Rent Ordet (1955)

A film remarkable for subject matter and for cinematography - Ordet review by MM

This film is quite remarkable and hightly atmospheric. The shots are a mixture of the wild untamed Damish marshlands and clautrophic interiors that arte beautifully framed and illuminated. It is a slow evolving film so those used to a modern fast plot will be frustrated. The atmophere for forboding and a kind of ominous spirituality thatr seems like a breeze throughout the film catches hold of you. Look closely at the end shots of the face of Inger. Is this amasterpiece of magical realism or somethign spiritual? that 1/2 second shot makes all the difference to the interpretation of the film. the performance by Johannes is as stunning as it is wierd. The attitiudes to death are also fascinating and the morality is of a different era and fascinating to see it laid out.

1954 not a good year in Denmark. - Ordet review by JD

Very very slow. I tried to watch it three times and never made it passed 20 minutes. May be one to watch with a crate of Red Bull.

worth enduring - Ordet review by AKL

Ordet is a memorable flm. Maybe for the wrong reasons. Its first half, though loaded with scenes of beautiful coastal photography, bored me if not to tears but to sleep, less so on a second viewing despite its theme of what nowadays seems like religous claptrap. But the concluding 30 minutes are amazingly powerful (if still hard to swallow if that matters by then) and include maybe the most beautiful scene involving a

six-year-old child I have ever seen. Worth catching for that alone. The DVD includes two other quite remarkable short films by the author, Carl Dreyer. I have given this review three stars simply because my reactions varied between one and five.