Ordet (The Word) poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Henrik Malberg, Emil Hass Christensen, Cay Kristiansen, Preben Leerdorff-Rye, Hanne Aagesen ... see more see more... , Sylvia Eckhausen , Anne Elisabeth Andersen , Ejner Federspiel , Gerda Nielsen , Ove Rud , Henry Skjaer , Edith Trane , Birgitte Federspiel , Hanne Agesen , Kirsten Andreasen , Preben Lerdorff Rye

With his masterful Ordet (aka The Word, [1955]), legendary Danish filmmaker Carl Theodor Dreyer examines the conflict between internalized personal faith and organized religion. Dreyer sets the drama ... read more read more...in a conservative, super-pious Danish town, where widower Morten Borgen (Henrik Malberg) -- the father of three boys -- cuts against the grain of the community with his constant heretical doubt. One of his sons, Mikkel Borgen (Emil Hass Christensen), is entangled in an interfaith romance with a fundamentalist's daughter, while the second, Anders Borgen (Cay Kristiansen), is an agnostic, and the third, Johannes Borgen (Preben Leerdorff-Rye) -- a devotee of Søren Kirkegaard -- believes that he actually is Jesus Christ -- a conviction ridiculed by almost everyone as pure insanity. Also known as The Word, Ordet was the only film that Dreyer made in the 1950s. The author of the play on which the film was based (and which was previously filmed in 1943) was Kaj Munk, a Danish pastor murdered by the Nazis for daring to announce his fidelity to Christ over Hitler. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

90% liked it

3,816 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

18 critics

Unrated, 2 hr. 6 min.

Directed by: Kaj Munk, Carl Theodor Dreyer

Release Date: January 1, 1954

Invite friends to see

Stats: 268 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

None yet... Got one?

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (268)

  • bottcorecords1
    June 27, 2011
    bottcorecords1
    In a little danish farming community, the word of Jesus Christ is debated and preached between rival classes of townfolk. Although all are christian, the debate concerns who the "real" christians are and which are truly following the word of Jesus as it should be followed. On o... read morene side of the feud is the Borgen farm, with it's elderly father of three sons, all of varying degrees of faith. Eldest son Mikkel is an agnostic whose pragmatic view of the world borders on blasphemy. Johannes, is opposite his brother, believing himself to be the lord Jesus reborn on earth (the youngest son, Anders, really only serves as means of connecting the feuding factions, in a manner similar to "Romeo and Juliet"). Away from the farm, in the village community, a new christian order has arisen where once there was none. Led by the town tailor's family, they celebrate the Christ of damnation and death. The lord of all the dead, the lord of the pious members of the community. There is a rivalry between the elder farmer and the tailor that might extend beyond just religion, as the tailor engages in a bit of class envy as well. While the farmer condemns the townsfolk for their "doom and gloom" christianity, his own faith seems to be only of the lip-service kind and hardly light-hearted and cheerful. He paces about, ringing his hands and cursing his bad luck in life, as he bades his children (well, the ones who aren't Jesus) to pray with him for blessings that never come. The family consider Johannes a burden, and none of them ever actually listen to the things he has to say. Johannes was studying theology until exposure to the philosopher Kierkegaard caused him to have a mental breakdown. What does all this add up to? As Johannes exclaims, these christians have so much faith in a dead christ, and the ancient word, but none know living Jesus nor apply his word to their lives (the following lyrics are quoted from one of the christian hymns: "none knoweth the day before the sun goeth down, Good morning good morning sings the bird on the bough, it saw the evening sun behind the prison wall, at dawn the flowers curtsied sweet-scented, by evening they lay crushed under a storm of hail, small children played often in the red glow of morning, by evening they lay on the coffin still and dead"- it's death they worship, not life).

    "Ordet" began its existence as a play written by a pastor who was condemned to death by the nazis. In the hands of filmmaker Carl Dreyer, it becomes not just a celebration of the living christ, but a celebration of life in general. Life and spiritualism and the notion that the two go hand-in-hand. Closing our eyes and ears to the life that goes on around us, to our family and friends, forsaking these moments so that we might honor ancient words in some brittle text, is not the way to spiritual enlightenment, nor should it be. What one loves in Christ, one must also find in the eyes of a child, or in the warmth of family. We were not put on this earth to celebrate death and sadness.
  • webalina
    April 26, 2011
    webalina
    Could very well be the saddest movie I've ever seen, but at the same time uplifting and inspiring. Like most Carl Dreyer films it takes a while to get to the point, but the trip is so worth it. The film is beautifully shot, with slow fluid camera movement that totally sucks you i... read moren. And like most of Dreyer's films, the performances are amazing. Dreyer had a way of getting strong, emotionally honest portrayals out of his cast. Every touch, every tear, every smile, every display of love, anger or grief, feels completely real. The tragic events -- as well as the joyous ones -- left me reeling emotionally. I've seen it twice now (6 years apart), and my reaction was exactly the same both times -- I wept uncontrollably. This film is that powerful. This film, along with Dreyer's equally devastating PASSION OFJOAN OF ARC, is proof that Carl T. Dreyer was a genius.
  • ceWEBrity
    September 29, 2010
    ceWEBrity
    A broad, deep, challenging film, but my least favorite of Dreyer's works that I've seen thus far. I thought it was poorly paced and long-winded. The parts are there, but the composition is all wrong.
  • pier007
    March 17, 2010
    pier007
    An outstading piece of filmmaking. A religious experience, regardless of whether I believe in god or not, I was deeply moved by the story. It put me in contact with my spirituality, or the lack of it, feeding my urge, wish or impulse to never be indifferent to my issues, concerns... read more, life in general and the people who make part of it.
  • drago25
    June 30, 2007
    drago25
    Ordet is a film, based on a 1925 play, about the power of faith when all else fails. It's about a Danish family on a farm, their clashes in faith with another sect in their own, and what happens when a family member falls ill during childbirth. Being a person completely lacking ... read morein faith myself, I took in this film with a sort of outsider's perspective. Be that as it may, I found it to be deeply moving and genuine, and though it's steeped in theological discussion and crises, it doesn't get too heavy handed, nor does it talk down to the viewer. It's an allegorical story about each person coming to terms with their own faith, which is filmed (beautifully) just like a stage-play for the most part, and well acted and adapted. Definite must-see.
  • fb1142797643
    April 8, 2010
    fb1142797643
    Sorry, but "Ordet" was a bit too much for me. Dour, shellshocked people having slow, murmured conversation while gazing miserably into the distance...this is the sort of stereotypical action which bigoted Americans imagine when they ridicule foreign films. Myself, I kept recallin... read moreg parody dialogue from Woody Allen's "Love and Death." "Wheat...lots of wheat...fields of wheat...a tremendous amount of wheat...." Truth be told, I'm not likely to connect with a film so wholly focused on the issue of religious faith either.

    I did think "The Passion of Joan of Arc" was fantastic, however.
  • gator681
    January 3, 2010
    gator681
    In "Ordet," things are definitely busy at the Borgen farm in 1925. For starters, Mikkel(Emil Hass Christensen) and Inger(Birgitte Federspiel) are expecting their third child, hopefully a son this time. And Anders(Cay Kristiansen) has his eyes set on Anne(Gerda Nielsen), the dau... read moreghter of Peter(Ejner Federspiel), the tailor. The only thing holding up the nuptials is that Peter feels that the beliefs of Morten Borgen(Henrik Malberg), the family patriarch, so differ from his that he refuses on the spot. While Morten has grown impatient waiting for the new pastor(Ove Rud) to pay his respects, he goes to have a few words with Peter. And his third son Johannes(Preben Lerdorff Rye) is barking mad...

    "Ordet" is a stark drama about religious intolerance with a particularly excruciating climax. The exact religious beliefs are not stated but one could guess that we are only talking about slightly different Protestant sects.(Both Peter and Morten have framed pictures in their homes which might provide clues along these lines.) And it does remind me of a much more recent movie which I prefer since "Ordet" does feel too much like a religious debate at times, leaving little unsaid.
  • smootysveen
    April 26, 2010
    smootysveen
    The ending was too easy.
  • alice5mith
    February 1, 2010
    alice5mith
    The entire film is done beautifully and captures delicately life with its little unnoticed miracles. Unfortunately, the end distracts us from those and ruins the balance. Of course, such a miracle might be possible, and perhaps the filmmaker considers it justified in the light of... read more the characters' converting, but it doesn't seem necessary to me, as it doesn't seem appropriate to despise death itself's ability to cause miracles.
  • jimmyreed23
    May 15, 2012
    jimmyreed23
    I was pretty bored with this one, I must admit. This is one of those rare occasions where it is 100% me, in MY mind. It's not that I hated it, I just didn't like it..........it was watchable

View All Ordet (The Word) Reviews

Critic Reviews

March 25, 2006
New York Times

Both emotionally and intellectually the picture is hypnotic, and some portions will nail the spectator to his seat. Full Review

Tim Brayton
April 15, 2012
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

The greatest movie about religion. Full Review

Philip French
March 11, 2012
Philip French, Observer [UK]

There are only 114 shots, each averaging over a minute, only three close-ups, and the film demands and rewards the closest attention. Full Review

Peter Bradshaw
March 8, 2012
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]

A film with a hypnotic, irresistible stare. Full Review

David Jenkins
March 8, 2012
David Jenkins, Little White Lies

Guaranteed to make you levitate from your cinema seat in awe. Full Review

Philip Kemp
February 27, 2012
Philip Kemp, Total Film

At first glance it may seem slow, but stick with it and the psychological tensions enthral. Full Review

Kelly Vance
November 22, 2010
Kelly Vance, East Bay Express

Tragedy strikes, and petty denominational squabbles disintegrate in Dreyer's sublime synthesis of humanistic and textual faith, a vision of purity and clarity. Full Review

Dan Jardine
January 23, 2010
Dan Jardine, Cinemania

Ordet's faithfulness is both old fashioned and invigorating Full Review

Urban Cinefile Critics
July 12, 2008
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile

Reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman's spare style when exploring similar themes (eg The Seventh Seal), Dryer's work is disciplined and focused, rather like a Jesuit, really. Full Review

August 29, 2006
TV Guide's Movie Guide

This is an overwhelming emotional and intellectual experience, thanks both to its subject matter and its austere yet potent presentation. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Fanny och Alexander (Fanny and Alexander)
    Fanny och Alexander (Fanny and Alexander) (75%)
  • Breaking the Waves
    Breaking the Waves (100%)
  • The Passion of the Christ
    The Passion of the Christ (33%)
  • The Last Temptation of Christ
    The Last Temptation of Christ (100%)

More Movies like Ordet (The Word)

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Ordet (The Word) : Watch Free on TV

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Ordet (The Word). Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Ordet (The Word) to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?