Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) is widely considered the ultimate Christmas movie of all times. For Easter, one could say the same of Ordet (1955), the Danish faith-based drama directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer.
Ordet (meaing “The Word”) is a based on the play of the same title by revered Danish priest and playwright Kaj Munk. Dreyer’s adaptation of the play shows the faith of different members of the rural Borgen family after the First World War leading their lives. The eldest brother Mikkel (Emil Hass Christensen) has lost his faith; the second brother Johannes (Preben Lerdorff Rye) thinks of himself as Jesus Christ and preaches faith while his family see him as a good-meaning man who lost his mind; and the youngest brother Anders (Cay Kristiansen) is in love with a girl whose father won’t accept him as a son-in-law because their domination is different than that of the Borgens.
The faith of each family member comes into play when an emergency hits the family, setting the stage for a scene of fate versus prayer.
Ordet instantiates the art of dramatic tension by employing all the elements of play in perfect sync – palpable characters, engaging plot, soulful dialogue, and a pitch-perfect climax. The cast in the movie has delivered their best in their respective roles. But Johannes’s character stands out in its uniqueness and becomes a voice of divinity. Preben Lerdorff Rye’s performance has made the character unforgettable.
Ordet is in Danish language with English subtitles available in some online versions (the one viewed here). It has immense spiritual appeal in its exploration of faith and mortality, and makes the ideal movie for Easter.
