Leon Morin, Priest

I watched a movie called Leon Morin, Priest, directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, released in 1961. It is based on the novel, The Passionate Heart. It stars Jean-Paul Belmondo, and Emmanuelle Riva. It is a story about a woman who lives in a small French town, which first gets occupied by Italian military and then the German military. During this time, the woman, played by Riva, who has a daughter, goes to the church to hurrang the priest about the hypocrisy of organized religion. She chooses the priest purely based on his name, Leon and goes to the confessional. She says her piece and is confronted with an intelligent discussion from the priest, Leon, played by Belmondo. Thus, it becomes a story of her friendship and life of that period with the priest. It is a simple story but it has many twists and turns. Since it is told from her perspective, there is a more nurturing aspect to the story that is interesting. The thing I like most about this kind of movie is that the woman will tell a little bit of the story, it will fade out and fade in, much like many French movies. I wouldn’t consider this French New Wave as it has a linear story that is pretty easy to understand. It has a lot of religious debate in it which was interesting since Riva’s character is an atheist. However, it is not beating the viewer over the head with theological concepts or trying to convert anyone. It is well thought out and well developed dialogue that should be part of any religious discussion (though I know that is not the case in real life). There was no mention of her husband, though I may have missed that part in the introduction as it was subtitled and the translation might’ve been off. It was interesting because it approached a subject that might be/is considered taboo in an adult manner. Riva is beautiful in this movie, an unconventional beauty as compared to some of her costars but that is what works for her character, she brings an inner strength and intelligent beauty that brings out her outer beauty and you fall in love with her as the movie progresses. Belmondo is very handsome indeed and it was strange seeing him as a priest though very believable.  It does end on kind of a blank, which is I suppose, a movie like this should end.
Overall, I thought it was very well written, the scenes were shot very well, and the dialogue was quite interesting to hear. I recommend this if you can find it.

Holy Mountain

I watched a movie and it is called Holy Mountain, directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky, released in 1973. It is a surreal story about a man called "thief" who resembles Jesus, who comes in contact with an alchemist in a tower, who leads him on the path to immortality with seven others. That is only the half of it though.
Like I said, it is a surrealist movie and has a lot of religious imagery and Tarot card imagery. It is really hard to explain, one really has to experience it. Not just see it, experience it. I had no clear idea what this movie was going to be about, I had not even heard of the director. I was just looking through movies to watch late one night (as I tend to do) and this one struck me. The opening sequence alone was enough to reel me in. I don't mind surreal films. In fact, Un Chien Andalo, 1929, that Luis Buñuel and Salvadore Dali had worked on together is one of my favourite movies to watch on occasion because it is so strange but so very artistically enriching to watch because it takes you on a journey (albeit short) and you are left to wonder. This is what Holy Mountain is in so many words. I also don't have a problem with religious imagery that is featured in the movie because I am open minded that way. I will not discuss it here, though if you are offended by that, I would probably tell you to avoid this movie. However, by doing so, you are missing out on something very thought provoking and evocative of what and how religion is interpreted by different countries. At least that is how I felt about it by the end of the movie. A lot of people complain about the ending but I thought it was a nice touch by Jodorwsky because you get so emotionally invested into the characters and the actions that are happening on screen that it is hard to break away from that I think. The movie is based on some source material: Ascent of Mount Carmel by John of the Cross and Mount Analogue by René Daumal. I don't know by how much but I thought it was worth mentioning in this review. There are some psychedelic aspects to this movie too that can be slightly off putting, just so you know.
Overall, I thought this was an excellent movie and had a very strong story, interesting, provocative imagery and a pretty solid cast. I do want to warn that there is some nudity, some animal imagery that might be too much for some and some other questionable content however do not let this deter you from this movie experience.

Shadowlands

I watched a movie and it is called Shadowlands, directed by Richard Attenborough, released in 1993. It stars Anthony Hopkins, Debra Winger and Edward Hardwicke. It is the story of the later part of professor and author C.S. Lewis’s life with his wife, Joy and how her death challenges his faith. It is an interesting movie in that it portrays Lewis as a man of particular traits and habits until he gets a letter from a woman in America that challenges him at every turn when they meet. It treats their story as something organic and indeed it builds and ebbs and flows in such a way that doesn’t seem forced in a movie conventional way. I’m not sure how much of it is truly based on their lives (as with all “true stories” kinds of movies and generally how people remember things) but it seemed genuine enough to me. I am familiar with C. S. Lewis through his critical work rather than the Narnia books. In fact, I owe him a debt of gratitude as his book, Miracles, helped me write a paper about the subject and get a decent grade on it at one of the colleges that I was attending while attempting to get my Master in Philosophy.
Attenborough uses an economy of shots but still using long takes of faces and places that really convey the human spirit of this movie. The acting is superb all around, from Hopkin’s Lewis being so aloof and so intellectual, Winger being so humble, abrasive but so loving after having such a terrible previous marriage, their chemistry so believable. The score is light and not at all overbearing.
I had seen this movie a few years ago on cable and was captivated by it and spent a number of years trying to find it again (I suppose it is out of print or something) because I didn’t get to finish it. I finally did and I feel better for it.
Like I said before, it may or may not hold true facts here and there but it might be a nice little movie to watch, if you are interested in some love story, heavy drama and want to see a little of what C.S. Lewis might’ve been like. Get some tissues though, fair warning.