Diary of a Country Priest [DVD] [1951]

This is a review of the quite basic 2008 Region 2 DVD from Studiocanal, in their classic ‘Optimum World’ range. It comes with no extras, and in the original unrestored B&W 1.33:1, with mono sound. The image is rather grainy and quite dull, nor is it especially clean, whilst the sound is pretty good but by no means brilliant. The English subtitles are, however, very good. Unfortunately, if you want to see this iconic French film from 1950, there is no Blu-ray, and the only other version is a Korean import.Robert Bresson died in 1999, aged 98. In that long life, he made only 13 feature films, between 1943 and 1983. But his influence is completely disproportionate. In 2012, a poll of British film critics listed 7 of his 13 films (the highest number from any single director) in the top 250 films of all time. Meanwhile, leading directors as diverse as Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, Andrei Tarkovsky and Krzysztof Kieślowski, along with several of Bresson's French colleagues, have spoken about his abilities and his influence on their work; Ingmar Bergman was a great admirer.Watching this film, it is clear why he is so highly regarded, although it is also a film which will not be to everyone’s taste. It is set in a real village, Ambricourt, a rather bleak, windswept, rural location about 30 miles from the sea, in Pas-de-Calais, Northern France. The film is apparently a faithful adaptation of an award-winning novel from 1936, by Georges Bernanos. The events in the film are given no date, it could be 1936 or 1946, but clearly, the community is relatively poor and unsophisticated. Bernanos himself had fought in some of the most gruelling battles of WW1, was wounded more than once, and became an outspoken critic of France’s capitulation in 1940, and of Vichy. He was a Catholic, and much of his writing focusses on faith.The film events are in part narrated by the central character, the new and inexperienced young priest of Ambricourt ~ who is never named. Much of his narration comes as he writes his diary, which he himself comments is noteworthy, because so little happens. He appears to use the diary as a means of undertaking a dialogue with God. The film follows his involvement in the parish from his arrival, until his untimely departure. It is a sad and sobering story, as he battles to help a rather unwelcoming, unsympathetic, unlovable flock. The cold, bleak, weather, mirrors his cold, bleak, abode and the cold, bleak, reception he receives.Bresson’s particular skill is to tell a story in a totally engrossing manner, but without any unnecessary frills. He sought never to make judgements about the subject within his films, and to eschew melodrama, keeping the action sober and contemplative. His view was that this allowed an audience greater space to make their own judgement. To this end, he used many non-professional actors. Claude Laydu, the Belgian-born Swiss actor who plays le Curé, was just 23, and had never acted in film before, though he did train at the French Conservatoire of Dramatic Art. He is the epitome of naive earnestness, humility, and of both doubt and faith, and is quite brilliant.The film provides a challenging study of morality and ethics, of spirituality and faith. This is a 5 Star film of great power.

Bressons ekes out of his sparse material a deeply moving story of faith and loneliness. It is a completely original film in that the performances come about before one's eyes but seem to have no celluoid permanence, and on next viewing will reveal new and different motivations and nuances. The sufferings and yearnings of the characters are real and powerful enough, but mainly as a result of Bresson's ability to get us, the audience, to project our feelings upon the drama, investing the minimal action with rapidity and purposefulness, and so propel it to its destination. The film is one of several that, to my mind, establishes this director among that handful of all-time greats.

A superb film that deserves all the ctitical acclaim it has received. Very understated and very satisfying. Product arrived promptly and in good conduition. Thank-you.

A very well-made film that tells its story in an economical, absorbing, and dramatic way. But, be warned, - all values in the film are religious values not humanistic values. The priest is a very ineffective parish priest. He is weak and ill and so bound up in himself and his prayers and his diary that he is unable to form good relations with any of his parishioners. His conversations are almost entirely with the rich squire and his household at the chateau. (Significantly all he can do for the poor children is to try ineffectually to teach them tp learn the catechism by rote.) His one success as a priest, which forms the central scene of the film, is to convince the proud countess that she has been wrong to let her life be entirely dominated by mememories of her son who died in childhood. Her absorbtion in the past has clearly prevented her from playing her proper role as wife and mother, and the life of the family has disintegrated and is now loveless. The priest does not see her fault in this light. He sees only that she has not accepted the will of God. He struggles to make her accept this view of the matter, and he succeeds. He reconciles her to God and gives her his blessing, and she dies in a state of peace and sanctity. In the priest's eyes that is a triumph, although it does absolutely nothing to undo the harm that has been done. The film ends with the death of the priest from stomach cancer. He dies in the house of a friend of his student days who now has a woman companion. When the priest finds that the pair are 'living in sin' he is roused from his dying torpor just long enough to pursuade his friend to go and see his parish priest, presumably with a view to saving their souls by getting married.Throughout the film the priest's behaviour is governed by the dogmas and formalities of the Catholic Church. His life lacks any warm human relationships. This may be seen as his misfortune, but it is the also the result of his own shortcomings as a person. To him good human relations and human happiness are not of prime importance. His mind is on other things. The intense religious drama is drawn from the strange world of Roman Catholicism which is remote from the real world and is largely irrelevant to it. That is why to non-Catholics the film, despite its merits, may prove unsatisfying.

The challenges are perennial, the grace always available. An excellent movie to watch time and again.

Though there was a "subtitles" choice, nothing would come up

This is a wonderful movie, but unfortunately not suitable for viewing in Notth America. This film must be made available in North America at a reasonable price. This edition is at a very attractive price.

Le village du Nord de la France où aboutit le jeune curé présente des similitudes surprenantes avec la communauté rurale décrite par Michaël Haneke dans "Le Ruban Blanc": le notable avec ses turpitudes, gens mesquins et indifférents, enfants aux noirs desseins...Mais ici, au lieu d'imposer un code moral strict, la démarche du curé est celle d'un mystique proche des êtres humains, et est fondée sur l'amour, la dévotion, et l'acquiescement.L'un des plus bouleversants cheminements mystiques que le cinéma nous ait offerts.

Through the journaling of a young priest the audience can follow the priest's first assignment as he is managing the small parish Ambricourt, which is located on the French countryside. As swiftly as the priest arrives he is discouraged by the unfriendly atmosphere that surrounds him in the village. His discouragement leads him on a path of spiritual and cerebral suffering as he struggles with his faith in God and humanity. Besides the intellectual struggle the priest is suffering physically from an illness in his abdomen that has forced him on a rare diet based on old bread that he softens in sweetened wine. Unselfishly, the priest continues to face-up to the adversity of his environment as he clasps on to remains of his minuscule faith. Bresson's vision of the priest is visually stunning as the film emotionally draws the audience into a vortex of thoughts, feelings, and presence. In the process, Bresson communicates his philosophical message with daunting simplicity as he removes all the miscues that could distort his position. This leaves the viewer with an utterly brilliant cinematic experience as one can sense and reflect on Bresson's revelation of a country priest.

Everything was satisfactory.

Sans parler du film que certains jugeront trop statique et ennuyeux (c'est du Bresson) et que d'autres pourront considérer comme un chef-d'oeuvre, ce support dvd en import anglais est une bonne solution pour voir le film (qui n'est pas édité en ce moment). Les sous-titrages anglais sont facultatifs (il n'y a pas de version doublée en anglais) et on peut donc regarder ce film comme si c'était une édition française. D'autant que le tarif est intéressant (au moment où j'écris ce commentaire).On ne peut que conseiller de lire le livre ( Journal d'un curé de campagne ) avant de voir le film... Cela évitera d'être influencé par le film et permettra de saisir vraiment l'interprétation qu'en a faite Bresson. Le livre est écrit sous la forme d'un journal et donc, contrairement au film, il n'y a pas de distance entre le protagoniste et le lecteur, et l'identification est plus facile. Même si les premières pages sont assez ennuyeuses à cause des conversations du début entre le vieux prêtre et le jeune curé qui n'ont plus grand intérêt aujourd'hui, si on passe cette étape, cela reste un des dix meilleurs romans français du XXe siècle (enfin, c'est juste mon avis).Pour les amateurs de sujets religieux, on peut voir aussi un film très réussi de Melville, plus gai et plus sentimental, sur une figure de prêtre à l'exact opposé, avec une très bonne Emmanuelle Riva et un excellent Belmondo :  Leon morin prêtreJournal d'un curé de campagneLeon morin prêtre