Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by tinear (A) on October 03, 2007 at 07:37:12

into you like an emotional dum-dum bullet.
A young, physically weak and frail priest inexplicably is given a parish dominated by a wealthy, domineering Count upon whose land the priest's home is located. The Count is estranged from his sickly wife, spending much time with the attractive governess of his daughter, enraging her.
Eventually, the machinations of the daugher drag the priest into a situation which leads to serious confrontation with the all-powerful count.
It seems almost worthless to describe actual incidents in this film (or almost any Bresson effort) because "action" isn't really important. Rather, it is the spiritual center of the characters, their trials, which interest the auteur. In this case, the little priest is most-Christ like, begging the question of whether modern society would treat the Savior any differently, knowing the history of the Gospels.
Being a Bresson film, the most profound of intellectual questions are not discussed in depth but rather he creates situations of wondrous invention to SHOW them. As in "Mourchette," there are many characters beautifully drawn in but a short scene or two.
No other filmmaker's works look like his or have keener moral content and clarity.
These really aren't films: they are life.