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Of Gods and Men

(2011) *** 1/2 Pg-13
120 min. Sony Pictures Classics. Director: Xavier Beauvois. Cast: Goran Kostic.

/content/films/3992/1.jpgXavier Beauvois’ much-feted drama Of Gods And Men is a film of quiet contemplation about men of quiet contemplation, Trappist monks inhabiting a provincial Algerian monastery. Based on a true incident in 1996 involving a clash with Islamic fundamentalists, the film invites a consideration of the social roles of religion and how the unseen and unheard (namely God) provide unlikely justification for radically diverse social action. The story is, on its face, very simple. The encroachment of Islamic radicals on the peaceful countryside presses a thorny question to the monks: with direct conflict inevitable, should they stay true to their commitment to serve the local needy or abandon the monastery and return to the safety of France?

Most of the film is preoccupied with answering this question, and though the outcome is never much in doubt (Beauvois all but announces the film’s ending from the opening frames), classical tragedies concern themselves less with one’s fate and more with how one meets it. These are men of responsibility, service, and spiritual devotion, emblematized by the weight of leadership seen in Christian (Lambert Wilson), the medical care tirelessly offered by Luc (Michael Lonsdale), and the monks’ daily practices of prayer and chanting. (Side note: it’s particularly heartening to see the adept Lonsdale escape his niche as a hard-bitten toughie to play a gentle, loving soul.)

Since Beauvois takes pains to detail the activities and rhythms of monastic life, there’s an element of anthropological interest here (or disinterest, for those who find the slow pace unbearably ponderous). Themes emerge: the character of brotherhood (occasionally strained but ultimately loving), strong ties to the community (the monks’ trusted counsel is sought even on matters like secular love), and the struggle to maintain faith even in the face of a world gone mad.

The monks agree they shouldn’t be seeking martyrdom, but they are, in a sense, prisoners of conscience, a point that Beauvois and co-writer Etienne Comar only obliquely address. True to life, this community of faith is a conspicuously aging one, and it’s the youngest of the group (Olivier Rabourdin) who expresses the greatest reservations about staying in the line of fire: “Dying here, here and now…does it serve a purpose?” Christian rather unconvincingly offers, “Help will come from the Lord,” but his stronger argument goes to the heart of their sworn vocation to live like Christ: "The Good Shepherd doesn't abandon his flock to the wolves."

The specter of Islamic fundamentalism—carefully contrasted to the good-hearted Muslim men, women and children of the community—points up the damaging potential of faith, and for some viewers, the possibility of the monks remaining to face certain harm will prove the same point. But Beauvois wears his heart on his sleeve: if he allows the monks their humanity, he’s yet more interested in their extraordinary nobility of sacrifice. The film loses some power by letting the central debate fizzle out (Beauvois fumbles the dramatization of the men’s arrival at final decisions), but rallies in the end with an eloquent post-climactic testament by Christian, an attempt to respond rationally to the irrational.

[This review first appeared in Palo Alto Weekly.]

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Bluray

Aspect ratios: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 2

Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Street date: 7/5/2011

Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Of Gods and Men comes to home video in a top-notch Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack from Sony. The flawless picture quality ideally replicates the film's theatrical look with natural grain, richly accurate color representation, and crisp detail and textures.  It's a rock solid image wholly free of any digital artifacts: another winner from Sony. The lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix provides subtle treatment of the film's audio, with fine discrete separation of ambient effects and superb clarity to the (subtitled) dialogue.

Bonus features kick off with the excellent featurette “The Sacrificed Tibéhirine: Further Investigation” (18:37, SD), which includes visits to the Algerian priory of the monks of Tibéhirine; to family members of the monks, who discuss their relatives and the film based on their lives; and to a Trappist monk who had visited the men before their deaths. (You may need to use your Subtitle button to access the English subtitles, which for me did not engage automatically.)

“Merrimack College Augustine Dialogue IX with author John W. Kiser” (40:50, SD) is an extensive Q&A interview with the author of The Monks of Tibhirine: Faith, Love and Terror in Algeria.

Last up is the film's “Theatrical Trailer” (2:08, HD); this Sony set also includes a DVD copy and BD-Live access.

Review gear:
Panasonic Viera TC-P55VT30 55" Plasma 1080p 3D HDTV
Oppo BDP-93 Universal Network 3D Blu-ray Disc Player
Denon AVR2112CI Integrated Network A/V Surround Receiver
Pioneer SP-BS41-LR Bookshelf Speaker (2)
Pioneer SP-C21 Center Speaker
Pioneer SW-8 Subwoofer

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