Leon Morin, Pretre [DVD]

If,like me, all you knew of Melville were his gangster pics of men in trechcoats and fedoras planning their heists that invariably go wrong, and came to this film late, boy are you in for a surprise!

This film about faith (the need for, the lack of...) and the flesh (the desire of the young woman who is the protagonist in this film, set in wartime France, for her young handsome confessor priest)achieves spiritual lift off that even Robert Bresson would have been proud of.

It tells you that Melville, had he shaken off his American film noir infatuations, could have worked across any genre and achieved perfection. Here was a guy who KNEW cinema.

If you were a Melville fan for Le Samourai, or Le Circle Rouge, this film will double up you admiration. A masterpiece!

You would not associate the dashing young Jean-Paul Belmondo with the role of a priest. His nose appears more suited to the profession of a pugilist rather than a priest! But this is the world of film, and a priest is what he plays! What is more surprising. is that he does it rather well! Using the same rational you would probably not think Jean-Pierre Melville would be the director of this "thinking mans romance". If someone had mentioned his name to me a couple of months ago I may at a stretch have recalled he made a few gangsters films, but would have been hard pressed to name any one film. But this film is emphatic proof that he was perfectly capable of making a fine film outside of his favourite genre.

In the film Emmanuele Riva, very fetching in bobby socks, plays Barny an attractive sexually frustrated widow. Barny is a communist militant with her own strong view of life. Set during the Italian/German occupation in a French village in the Alps she takes whatever is the easiest route to make life easy. But her life is changed when she makes a random visit to a priest for confession, in order to give him, "a piece of her mind". But this confessional does not go to plan, and she finds herself meeting him for further intellectual religious discussions. As time goes on she becomes inexoraby and irressistably drawn to him. But is the feeling reciprocated? Could this one sided romance be doomed from the beginning?

If you are a person who likes some action in his films, then forget it, this is not for you. This makes "The Antiques Roadshow" look like an action fest! Much of the filming takes place in the priests spartan little room, where the two discuss/spar religion in some lively little encounters that would illuminate many a mid week bible study group. All the sexual chemistry is cleverly implied, which has the effect of sending out even more sparks between the couple. Belmondo is a man who takes his vows seriously. He is pursued by a number of attractve young women in the Brigitte Bardot mould, who use all the feminine wiles at their disposal to seduce him. It is as if he is being tempted with a desert experience like the one who he so faithfully serves endured. But this priest is made of flesh and blood. It is apparent from his meagre possessions that he does not covet wealth. As the story progresses Melville manages to produce electricity from the simple brushing together of the couple. It is this subtlety that lifts this film above the ordinary romance into something greater. Melville has crafted something very different and shows his creative ability outside of the gangster film. It is sad that his early death robbed us of the possibility of seeing more films like this from him.

Excellent film, set during WW2, fascinating and exposing about moral dilemas, the reconciliation of faith and belief and how we as humans must be challenged out of our pre-conceived notions and beliefs about faith, church and most importantly Christ, and what really matters is often neglected due to our preconceived understanding of what church might be, and actually the liberation and love of God. Great if you are exploring the real concepts of faith and possibly priesthood.