Cast: Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale, Olivier Rabourdin, Philippe Laudenbach, Jacques Herlin and Loïc Pichon
Directed by: Xavier Beauvois
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for a momentary scene of startling wartime violence, some disturbing images and brief language
Genre: Art/Foreign and Drama, In French with subtitles
Running Time: 2 Hours
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Classics
By John Delia
The film’s running time does the movie an injustice with the long detailed and slow roll-out of the script. Taking endless time with holy chants, prayer and repetitive character development, Of Gods and Men looses it’s meaning and reason for showing the story on the big screen. It is very hard to pinpoint the audience that may enjoy the film, but I would guess devout Christians, historians and the French would be at the top of the list.
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Lambert Wilson as Christian and Jean-Marie Finn as Paul The movie centers on eight French Christian monks who have settled in a monastery in 1990’s Algeria. The group is lead by Christian (Lambert Wilson) a devout lover of his religious sect’s credo. It’s 1996 and a rebel extremist group that has taken many lives in an attempt to take control of the region has set upon Tibhirine, Algeria. With the monastery located in the midst of the growing war, Christian and his monk brothers are concerned for their well being. When a leader of the extremists visits the monastery compound, the monks start to worry about their safety.
- The story is loosely based on an incident in Algeria where an unknown group took seven monks hostage and then decapitated them. No special reason was given but most likely a failed attempt to use them as collateral to gain control of the government. To this day the group responsible for the awful incident have never been identified.
- That said, this film does not show the atrocity or any brutality to the monks that are eventually lead away from their sanctuary. It deals with the psychological factors, Christian beliefs and strong wills that bind them. Determined not to be intimidated, their leader stands up against the rebels yet not truly taking sides. Refusing help from what they call a corrupt military, the monks continue to do their daily chores and studies.
Of Gods and Men presents a different type of entertainment, one of acting and dialog that rolls out slowly. Mingling long close-ups of the characters with scenic trips showing the mountainous countryside, the film drones on for some two hours.
The film is rated PG-13 for a momentary scene of startling wartime violence, some disturbing images and brief language.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A long-winded film that can use a diligent editing. (D)