The Innocents (Agnus Dei) [DVD] [Region 2] (English subtitles)

Director by and partly written by Anne Fontaine, “Les Innocentes” is a powerful, emotional, tense and thought provoking film. It is bleak and the bleakness of the story is further emphasised by the stark photography from Caroline Champetier (cinematographer on “Holy Motors” and “Of Gods and Men” amongst many other films and documentaries), and from a fantastic cast: Agata Kulesza, Agata Buzek, Joanna Kulig, Anna Próchniak (Kama from Warsaw ’44), and Lou de Laâge amongst others.“Les Innocentes” opens with the on-screen statement “Cette histoire est inspirée de faits reel” “This story is based on actual events”, though as with any fact-based film, one never knows from watching the film, how loosely or not those facts are shown.If a synopsis is known, then the horror at the heart of the film is obvious, but this is no straight forward story and we also get to see that pious beliefs can also inflict suffering on innocent lives as well.An excellent director, cinematographer, cast, and story, for me, “Les Innocentes” is a great film.This is a French and Polish film, with a mainly Polish cast. The DVD I watched it on was a Polish version (with original film dialogue and optional French and English Subtitles, but the case, in book form that includes a twenty-two page booklet, was all in Polish).On that DVD (ASIN 8377787504) you get:“Les Innocentes” “Niewinne” (1 hour 51 minutes)Scene SelectionOptional English and French SubtitlesExtra Features: Ten extra features including trailers, though all are withouth English Subtitles.

I was engaged with the dilemma of the characters right from the start and the different and difficult choices that had to be made. The coldnss of the winter setting, the bleakness and bareness of the convent, the apparent divide between the prayer of the community (singing Advent hymns about the coming of the Saviour born of a virgin, and what in reality was happening to a number of them) The crisis of faith in God in some who professed to live a religious life and the practical love of neighbour shown in the communist nurse and the Jewish doctor. All in all I found it harrowing but totally engaging,

I think this film must have bene great but it is difficult to really say because the subtitles were practically non- existent. A sentence out of 15 was subtitled. Most of the film was in French and I understand it a bit, so I was able to undestabd something, but when they spoke Polish of course I did not understand anything.It is very sad because I really thought it must be a great film.

This is a strange film but very beautiful and I was very glad to have a chance of watching it. Unfortunately there are no instructions with it to help you click on the English sub-titles, and it's not at all obvious how to do it, but I managed to work it out: where the film is due to start, you have to click along to "ustawienia" and then you can click on the sub-titles.

Sadly, this dvd has no English subtitles so I had to return it.

Disappointing: a DVD WITHOUT ENGLISH SUBTITLES

I have just ordered this DVD having seen the film last night. It is truly brilliant! I am sorry some other reviewers did not work out how to get the subtitles. It would make sense for those selling Polish films to include some instructions, as indeed did the sellers of another film, "Karbala". To get into set up normally you click on "Ustawienia". To choose subtitles look for "Napisy". If there are different options and you want English choose Angielskie. Turning off subtitles is "Wylanczone"; "Wlanczone" is on. "Powrot do filmu" is taking you back to play the film.But seriously this is a most interesting film, said to be based on real events. Needs to be seen to be appreciated propery.