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“A Legend for Today”

1955 · 2 h 6 min
Directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer
Drama

Cast

Henrik Malberg Emil Hass Christensen Preben Lerdorff Rye Birgitte Federspiel

Credits

Written by: Kaj Munk

Plot

In a Danish farming family, divided between two rival strands of Christianity, the eldest son, Johannes, believes he is Jesus Christ and speaks in the language of the Bible. His brother's wife, Inger, is pregnant and the family is struck by crisis. In the last scene, at a funeral, a child asks Johannes to bring someone back to life. Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1955 film, shot in long, slow takes, builds toward one of the most remarkable miracle scenes in cinema, and won the Golden Lion in Venice.

Sinekatalog’s take

Carl Theodor Dreyer's austere Danish drama of faith and miracle is slow, simple and overwhelming. Its long takes and stark rooms lead to a final scene that has shaken audiences for decades.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.

Ratings

IMDb: 8.2 / 10 (19,226 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.

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