ORDET
Denmark, 1955, 126 minutes, Black and white.
Birgitte Federspiel, Emil Hass Christensen.
Directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer.
Ordet is one of the many masterpieces by Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer. He began his writing career in 1912 and directed his first in 1919, The President. During the 1920s he made a number of significant films which still remain classics, Michael, Master of the House. However, he is probably best remembered for his silent film of 1928, The Passion of Joan of Arc. His first sound film, Vampyr, is also considered a classic of its kind. The other film for which he is strongly remembered is the 1943 historical and religious drama, Day of Wrath. He directed a number of films after World War Two in Denmark. Ordet is his outstanding film and his final film was Gertrude in 1964. Lars von Trier filmed his screenplay for Euripides’ Medea in 1988.
Ordet is an austere film about a man who thinks that he is Jesus Christ. The film focuses on the word, the word of God, the word of God heard by a man with a singular vocation and understanding of himself. The film also traces how his family deals with him and with the situation.
The film won a Golden Globe for best foreign film in 1955 as well as winning the Golden Lion and the Venice Film Festival. It on a number of international awards including the American National Board of Review for best foreign film.
1.Ordet hailed as a masterpiece? Its status, its standing in terms of film-making, plot, values and exploration of themes? The transcendent in human life?
2.The work of Dreyer, his visual style, the heritage of his silent film era? Writing and directing?
3.A film of the 1950s, yet very much influenced by the past? The black and white photography, the Jutland settings, the lighting, the exteriors and interiors? The compositions of scenes, the framing? The musical score?
4.The title: the reference to the Word, to God, to humans listening to the Word, the nature of faith?
5.Issues of religion, church, the Protestant tradition, belief and unbelief, personal faith?
6.The portrait of the family, the way the film established each character and the interrelationships? The situation of the town, the visualising of the town? The household, details of life, work? Talk, meals? The feuds? The underlying faith? Relationships?
7.The portrait of the grandfather, his being the patriarch, his place in the family, his relationship to his sons? The role of prayer, the praying of prayers? His relation to Inger? The meals, his blaming himself? The role of Anne? The fight, the Gospel? The pregnancy and its effect? Prayer and interpretation of prayer? Reconciliation?
8.Inger, going beyond faith? Not a Lutheran? As wife and mother? The relationship with Johannes? The coffee for the grandfather? Anders, the pregnancy, suffering? Death and rising?
9.Mikkel: no faith, his work, with the herds, his love, helping Andres, his death? The tears and the miracle?
10.Anders, chasing Johannes, at work, relating to Anne, his father? His place in the feud? The effect? The new family?
11.Anne and her place in the family, tailors, the feud, her not participating, her going in grief?
12.The focus on Johannes and his madness, his place in the family, relating to the other people? His religious background, his perceptions of himself? His sufferings? The light, faith? On the hills? Death, the girl, the promises? The image of Lazarus and his rising from the dead? Saying the word? The search? The cure? With the girl – a miracle?
13.The girl and her love, simplicity, the farewell? Her uncle, faith?
14.The minister, his visit, the religion background, the Lutheran tradition? The prayer? Johannes?
15.The contrast with the doctor, his science background, the nature of belief and science?
16.The relationship between Mikkel and his agnosticism and Inger and her faith? The importance of the marital relationship? The birth of the child?
17.The experience of death, the experience of birth? The child? The mother, being laid out? The final images of hope and resurrection?
