REVIEW: Of Gods And Men

Of Gods And Men

Director: Xavier Beauvois

Year: 2010

Plot Summary: Eight Cistercian monks come under attack in their Algerian monastery forcing them to question both their faith and their mission in the country.

France’s submission for the Best Foreign Film award at the Oscars is one of the finest works of world cinema so far this year. Telling the story of 8 Cistercian monks who came under attack in their Algerian monastery in 1996, Of Gods And Men is an engrossing and moving tale of spirituality.

Though many walked out of tonight’s showing muttering words of disdain about the movie’s deliberate pace and lack of much drama, the amount of time that director Xavier Beauvois dedicates to the lifestyle that these eight characters lead is one of the most fascinating things about Of Gods And Men. While it would have been easy to make this a work of suspense, building up to the murder of the priests, he instead makes his film one that investigates faith and its many effects on both the individual and a community.

Though the Islam extremists are the villains in the movie, Xavier Beauvois never once makes his antagonists a stereotype or cliché. This is far from being an episode of 24 where every Muslim is a terrorist, bomber or wielding an AK-47, the villains here are much like our heroes in their dedication to their beliefs, making the audience understand – though admittedly hate – their actions.

Moreover, touching on the contemporary issues of terrorism and war, this French drama makes a clear and important distinction between strong religious beliefs and the extremist actions of a few, utterly denouncing fundamentalism from the very beginning.

The direction is unstylish yet utterly absorbing as it quietly draws you into the world that these characters inhabit and subtly moves you as their moral dilemmas begin to come to the surface. The silent moments in which the priests reflect on their shared brotherhood or question their faith sneak up on you from nowhere and leave you surprisingly emotional.

Of course, this has just as much to do with the incredible performances that come from the entire cast. Particularly good are Lambert Wilson and Olivier Rabourdin, the former anchors the entire story and its themes with his courage and sensitivity while the latter helps provide much of the emotional weight through his doubt and fear.

Quiet and subtle yet surprisingly engrossing and almost overwhelmingly powerful, Of Gods And Men is sure to be recognized at the aforementioned Academy Awards this year and deserves the praise it’s receiving.

4/5

By Daniel Sarath with No comments