Towards the Light

Asta portrays the flirtatious daughter of a countess whose escapades are contrasted with a parallel plot about a priest dedicated to helping the poor. She too flirts with the poor-literally, causing the suicide of a would-be suitor from the lower classes. Following a conversion at her mother’s deathbed she becomes a lay priest. Short of a Carl Dreyer at the helm, perhaps only Asta Nielsen could pull off this type of melodrama with dignity; indeed, the film is of interest precisely for her refined performance. —http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu