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| DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST (1951) | |
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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. |
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France |
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| REVIEWED | |
| 2/7/2004 | |
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The Internet Movie Database. |
