The programme

Ordet
Denmark 1955 124 min
The Danish countryside at the dawn of the 20th century. A family is torn apart by religion. The head of the Borgen family and his two sons spend a long time questioning the existence of God and the relationship between humans and faith, until resurrection defeats death in a film directed by Dreyer with an unequalled expressive accuracy.

The Night of the Hunter
Usa 1955 93 min
Henry Powell, a Protestant minister, kills several widows for money. He also kills Willa Harper, but her two sons manage to run away from him along the river. The first and only film directed by the actor Charles Laughton turns into a terrifying story that can not be classified in any existing film genre.

Roma città aperta
Italy 1945 98 min
Directly following Rome's liberation, Rossellini directed this film without probably realising that he was creating a work of such importance for international filmmaking. Each scene is like a documentary, each image a snapshot from the war. Drama and true life turn this film into the absolute example of neorealism.

The Great Dictator
Usa 1940 124 min
A small Jewish barber in a German town looks a lot like the dictator who started a Nazi campaign. The poor man goes through a lot of hassle, but this similarity also helps him reap some rewards. The first talking picture by Chaplin is a brilliant satire against the Nazis, shot when the Third Reich's army had already overpowered Europe.

Johnny Guitar
Usa 1954 110 min
Tired of his life as a gunman, Johnny returns to his woman, Vienna. This time for ever. But Vienna is always getting into trouble: jealousy and interests put her life at risk, but Johnny takes his old gun out, saves her and they leave the country together. A western that reverses the common understanding of this genre. Intellectual, complex, heartbreaking with his desperate romance. And its unforgettable soundtrack.

La Regle Du Jeu
France 1939 110 min
A rich marquis leaves his lover to win back his wife, who is surrounded by a host of admirers. The masters' love affairs are contrasted with those of the servants. A "funny drama" in the director's words, the film ends in tragedy. Despite its lack of success with the public when it was first released, it was later rediscovered by the Nouvelle Vague and considered Renoir's masterpiece.