''Leaves from Satan's Book'', also known as ''Leaves Out of the Book of Satan'' ( da, Blade af Satans bog), is a 1920 Danish
fantasy film directed by
Carl Theodor Dreyer and starring
Helge Nissen as Satan.
This was only the third film directed by Dreyer, who later went on to create such classics as ''
Vampyr
''Vampyr'' (german: Vampyr – Der Traum des Allan Gray, lit=Vampyr: The Dream of Allan Gray) is a 1932 horror film directed by Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer. The film was written by Dreyer and Christen Jul based on elements from J. She ...
'' (1932) and ''
The Passion of Joan of Arc
''The Passion of Joan of Arc'' (french: link=no, La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc) is a 1928 French silent historical film based on the actual record of the trial of Joan of Arc. The film was directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer and stars Renée Jeanne ...
'' (1928). The film is structured much like D.W. Griffith's ''
Intolerance
Intolerance may refer to:
* Hypersensitivity
Hypersensitivity (also called hypersensitivity reaction or intolerance) refers to undesirable reactions produced by the normal immune system, including allergies and autoimmunity. They are usual ...
'' (1916) with its episodic nature while evoking F. W. Murnau's ''
Satan'' (1920). The film ran 157 minutes, but sources list the DVD's running time at 121 minutes.
Troy Howarth states "If not for the presence of Satan, (this film) wouldn't warrant inclusion in a study of the horror genre; in truth it's more of a quaint pageant play than a horror film....The cast emotes to a degree too theatrical for even silent cinema."
[Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 239. 978-1936168-68-2.]
Plot
Satan has been cast out of Hell and banished to Earth under decree of Heaven. He can return only after overseeing a series of temptations. However, for every soul who gives in to his tempting, one hundred years are added to his sentence. For every soul who resists, one thousand years are subtracted from his sentence. The film follows Satan throughout much of recorded history, focusing mainly on four short episodes. First he tempts Judas to betray Jesus, then he goes on to influence the Spanish Inquisition, spark the French Revolution and finally he causes the Finnish Civil War of 1918 to occur.
Cast
*
Helge Nissen as Satan / The Grand Inquisitor / Erneste / Ivan
*
Halvard Hoff as Jesus (first sequence)
*
Jacob Texiere as Judas (first sequence) (as Jacob Texière)
*
Erling Hanson as John (first sequence)
*
Hallander Helleman as Don Gomez de Castro (second sequence)
*
Ebon Strandin as Isabel, Castro's daughter (second sequence)
*
Johannes Meyer as Don Fernandez (second sequence)
*
Nalle Halden as The Majordomo (second sequence) (as Nalle Haldén)
*
Tenna Kraft
Hortensia (Tenna) Kristine Sofie Erogine Kraft née Frederiksen (1885–1954) was a Danish operatic soprano. One of the Royal Danish Theatre's outstanding sopranos in the early 20th century, she sang in operas by Wagner, Verdi, Puccini and Richar ...
as Marie Antoinette (third sequence) (as Tenna Frederiksen Kraft)
*
Viggo Wiehe as Count de Chambord (third sequence)
*
Emma Wiehe as The Countess of Chambord (third sequence)
*
Jeanne Tramcourt as Lady Genevive de Chambord (third sequence)
*
Hugo Bruun
Hugo or HUGO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese
* Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback
* Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on a ...
as Count Manuel (third sequence)
*
Elith Pio
Viggo Elith William Pio (3 July 1887 – 10 February 1983) was a Danish actor of stage, screen, radio and television. He is most noted for starring roles in films such as Carl Theodor Dreyer's '' Leaves from Satan's Book'', Johan Jacobsen's '' J ...
as Joseph (third sequence)
*
Emil Helsengreen
Emil or Emile may refer to:
Literature
*'' Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
* ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life
*'' Emil and the Detecti ...
as The People's Commissar (third sequence)
*
Viggo Lindstrøm
Viggo Lindstrøm (12 January 1858 – 17 June 1926) was a Danish actor and theatre director, founder of Det Ny Teater in Copenhagen. He was married to the actress Vera Lindstrøm.
Biography
Lindstrøm was born on 12 January 1858 in Copenh ...
as Old Pitou (third sequence)
*
Clara Pontoppidan
Clara Pontoppidan (23 April 1883 – 22 January 1975), also known as Clara Wieth, was a Danish actress. She worked mainly in Swedish and Danish silent films, including ''A Victim of the Mormons'' (Denmark, 1911).
Personal life
Clara Ponto ...
as Siri (fourth sequence)
*
Carlo Wieth
Carlo Rossini Wieth (born Carl Andersen; 11 December 1885 – 30 June 1943) was a Danish stage and film actor whose career began at the turn of the 20th-century and lasted until his death in 1943.
Early life and stage career
Wieth was born a ...
as Paavo (fourth sequence)
References
External links
*
''Leaves Out of the Book of Satan''on Edition Filmmuseum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leaves From Satan's Book
1920 films
1920 drama films
Danish black-and-white films
Danish drama films
1920s Danish-language films
Danish silent films
Films based on works by Marie Corelli
Films directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer
Portrayals of Jesus in film
The Devil in film
Silent drama films