
Dreyer emphasizes extended conversations in elegant interiors, with subtle expressions carrying more weight than conventional cinematic movement.
After repeated failures of intimacy, Gertrud imposes a self-directed exile of the heart rather than compromising her ideals.
The film is based on a play and centers on carefully staged conversations about love, independence, memory, and gender relations.
Films like Gertrud, and why
The Passion of Joan of Arc
formal austerity, uncompromising romantic idealism, and psychologically intense dialogue
Scenes from a Marriage
minimalist staging, marital disillusionment, and severe examination of romantic relationships
L'Avventura
European art-film modernism, emotionally restrained performances, and a woman resisting social expectations
A Woman Under the Influence
Ibsen-influenced relationship drama, theatrical conversations, and melancholic romantic alienation
Movie Details
- Director
- Carl Theodor Dreyer
- Release Date
- 1964-12-19
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (180)
Cast
- Nina Pens Rode
- Bendt Rothe
- Ebbe Rode
- Baard Owe
- Axel Strøbye
- Karl Gustav Ahlefeldt
- Vera Gebuhr
- Lars Knutzon
- Anna Malberg
- Edouard Mielche
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Gertrud about?
- A fiercely idealistic woman abandons marriage and lovers alike when none can match her vision of absolute love.
- What is Gertrud like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Gertrud as glacial, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Gertrud violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Gertrud.
- What did critics think of Gertrud?
- Critics remain sharply divided, with admirers praising Dreyer's austere, penetrating study of love and independence while detractors find its theatrical minimalism excessively static.
- Which films are like Gertrud?
- Films with a similar feel include The Passion of Joan of Arc, Scenes from a Marriage, L'Avventura, and A Woman Under the Influence.
- How long is Gertrud?
- Gertrud runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch Gertrud?
- In United States, Gertrud streams on Criterion Channel.
