Ellen Rassow

Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen's legendary film uses a series of dramatic vignettes to explore the scientific hypothesis that the witches of the Middle Ages suffered the same hysteria as turn-of-the-century psychiatric patients. But the film itself is far from serious-- instead it's a witches' brew of the scary, gross, and darkly humorous.

A man must choose between two women. One who is bad for him and one who is the opposite. About the fate one suffers by choosing the wrong one.

There are strange things going on at Duncan Castle, where some metaphysical being seems to have been spreading a psychological disease.

When Prince Otto is involved in a hunting accident, the game warden’s daughter Ellen becomes his nurse. She falls head over heels in love with him and the infatuation is mutual. But when the prince’s father, the ruler, dies, it turns out that the prince’s heart is bequeathed to someone else. In her deep despair over her lost love, the game warden’s now downhearted daughter knocks on the convent gate. (stumfilm.dk)

Karin is a model for the painter Otto Werner, with whom she is very much in love. He, however, is merely toying with her emotions. When he becomes reacquainted with a former mistress, he soon forgets all about Karin. By contrast, Otto’s friend, the older millionaire John Fork, sees Karin and falls in love at first sight. Having received news that Otto has gone away with his mistress, Karin agrees to marry John Fork. The two live happily together, but trouble comes to paradise when Otto suddenly enters Karin’s life again. (stumfilm.dk)