Of Gods & Men [Blu-ray] [2010] [US Import]

An extraordinary film in which actors grew into monks before my eyes and their predicament became real. I was immensely touched by the evident love which existed between the monks and the villagers they served and moved by the image in which the former were compared to a strong branch on which the frail could perch. That such affection and concern could exist between Christians and Moslems was I felt overwhelming. The scene where Luc advises the young girl on love was both amusing and moving and suggestive of the tender ordinariness of the relationships.

Finally the sense of spirituality which suffused the film conveyed often by the silence and immobility became palpable for me and left me with a memory which I am sure will endure.

What is refreshing about the popular and critical success of Of Gods and Men (winner the Grand Prix at Cannes 2010) is not that it is particularly experimental or challenging, but rather that it avoids going either for the populist crowd-pleasing angle or the tear-jerker that its real-life inspiration seems to demand. The film is based on a true story of a small community of Cistercian monks in Tibhirine in Algeria caught up in the country's political troubles during the 1990s. The monks regard it as their duty to bring aid and provide medicine for the local villagers who are suffering because of the local unrest and the battles between the national army and Islamic fundamentalists, but they risk incurring the wrath not only of the fundamentalists through their spreading of Christian beliefs, but also the Algerian army who believe that they may be giving aid and medicine to wounded militants.

It would be all too easy to let the divide that exists in this situation and the choice that is faced by the monks to remain simplistic - should they stay or should they go? Even though there are some reservations expressed, there is never any doubt that the monks will come to the logical Christian conclusion and stay. What is rather more impressive however is how the director refuses to allow this decision to be seen, as it would in a more conventional film, as simply an act of heroism or bravery. The situation is not exploited shamelessly for heavy-handed sentimentality as it would be in a Hollywood production, but rather it goes deeper into the qualities that lie behind courage and potential martyrdom. What the monks have to grapple with are their own doubts, their own flaws, their own fears - their very humanity. It is not weak to confront these fears, but the true measure of the men is in how they come to terms with their human weaknesses without denying them.

Beauvois manages to draw the essential truth and beauty out of the film, and at the same time protect it from the intrusive elements that could indeed diminish its force, simply showing the closeness of their brotherhood, their willingness to understand and forgive, and their ability to reflect deeply not so much on the decision that must be taken whether to stay or to leave, but on a deep search into themselves for the heartfelt truth. These kind of reflections and questions are not so easy to put up on the screen without troublesome exposition, but Beauvois manages to show simply and effectively how the monks find this truth in their daily routines and in the simplicity of their lifestyle. It all comes down to life and the love of life itself, and the simple pleasures that can be gained from it.

Des Hommes et des Deux (2010) 18

Of Gods and Men (2010) 18

Des Hommes et des Deux manages to tell a story and make you care about the characters whilst it exclaims its philosophy. It says what it has to say without preaching, which must be difficult in a movie where the main characters are monks in a subtle way. It is a modern masterpiece that doubtless will leave its message, and the complex issues that it raises, on the minds of people who have watched it for a long time.

Directed by Xavier Beauvois, the film is based on the lives of Cistercian monks in Algeria and there interaction with the local community in the 1990's during a time of great turmoil where Islamic extremists are taking over the village and according to one scene, the country, against everybody's dismay. The monks are constantly threatened by the presence of the fundamentalists and face a tough decision whether to stay or not as they are the backbone of the village and the only medical treatment the people of the village can gain access to.

The tone of the film does not attempt to portray the monks as all holy and is not quintessentially pro-christian. A lot of the film is the monks struggling with their own faith and each one of them attempt to deal with the events with their own conscience and the most powerful scenes are the ones with the monks sitting around deciding what they are going to do. The film, without actually vocalising it appears on all sorts of philosophical levels and manages to draw a line between the Islamic villagers feelings towards the monks and the terrorists. The main message of the film comes out as it being important to separate the ordinary Algerians with the terrorist uprising, it remains unsaid for much of the film however and is only alluded to once. Another interpretation would be that it is an examination of the lives of ordinary people and and ordinary village at a time of religious persecution, a portrayal of the monastery and village as a modern day Montailiou.

The monks are portrayed 3-dimensionally and the acting is incredible. In a departure from what we get in Hollywood drama's, the entire cast look like they are human beings who have lived through some life. They're acting is incredible and the emotion they portray is both subtle and something to empathise with. The script is written in a minimalist way so much that you believe that these are real people and this is how real people would act under the circumstances. One feels through the beautiful acting and the script the intense fraternity that the monks have... the one scene where they sing whilst an army helicopter flies overhead is incredibly moving and shows the spirit of brotherhood that the monks felt towards each other in the circumstances.

The film doesn't preach, even when the monks take mass it creates the feeling that they are carrying on with the ritual for themselves so that they can have the strength to carry on protecting the village. The film is not, on a basic level, about the religious themes but rather a group of aid workers who are in danger and having to wrestle with the decision, philosophically, personally and spiritually to leave or to stay.

The film is one of the most important film's of the year and is a piece of art in its own right. The storytelling is excellent as is the casting, direction and acting. It's shot beautifully, it's central messages and themes don't get lost despite a strong narrative and it deals with complex topics in simultaneously complex, intelligent and thought through ways. I would advise anybody to see this film. It won the Grand Prix de Jury at Cannes and I am fairly certain that it should win the Academy Award for best foreign film, if it doesn't it's because the judges didn't understand it. Better than anything I've seen this year yet, including Inception and Uncle Boonmee