De nåede færgen

They Caught the Ferry is a superb little exercise in filming and editing to maximum potential. According to the summary, it was meant as a propaganda piece against fast driving in Denmark. Going into it I had no idea that would be what it's about, maybe it would be some quick doc on ferries. Turns out it gives the director Carl TH Dreyer much to work with in little time and resources. All he has is a few opening and closing shots of a ferry, with the filler being a couple on a motorcycle. It starts off mundanely enough, not even bothering with things like really establishing character or a story. In a way it's in common with Passion of Joan of Arc by it being a simple, fatalistic situation unfolding. Like that film as well, it could just as well function as a silent work with its very brief, interesting but unimportant dialog, and it's style more akin to that era's reaches for a visual freedom. The numerous shots of the field going by, the two on the motorcycle, the intensity that starts to slowly build (there's no music) with what might come of these characters in pursuit of their goal. It's not too far out or over-stylized, however, and it's more in tune with cinema verite at times, bordering on it being quite ahead of its time; shots like these pop up close to being this good in today's movies with more resources and time. Obviously not one to be seen by many as it's on a DVD with an equally obscure silent film from the 20s, but it's definitely worth the ten minutes if you got it.