The Life of Carl Theodor Dreyer - Essay Example

Before coming into the care of Danish Lutheran typographer Carl Theodor Dreyer and his wife Inger Marie at the age of two, the infant Nielsen was already placed in two foster homes. It should be noted that even before the adoption was finally legalized, the mother of Dreyer died after consuming a large dose of phosphorous in order to induce miscarriage as she was then pregnant again with her second child out of wedlock (Acquarello 1). The young Dreyer never got the opportunity of developing a good relationship with his foster parents as they constantly reminded him that his mother had neglected her social responsibilities.

They have also expected that Dreyer will recompense them on their charity (Alleva 3). It is uncertain whether Dreyer had learned the story behind his true identity, yet this circumstance in his life has left a profound impact on the famous film director as evidenced by his filmography. What has become apparent is that Dreyer has endured a deep wound even if he avoids talking about his childhood and parental estrangement in his numerous interviews and public appearances (Acquarello 1). Dreyer excelled academically. . He became a celebrity profiler for Scandinavian theater artists.

He worked as a reporter in several prominent newspapers which include Berlingske Tindendi, Politiken, and Riget. Being a very talented writer, Dreyer captured the promising aviation industry by his "technically comprehensive articles." The Nordisk Film Company then employed him as a hot air balloon technical adviser. Dreyer started in the film industry by doing the titling and writing film scripts for a number of studios before signing an exclusive contract with Nordisk. Within this company, Dreyer had shown his exceptional skill in film editing.

The encouragement and tutelage of Wilhelm Staehr became the stepping stone of Dreyer to venture into film directing (Acquarello 3). The first film of Dreyer created in 1918 was a "banal melodrama" entitled The President. Even in this first movie, the director already revealed his objective of creating a personal stamp in the movie industry. It should be noted that instead of selecting studio actors employed by Nordisk, Dreyer opted to respond to his artistic intuition by personally electing his own cast of professional and non-professional actors.

Dreyer selected his artists for "their appropriate face types to the situational and psychological profile of the character that they portray" (Acquarello 3). The director also chose to create an atmosphere of realism and naturalness in his film by doling out cosmetics and ornately decorated sets. It is irrefutable that The President depicts an important issue in Dreyer's life. The film tackles the issue of a biological parents' moral responsibility for a child conceived out of wedlock. The story line is about "a prominent and well respected judge [who] is forced to decide the