Stunningly beautiful, and gripping perhaps like no other film of its era, The Parson's Widow (AKA Witch Woman) is a simple folk tale on the surface, but has many subtleties, and does not go exactly where you expect it to. Being by Dreyer, it is of course very morbid, but it's a comedy in the classical, theatrical sense of the word.

The subtext and psychological draw is present even in the earliest of Dreyer - and I love the final chapter - I'm just not completely sold on its baser elements.

the text is cryptic and hard to follow, the movie it's self moves at an unnatural pace. the plot is reletively uninteresting, and the ending is contrived story book fodder. only here and there is the editing and camerawork impressive, and there is nothing else of import.

Aside from some impressive photographic and editing techniques, this seems rather inconsequential. It just didn't really grab me. It's paced unevenly, with a very annoying over reliance on intertitles. Apparently supposed to be comedic, but this doesn't come through very well.