MovieChat Forums > Ordet (1955) Discussion > Any atheists like this film?

Any atheists like this film?


Any agnostics or atheists fond of this film?


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I suppose I'm something of an agnostic and I though it was pretty great. Sure, its about Christ, but I can appreciate stories of Christ just like I can appreciate stories based on greek myth or whatever. I think people of any religious background can appreciate this film.


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Ordet 9/10



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I'm an atheist but i think its masterful

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I think the first answer to this post resume my thoughts about this great masterpiece. Of course it is about the Christian Faith, probably the best film about the subject. Dreyer was a master and anyone, of any religious background can enjoy his films.

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I think the original poster question was about anybody WITHOUT any religious background, if you get my meaning.

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zero faith here and i found this film to be simply magnificent. Johannes, Inger, Peter, Mikkel and Morten all wonderful characters.

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I come from what many would consider quite a religious (Christian) background, although not a rigid one. I stopped attending church in my early teens and have since struggled with the notion of a greater power to the point where I simply label myself as an agnostic who tends to side with reason and science. I find this film however, to be one of the most remarkable pictures I have ever seen. Both superbly shot and acted it stands out as an uncompromisng masterpiece in its medium. Though it did not bring me back to devout Christianity or any other religion, it did however greatly help me to understand (somewhat) the power of faith, REAL faith. And I don't just mean in Christianity or God either. I mean basically anything you choose to devote faith towards. I learned along time ago not to read into things too literally. Well, this film was no different. I see Christianity merely as the vessel in which the message was delivered. Great movie folks. Unreal.

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I've seen it suggested that a skeptic could believe that maybe Inger was in a deep coma, but I do not think the film supports that at all. In film terms, there can be no doubt that this was an "according to Hoyle miracle".

As an atheist, I can admire what was good about this film, including the examination of the nature of faith, and the gentle satire of both the sleek professional minister and the cunning, conniving evangelical.

Personally, I've found that I've lost the ability to empathize with religious faith. The cynic in me points out that Inger's miracle is on a par with Charlton Heston parting the Red Sea in The Ten Commandments or even with Christopher Reeve flying in Superman: it's part of a movie.

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Couldn't agree more. It also exposed the hypocrosy of religion to me.

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zero faith for me
contempt for believers
solid hate towards organized religion

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i love this movie

it's impressive, it's an important tale about life and time. It is also greatly directed.

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I am an atheist and I thought it was a great film. Reminded me a bit of The Virgin Spring, which is also a great film.

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Agnostic, raised in the Judaistic tradition.

I interpret the scene in question to mean Inger was Resurrected spiritually within the mind and heart and soul of Mikkel, and he realized that she would continue to live on in the world through him, through their children, through their family, through all the people whom knew and loved her. He realized that the life he was living was the life after death, and in that life, Inger would continue to live and breathe life into in him and their children and family etc, his entire physical and emotional being experienced a powerful epiphanic union with [his memory of] her soul and spirit, and he endowed her spiritual essence with corporeality because is was the only way for him to unconditionally and spiritually open himself up to receive her breath of life, her existence, her spirit, her faith in him, her salvation, and his own faith in the life that would come/life that would continue) after her death, a life that would continue to be happy and fruitful despite her physical absence, a life in which she would be resurrected daily by her loved ones if they remembered her example and lived by her example. In a way, Mikkel himself was spiritually resurrected.

Anyone who has lost a beloved, whether lover or spouse or parent or sibling or child, has done what Mikkel had done, imagined the person alive and breathing for just one more minute, and had that intimate conversation, in order to come to terms with his/her death.

You don't have to be a true believer in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, etc to experience that, and, speaking as a person from a religious background, nothing about Inger waking up translates to "Jesus is your L-rd G-d and Saviour!" or "G-d exists!", itt translates to exactly what you literally see, "Resurrection!", and Resurrection is not contingent upon belief in G-d/Jesus, nor is Resurrection strictly defined as "a dead body comes back to life".

It appeared to me Dreyer (whose background I'm not yet familiar with, this was my first Dreyer film and I watched it blind), much like some of the most influential Christian philosophers who lived before and after him, was asking simple believers, Christians who subscribed to dictionary definitions of the words in the New Testament, to reconsider the crudity such blind close-minded unquestioning literalism, and instead was challenging them to take the Socratic/philosopher's route (not abandon their faith, but mine the depths of faith to discover richer meaning).

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I found the film to be engrossing and interestingly made...Until the insipid cornball, "miraculous" ending, which made me want to barf.

Even if I was a believer I'd want it to be left as enigmatic question but it was just so much hokum.

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I'm an atheist with gigantic qualms regarding religion -- and I think Ordet is, pardon the cliched choice of words, a masterpiece. Including the amazing final scene. A movie doesn't have to be 100% about what I happen to believe in order to be great.

But, really, Ordet ISN'T 100% NOT about what I happen to believe. Ordet questions the nature of faith and, more importantly, the meaningfulness of religion, in modern life. And, really, it even comes down on the side of personal faith rather than organized religion. Certainly organized religion in the film didn't recognize Johannes as The Second Coming... and yet I have no problem with interpreting the final scene literally, even.

Ordet is a quiet but epic battle between the personal and the institutional -- a subject very much of interest to me. The "medium" of that battle just happens to be, in this case, one that is not of personal interest to me. No matter, it still speaks powerfully of that battle.

And, I mean, Dreyer was just an amazing filmmaker. He could make a film about making fish oil and I'd watch it. I mean, if he were still alive and well enough to work.

Matthew

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