Often to be found in most top tens of the greatest films of all time, Ordet (The Word), is a profound experience. It is a challenging film, that asks many questions, without offering direct answers, and yet, by the end of the experience succeeds in bringing the viewer closer to God and fellow man.
A Danish family go about their ordinary lives, experiencing love, pregnancy, and conflict. In the midst of all of this stands Johannes, the second son of the family, who has gone mad, and thinks he is Jesus Christ.
Roger Ebert describes his experience of Ordet:
When the film was over, I had plans. I could not carry them out. I went to bed. Not to sleep. To feel. To puzzle about what had happened to me. I had started by viewing a film that initially bored me. It had found its way into my soul. Even after the first half hour, I had little idea what power awaited me, but now I could see how those opening minutes had to be as they were… The film stands utterly and fearlessly alone. Many viewers will turn away from it. Persevere. Go to it. It will not come to you.
The "Recordatio" Cinema Club 