I have to admit that many movies during the everyfilm experience will slip from my memory. I guarantee that Ordet will not.
Even for someone as non religious as me, this was a thought-provoking piece of work.
Carl Theodor Dreyer's work is effectively a naked message in support of the Christian faith.
But, despite my atheism, it posed questions which I found deeply engrossing.
Set on a Danish farm in 1925, it surrounds a family where one of the adult sons believes he is Jesus.
Meanwhile, his father is God-fearing but believes his son is mad as do his other sons.
However, this rekindled a thought I have often had : if I were wrong about religion and Jesus did return, who would believe him?
Many have claimed to be the son of God (I even remember former Coventry City goalie David Icke, dressing in turquoise and claiming it) but all have been universally vilified.
So how would the real Jesus persuade people it was really him?
Preben Lerdorff Rye plays Johannes whose claims of visions of God are pitied by his nearest and dearest. He appears to be haunted by the apparitions, magnified by his lilting Danish outpourings.
Meanwhile, Henrik Malberg is superb as his father, who despite his desperation over his son, is trying to live a normal life.
Ordet also explores the on-the-face-of-it ludicrous differences between different strands of the same faith, in this case Christianity.
To say more would give away the plot but, suffice to say, that Johannes might not be quite as bonkers as everyone thinks.
For sure, it has an ending which made me wince because of my own belief but I still ended up respecting the movie and where its heart is.
Ordet is being re-released and is being screened at the BFI in London. It is a slow movie but gets my recommendation.
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 7.5/10