292. Ordet (The Word) (1955)

Directed By Carl Theodor Dreyer

Synopsis

A family of Danish farmers is struck with disaster. One of the sons thinks he is Jesus, another one wants to marry a strict Calvinist, another one is an Atheist... Just like the Three Stooges, only more Scandinavian.


Review

Dreyer was the director of probably the best, silent film of all time, The Passion of Joan of Arc and here he is returning to some of the same themes. The themes of religious rapture and faith.

Fortunately for us Dreyer's view is quite a tolerant one. There is clearly a religious message to the thing, but it isn't being shoved down out throats fortunately.

The film works more at the level of family drama than anything else, but the elements of magical realism add something to the film, I still don't know if what they add is good or bad, though. I need to think a little bit more about it, but it certainly makes for a memorable ending. The pace is deliberately slow, but the characters are so well fleshed out that you care, and it works because you care.

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

It is based on a play by Kaj Munk, a Danish pastor who was killed by German Nazis.

A scene, sorry you have to speak Danish or read Spanish to understand it, but there is no version with English subtitles on Youtube: