Ordet - Characters & Cast

His primary motivation is to uphold his family's legacy and his version of Christianity. He is driven by a deep-seated, though often prideful, desire for his sons to share his faith and for God's presence to be made manifest in his life.

Morten begins as a proud and stubborn man, confident in his traditional faith but deeply troubled by his sons' spiritual paths and his own unanswered prayers. He is initially opposed to Anders's marriage out of sectarian pride. Inger's death shatters his pride, leading him to reconcile with his rival, Peter. By the end, he witnesses a true miracle that humbles him and renews his shaken faith.

While delusional, his motivation is to awaken the world to what he sees as its spiritual decay. After regaining his sanity, his motivation is driven by the pure, innocent faith of Inger's daughter, Maren, which compels him to ask God for a miracle.

Johannes spends most of the film in a state of delusion, believing he is Jesus Christ. He speaks in parables and condemns the 'faithlessness' of those around him. The shock of Inger's death appears to restore his sanity. In the film's climax, now lucid but retaining a pure connection to the divine, he acts as a conduit for the miracle, demonstrating that true spiritual power comes not from delusion but from a clear, simple faith.

Inger is motivated by love for her family and a simple, profound faith in God and in the inherent goodness of people. She seeks to create harmony and believes that her faithless husband, Mikkel, will eventually come to believe because he has a good heart.

Inger is the spiritual and emotional core of the Borgen family. She embodies a faith that is gentle, accepting, and rooted in love rather than dogma. Her tragic death is the catalyst for the film's central crisis. Her arc is completed posthumously, through her resurrection, which serves as the ultimate affirmation of her loving faith and the catalyst for the spiritual rebirth of her family, especially her husband Mikkel.

His motivation is his deep love and devotion to his wife, Inger. While he rejects religion, his actions are guided by a fundamental decency and love for his family.

Mikkel starts the film as a kind-hearted agnostic who loves his wife deeply but cannot share her faith. He represents a modern, rationalist worldview. He is devastated by Inger's death. The miracle of her resurrection shatters his skepticism, and he tearfully proclaims that he has finally found faith, beginning a new life with his wife.