Astrid Holm

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.

An alcoholic, abusive ne'er-do-well is shown the error of his ways through a legend that dooms the last person to die on New Year's Eve before the clock strikes twelve to take the reins of Death's chariot and work tirelessly collecting fresh souls for the next year.

When a man becomes tyrannical towards his family, the women of the house decide to teach him a lesson in gratitude.

Countess Ysabel is a young and rich woman with many suitors. An elegant and adventurous baron has managed to win her heart, but she anyway continues to play with other men’s feelings. Nemesis hits her when a young man with a broken heart kills himself, and the baron at the same time reveals a horrible secret. Ysabe'ls world seems to fall apart.

On a dark and rainy evening after the cinema, a small two-seater car drives through the old streets of Copenhagen. It is the young doctor Preben Hansen driving his sweetheart home. She is a nanny and works at a daycare centre in the inner city. She is a sweet and lively girl whom her friends call "Peter." In the doorway, "Peter" encounters a drunk man who will later become important in her life. When the daycare center is about to close, the drunk man may step in with a financial helping hand.

Young Jonas Tofte is a waiter in the theater café, but he is more than that; he is also a poet and has written a comedy that is about to premiere. With this, both he and his sweet little wife, Else, hope to be out of all the difficulties they have come to know so well. Once the premiere is over, all the bills will be paid, and Jonas can stop serving. But many difficulties still lie ahead for Jonas before the premiere is over.

In order to supplement the family income, Marius Bastrup rents his unused rooms to young women looking for a "discreet stay." The drama in the film revolves around the young women and their circumstances, especially as it relates to one girl's abortion.

The social storm after World War I divides the people. In the eye of the storm are three brothers fighting for the lower classes, each in his own way. Waldo the blacksmith wants a world revolution by power and violence. Ernst the typographer is convinced that knowledge and understanding, enlightenment and education is the way to go. And Kurt the ethereal watchmaker sees society as a malfunctioning clockwork that can be fixed by a simple yet drastic intervention. (Stumfilm.dk)

Mrs. Adda Ernst is a middle-aged lady of the bourgeoisie. She has a nice husband Mr. Ernst, a lovely home and two healthy children Birgit and Hans, who like most of their peers are interested in swing. Mrs. Adda is musical herself, and has a beautiful singing voice, sometimes she can fall into melancholy over the career she never had. But she is naturally endowed with a rare good mood, she soon sheds her sad mood. In reality, she has only one worry. She is afraid of getting old, and therefore makes some convulsive efforts to still seem young. She refuses to realize that her daughter has grown up.

Niels has everything a young person could wish for. A bold appearance, a woman’s love and a secure future on the family farm. Yet he longs for something else and something more. The big city beckons, and despite his father’s misgivings, Niels is allowed to set off to study theology. He thrives in the city, but when he receives bad news about his lost childhood love, Niels finally understands the depth of his guilt. Bravely he takes up the fight to win back everything he had so carelessly thrown away. (Stumfilm.dk)