Ordet
On a Danish farm, clashing beliefs about God, medicine, love, and authority converge during one family's perilous night of crisis.
Overview
A profound exploration of faith and the human spirit unfolds on a Danish farm.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- austere
- contemplative
- solemn
- quiet evening
- serious film discussion
What critics said
Critics regard Ordet as a masterful, formally rigorous spiritual drama whose austere images and performances give extraordinary force to its exploration of faith and miracles.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dreyer's high-contrast black-and-white photography and composed interiors give the Borgen farmhouse an austere, almost sacred intensity.
Traditional Lutheranism, fundamentalist Christianity, agnosticism, and Johannes's messianic conviction collide across the Borgen and Petersen families.
Inger's dangerous pregnancy and the doctor's arrival transform debates about prayer, medicine, and miracles into a prolonged crisis.
The Danish farm and surrounding community organize the conflicts over Anders's marriage, sectarian identity, patriarchal pride, and spiritual authority.
Films like Ordet, and why
The Seventh Seal
spiritual drama, austere black-and-white imagery, and profound confrontation between faith and rationalism
Winter Light
religious inquiry, stark visual composition, and intense moral seriousness within a rural community
The Sacrifice
slow-building family drama, philosophical questioning, and spiritually charged atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Carl Theodor Dreyer
- Release Date
- 1955-01-09
- Runtime
- 125 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (430)
Cast
- Henrik Malberg
- Birgitte Federspiel
- Emil Hass Christensen
- Preben Lerdorff Rye
- Cay Kristiansen
- Ejner Federspiel
- Gerda Nielsen
- Sylvia Eckhausen
- Ann Elisabeth Groth
- Susanne Rud
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel, Darkroom
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Ordet about?
- On a Danish farm, clashing beliefs about God, medicine, love, and authority converge during one family's perilous night of crisis.
- What is Ordet like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ordet as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Ordet violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Ordet as mild.
- What did critics think of Ordet?
- Critics regard Ordet as a masterful, formally rigorous spiritual drama whose austere images and performances give extraordinary force to its exploration of faith and miracles.
- Which films are like Ordet?
- Films with a similar feel include The Seventh Seal, Winter Light, and The Sacrifice.
- How long is Ordet?
- Ordet runs 125 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ordet?
- In United States, Ordet streams on Criterion Channel, Darkroom.
