Weekly Journal Entry (Ordet, Dreyer, Denmark 1955)

The movie “Ordet”

The movie “Ordet” is challenging to comprehend. However, once inside, the audience is unable to leave. The movie took place in Denmark in 1955 during a peaceful, harsh winter (Bordwell 145). It is located in a rural area where many people have odd religious interests. Two families’ worth of characters are introduced to the audience. Morten Borgen, the grandfather of the Borgensfarm, and Peterson, a tailor, are the major performers. The two guys stand for two families with opposing Christian origins.

Introduction of Characters

It is noteworthy that the film takes some time to introduce each character. It gives each character their proper weight rather than darting them. The early scenes are typical of most societies. Inger who is married to Mikkel is pregnant again. The young Anders proposes to Anne, the tailor’s beautiful daughter. Morten takes pride in his farm and is the envy of everyone. Anders reveals to Inger that he intends to marry his lover. Inger foolishly spills the beans to her father in law. As expected, Morten opposes the idea because Peter belongs to the wrong religion. The two families are Christian, but Morten is a liberal believer who advocates for more freedom and joy in the practice of worship. Peter, however, is a fundamentalist (Bordwell 149).

Religious Dogmatism and Intolerance

Religious dogmatism and intolerance dominate the film with each group rooting for its style of belief. It is clear that everyone depends on religion to survive. Prayer does not work, and the two hostile groups seem to agree that it takes faith for God to answer prayers. The cast is astonishingly well. The outdoor shots of buggy rides are beautiful. The camera movements are well balanced and of incredible quality. It may be boring during the first few minutes, but watching the film is worthwhile.

Work Cited

Bordwell, David. The Films of Carl Theodor Dreyer. Univ of California Press, 1981.