Review of Ordet (1955) by Simon M — 02 Apr 2011

Carl Dreyer's "Ordet" is an incredibly hypnotic and powerful film that examines God, religion and what it means to live one's faith. The story is about a farmer by the name of Borgen and his three sons; Anders(in love with the tailor's daughter), is at odds with his father's ideas about religion, Michel, an agnostic who is married to Inger, and Johannes, who thinks he is the resurrected Jesus Christ. Michel's wife Inger becomes the centerpiece because of her relationship with the father, Borgen. Borgen hopes that Inger will bring Michel back to the belief that Christ is the lord God. When tragedy strikes, each character has to come to terms with their faith.

This is a demanding film that moves slowly, but I was completely engaged throughout. The look of the film is atmospherically powerful with simple, but stylistically beautiful images. The whole look of the film was astounding.

Pay close attention to the way the camera gently moves and flows. The meticulous placement and movement from foreground to background of characters is very effective and quite moving. The interiors are hauntingly beautiful with light and shadow adding even more texture to the images. The combining of solid blacks and peaceful whites is quite spellbinding.

There will be some who will absolutely hate this film for the pacing, style and subject matter. I am, at this point in my life, an agnostic, but I found the whole thing very uplifting. I would like to see it on the big screen. Highly recommended for people who like quiet and contemplative films.