Film Review: Of Gods and Men (Des hommes et des dieux, 2010)

In 2011, during the census, many Croatian households dreaded the arrival of officials who would, under threat of heavy fines, extract from household members answers to questions of the most intimate nature and force them to think carefully while doing so, lest with “wrong” words in the eyes of fools – of whom there has never been a shortage in these unhappy part of the world – they bring upon themselves the stigma of being enemies of God, the nation, and the state. The dilemma of whether to say what is “proper” or what one truly feels, however, seems insignificant compared to the dilemma faced by the protagonists of the film Of Gods and Men, a French feature film crowned with Grand Prix at Cannes and other awards.

The plot of the film, among other things, shows the consequences of the first attempt to implant the fragile plant of democracy onto the soil of North Africa, namely the multi-party elections in Algeria whose annulment in the early 1990s triggered a long and bloody civil war between the secular government and radical Islamists. All these turbulent events, however, do not overly concern a handful of French Cistercian monks living in the Trappist monastery of Tibhirine, nestled in the Atlas Mountains, who lead a simple life in harmony with the local Muslim population, to whom Brother Luc (Michael Lonsdale) provides free medical services. One of the signs that this harmony will come to an end is the attack by Islamist guerrillas on a nearby construction site where Croatian workers are brutally slaughtered. It is clear to everyone that the monastery and the monks will become the next target, so evacuation to a safer place presents itself as a logical option, something even the authorities themselves suggest in a friendly manner. The dilemma of whether to leave or stay becomes even more pressing after guerrillas burst into the monastery in search of medical help, after providing which the monks clam up even towards the army that is supposed to protect them. The leader of the monks, Father Christian (Lambert Wilson), like his brothers, is torn between fulfilling the monastic mission and trying to avoid the increasingly likely martyrdom.

Based on real events (including the massacre of the Croatian workers) that have never been fully clarified, Of Gods and Men can boast not only excellent reviews, but also surprisingly good box office in its homeland. Some critics have sought to interpret this by suggesting that the French audience liked a film in which their compatriots, for a change, are portrayed as martyrs whose sacrifice represents a kind of redemption for the colonial past. The rest of the world, however, will be much more reserved towards this film, even though its screenwriter Étienne Comar, partly inspired by his Catholic faith, sought to give it a universal character, portraying the Atlas martyrs as an embodiment not only of Christian, but also of ecumenical ideals. Director Beauvois complements this by showing the monks as harmless and likeable old men whom no one except the most bigoted minds could perceive as a threat to anyone’s faith or way of life. In this he had considerable help from a very good cast led by the almost unrecognisable Lambert Wilson and the always reliable and relaxed Lonsdale. The story sought to be rounded out with a detailed reconstruction of life in the monastery, as well as monastic rituals.

Because of this, Of Gods and Men is a very good and impressive, but not perfect, film. Unlike the French audience, which, due to the large Algerian diaspora, has a far better idea of what was happening in Algeria, other viewers will have to piece things together due to the lack of historical and political context. The rhythm of the film is also quite slow and the ritual scenes may seem repetitive and unnecessary to many, and even the scene towards the end, in which the monks enjoy Tchaikovsky and bottles of wine, feels artificial and too “cinema-like” for a work that in style belongs more to docudrama. Despite this disappointment towards the end, Of Gods and Men can certainly be recommended, especially to the more demanding audience who like works that provoke thought, even about some uncomfortable topics.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

(Note: The text in the original Croatian version is available here.)

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