The Passion of Joan of Arc and Vampyr, though on opposite sides of the great sound barrier, are separated by less time than any films Dreyer made subsequently. The difference in subject matter is reflected in great differences of style, Joan all clear outlines and strong, sculptural compositions, Vampyr all shadows, haze, and movement. Yet they stand out from all the other feature films of Dreyer I have seen by virtue of the subjectivity with which the action is presented. This is more obvious in the case of Vampyr, in which virtually everything is shown through the consciousness (and often through the eyes) of the protagonist David Gray, to the point where one is tempted to see the whole film as an interior drama enacting itself within the psyche of a single individual. It becomes impossible to distinguish between what we, as audience, are shown and what David...