Rent Diary of a Country Priest (1951)
3.8 of 5 from 99 ratings
1h 50min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Based on a novel by George Bernanos, 'Diary of a Country Priest' marked the first in Director Robert Bresson's so-called "prison trilogy" (followed by 'Pickpocket' and 'A Man Escaped'). The film begins with the arrival of a young, sickly priest (Claude Laydu) at the godless parish of Ambricourt in Northern France. Here he becomes drawn into the complex domestic life of a wealthy Count (Jean Riveyre), his tormented wife, his manipulative daughter and his mistress, Miss Louise (Nicole Maurey). Narrated by excerpts of the priest's diary, the film follows his efforts to awaken the villagers from their spiritual lethargy, with their struggles, suffering and triumphs representing in a microcosm those of humankind itself. Bresson's intensely personal style, minimalist approach to dialogue and music, and use of non-professional actors marked a new kind of filmmaking, which was to influence such diverse directors as Paul Schrader, Richard Linklater and Andrei Tarkovsky. - Actors:
- Claude Laydu, Nicole Ladmiral, Jean Riveyre, Adrien Borel, Rachel Bérendt, Nicole Maurey, Martine Lemaire, Antoine Balpêtré, Jean Danet, Gaston Séverin, Yvette Etiévant, Bernard Hubrenne, Léon Arvel, Martial Morange, Gilberte Terbois, Serge Bento, Germaine Stainval, François Valorbe
- Directors:
- Robert Bresson
- Writers:
- Georges Bernanos, Robert Bresson
- Others:
- Léonce-Henri Burel
- Aka:
- Journal d'un curé de campagne
- Studio:
- Optimum
- Genres:
- Drama
- Collections:
- 10 Films to Watch if You Like: EO, 21 Reasons to Love, 21 Reasons to Love... Ingmar Bergman, A Brief History of the Tradition of Quality
- Countries:
- France
- Awards:
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Reviews (2) of Diary of a Country Priest
The Power of Faith - Diary of a Country Priest review by ST
This subtle but intriguing film eavesdrops on the inner reflective life of a rural curate tending to the awkward and suspicious residents of his isolated parish. Full of doubt and afflicted by a mystery illness, the protagonist is drawn into a tense set of confidences and disavowals within the family of the local squire whose spirited daughter resents her father's philandering ways. Called to the house to tend to the squire's wife, the humble priest undertakes the faith healing of his life as he enables her to confront and overcome her grief at the loss of a child in the face of incredible hostility and resistance. A moving portrayal of the power of faith, the priest's weaknesses and failings are ultimately seen as part of an integrity that recognises and accepts the frailty of the human condition as a precondition of our relationship to God -- a moral courage which requires great responsibility. A film with an important message almost lost in contemporary life.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
The eternal battle is the one fought between hope and despair. - Diary of a Country Priest review by ML
I watched this film because movie critic Roger Ebert cited it as an influence on Paul Schrader's excellent 2017 feature "First Reformed", even selecting it as one of his 'Great Movies'. It's worth watching just to see how much Schrader has borrowed from Bresson, and how wisely. In both films, the protagonist is a struggling and isolated priest in a small dead-end parish who decides to keep a journal. Bresson's film opens slowly, but sit patiently through the first half hour and it starts to draw you in. Bresson's priest is neither a hero nor an anti-hero. He is simply a man, unsuited to parish work. Despite realising this, he never gives up hope, but the community closes ranks against him. Trying to fulfil his task becomes his Road to Calvary. This film lingers in the memory.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.