Of Gods and Men

2010 "In the face of terror, their greatest weapon was faith..."
7.2| 2h0m| PG-13| en
Details

French drama based on the 1996 kidnapping and killing of seven monks in Algeria. A group of Trappist monks reside in the monastery of Tibhirine in Algeria, where they live in harmony with the largely muslim population. When a bloody conflict between Algeria's army and Muslim Jihadi insurgents disrupts the peace, they are forced to consider fleeing the monastery and deserting the villagers they have ministered to. In the face of deadly violence the monks wrestle with their faith and their convictions, eventually deciding to stay and help their neighbours keep the army and the insurgents at bay.

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Reviews

KnotMissPriceless Why so much hype?
ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.
Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
theman-08533 Some IMDb reviews complain this movie is slow. They are right, but fail to understand that the slowness is in the service of the story. These are men that choose to lead a life of routine and work and service. They choose a life in which each day follows the previous, and meaning comes from curing wounds in small children and selling honey in the local market so they can heal more wounds tomorrow.Some reviewers say nothing really happens in this movie. Apart for a bunch of murders and the monks' bravery and despair, they are right. The monks seem passive. They foolishly choose to die rather than flee. They surrender their lives to the will of the God they believe in and the love of the community they have served for a hundred years. Is that dumb?Was that the right thing to do? What purpose did their sacrifice serve? What if they had fled? What would the rest of their lives been like? I love it when a movie makes me truly think. This one did.
Jackson Booth-Millard This was another one of those French films that without reading about it in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die I would never have heard or probably cared about, and besides the recommendation I was looking forward to seeing a James Bond film star. Basically a group of monks in a monastery are interrupted while making peaceful prayers, performing medical assistance and interacting with the community when there is a threat be an Islamic fundamentalist group. Christian (Lambert Wilson) the elected leader of the monks refuses protection of authority who are known to be corrupt, the monks split on the decision as to whether to stay in the monastery or flee to Algeria, but before the decision is made Ali Fayattia (Farid Larbi) and his group of fundamentalists demanding a doctor and medical supplies. Christian requests the requests of Fayattia and his group, who leave the compound in peace, but before he can grant protection on it he is captured, tortured and killed by government forces, and despite the danger and potential death they are faced with the monks stick with their morals and maintain their commitment to their religion and the local people. During a night time raid the terrorists ultimately seize control of the monastery, capturing the monks and holding them hostage, they are forced to walk a snowy path toward their fate, and the conclusion sees some words written by one of them, bravely made out before faced with death. Also starring Moonraker's Michael Lonsdale as Luc, Olivier Rabourdin as Christophe, Philippe Laudenbach as Célestin, Jacques Herlin as Amédée, Loïc Pichon as Jean-Pierre, Xavier Maly as Michel, Jean-Marie Frin as Paul, Abdelhafid Metalsi as Nouredine, Sabrina Ouazani as Rabbia, Abdallah Moundy as Omar, Olivier Perrier as Bruno and Adel Bencherif as Terrorist. I will first admit that most of the film was hard to follow, by I just about got that monks were against terrorists, but to be honest I liked the slower moments of the film, the talks amongst the religious men, including the memorable simply music scene featuring "Swan Lake" by Tchaikovsky, so with just enough thrilling moments like death and some interesting quieter sequences it adds up to a watchable drama. It was nominated the BAFTA for Best Film not in the English Language. Good!
Kong Ho Meng This film should deserve better. But it did not. Problem lies in the importance of significant events are failed to be captured properly.For example, there is too much time allocation on menial tasks, which is okay, but when scenes significant to the flow of plot surfaces, I just do not understand why the director did so little and allow certain cliché, unrealistic actions to take place. This is especially true to the terrorists who I believed were not portrayed in the correct way. Just go away without stealing the medications? This is so not realistic.The priests themselves, while collectively they have been given enough character study, by showing that even priests are like human beings who can be conflicted with each other and conflicted with their faith under fear and life-threatening circumstances... are still below my expectations.For example, some of them had expressed enough cowardice at the beginning that I expect some sort of betrayal to happen but it did not. This is fine. I questioned the motives of why some of them ended up becoming as priests, and there was not enough reason to justify why those who desperately wanted to leave changed their minds later. Not fine. The movie failed to addressed these issues in full. Maybe the pace is too slow for me, but I think the movie could have done a little more given the amount of time it was allocated.
frjacksjmd One can react to a film in many ways including: intellectually, viscerally, emotionally, cognitively, spiritually and aesthetically. One's reaction to a particular film is the result of complex interactions of all of the above and the characteristics of the film itself. Certain films are more likely to bring out particular types of reactions. This film works on many levels and will draw out complex and individual responses from each viewer. My responses were heavily influenced by my being a member of Catholic men's religious order that has a long (and ongoing) history or missionary work that, at times, puts our men in danger. This was true in the centuries since our founding and remains true for a number of my friends who are working "undercover" in several countries. I first watched Of Gods and Men with another member of the order who had already seen it but wanted to share the video and the experience with me. We watched on a small not very good TV with wretched sound. But within moments of the opening all of that faded away. When it was over I sat in the dark room stunned. I know several Trappist monks. I admire their lives and occasionally retreat at one of the their monasteries. While their vocation to contemplative monastic life is not my vocation, the bond of being in religious vows allows us to share something fundamental and vital. I was stunned when I read about the killings in Algeria and followed the story closely in the papers. Before watching the film I read the very well-written The Monks of Tibhirine that supplied some back story and biographical information that was not included in the film, a great deal about the history of Islamic fundamentalism in Algeria and much history of the French in Algeria. The scenes during which the men were discerning God's will, both as a community and individually, ring true. The lack of consensus, the bickering, the fear, the acceptance and the gradual movement of the Spirit are the same for all orders when they engage in corporate discernment emerging from each member's individual discernment. Though forewarned by my buddy, the scene of Swan Lake playing in the refectory was emotionally wrenching. The looks on the men's faces as the music swirled and the sense of community returned could never be described in words. I've been as deeply moved and emotionally drained each time I've watched the movie since (about four times since the initial viewing a year ago). Quibbles about the lack of action are absurd. That is not the kind of life we lead as religious. Prayer, Mass, and contemplation (even in an active order) are the backbone of our lives together and as individuals. The combination of the honesty of the portrayals of the men's and the community's spiritual crises along with the sublime cinematography combine to make this an extraordinary film on all levels.