Ordet Details

Quality Danish film

An exceptionally beautiful film, both visually and story wise. The genuine, gripping performance of the old father shines in Ordet. In short, this is a story about different people with different views on Christianity, with a particular struggle between the traditional faith and the home mission, who in reality all lack true faith, apart from the son, who suffers from psychological difficulties.

The poorest acting was the disturbed son, it was over-dramatic and not very credible, though at times eerie.

Some people may find this film slow. It is only shot at two sets and have few actors. It is also a Danish films, so prepare for subtitles. If you, like me, understand Danish, you will be pleasantly surprised by the many quality performances. At one point I was moved to tears, which is a bit of a miracle in itself.

The cinematography is stunning. This black and white picture shows spectacular use of lighting.

This film is recommended for those interested in cinematography and religion and religion&psychology. There are good extras for all you film students. I am one to normally give two or three stars, so this is in my opinion a very good film.

[Highly rated reviewer]

a beautiful film

Inventive camerawork, brilliant acting and a largely enaging script really carried this film for me but i felt slightly let down at the end. for me it didn't seem to fit with the ideas pesented in the scenes that preceeded it. However, the ending is what sets this apart from work by say, ingmar bergman or other directors who tackle the subject of faith and in a more cynical way.

All in all, i recommend this film to anyone who wants a beautifully shot film with thought provoking subject matter.