Although I am a film lover, I only saw Ordet for the first time the other day on US cable TV. I had already seen Dryer's masterpieces, Vampyr and Passion of Joan. The latter puts the Gibson's Passion of Christ to shame. The comment by Alice Liddel says most of what I wanted to say about Ordet with eloquence. Ordet is the epitome of "uncinematic" cinema. Even as I watched it I felt I was watching the work of a madman. Indeed the director has been rumored to have spent time in therapy and to base the character of John on a real life patient. No one would or could make a film like this today. One can feel the excessive attention to lighting, framing, actor movements, and pacing that suggests unusual obsession. At the same time these elements provide an undercurrent of tension that builds and builds. In Ordet, one senses what is coming at the end but can you really believe it will happen? That is the crux. You definitely will not be prepared for the way it is done. People have dealt with their Christian upbringing by going to secular humanism, or by going towards fundamentalism or anywhere in between the extremes. When life test us to the max, which one is right? In Ordet, John, the madman, says the answer is the "Word" and only the little girl in Ordet knows the word and it is faith.
