Master of the House(Du skal ære din hustru)

Though it feels like a stylistic and thematic outlier in Dreyer’s filmography for its lightness and humour, this was also one of the Danish filmmaker’s most successful films. The domestic comedy follows a Danish family whose repressive breadwinner Viktor often takes his devoted wife Ida for granted and won’t lift a finger to do the housework. Enter Mads, a Mary Poppinsesque nanny who takes over the home when Ida falls ill. Like a hammer to a nail, Mads is able to humble Viktor into showing some respect for his loving wife. Though the film is unabashedly feminist, Dreyer nevertheless reserves sympathy for all his characters, including Viktor, who ultimately just needs a little education to become a better man.