Diary of a Country Priest
Directed by Robert Bresson
Written by Robert Bresson from a novel by George Bernanos
1951/France
Union Generale Cinematographique
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
#251 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
[box] Curé d’Ambricourt: [God] is not the master of love. He is love itself. If you would love, don’t place yourself beyond love’s reach.[/box]
This has all the necessary ingredients to make a great film yet somehow I just don’t connect with it.
A young priest (Claude Leydu) writes a diary about his spiritual life and attempts to ministert to his flock in an isolated French village. He is an outsider and all the villagers and gentry view him with suspicion and not a little contempt. Complicating matters, the priest has some sort of stomach ailment which is causing him to subsist on bread and wine. All the wine drinking causes rumors that he is a drunkard.
Despite all this, the priest soldiers on and even manages to provoke a religious awakening in a countess shortly before her death. This backfires agains him as well when her malicious daughter tells the world he actually upset her mother so much as to provoke her death. After the priest passes out in the street covered in his vomited blood, he is forced to seek medical help in a nearby town. He lives the remainder of his short life there with a seminary school mate who lost his faith. Nothing can shake that of our priest.
This film is undeniably stunningly beautiful to look at and has a great score. The acting is good as well. Stories about spiritual struggles often resonate with me. Something about Bresson’s cool detachment from his story make this less than compelling, though.
Montage of clips set to “Knockin’ on Heavens Door” sung by Bob Dylan
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