MovieChat Forums > Journal d'un curé de campagne (1954) Discussion > Magnificient

Magnificient

posted 18 years ago by Antoine Tremblay
8 replies | jump to latest

Again, for the second time in one week, a Robert Bresson film had a great impact on me. The final sentence of this masterpiece will rest with me forever; "Tout est Grâce". It is one of the most profoundly affecting finale in the history of cinema, not just for those who believe in Him but everyone who ever experienced difficulties with their spirituality and themselves.

Even if I rate this movie with a 10/10, I still think that Mouchette was greater. I still have lots of Bresson films to watch . Even so, Journal d'un curé de campagne, from this day on, will hold a very special place in my film collection. Just incredible...Beyond words.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] temps_perdu710 17 years ago

i don't actually take the finale serious, i'm not convinced it's really saying "all is grace" simply because those are the words. anyway, i haven't had time to fully formulate my theory yet, but as in dreyer's "the passion of joan of arc" the ending is deceptively simple.

[–] CatherineSiena 17 years ago

"Tout est Grace" ("All is grace") were the dying words of St. Therese de Lisieux. The writer of the original novel, Georges Bernanos, was very devoted to St. Therese. She and her autobiography, "Story of a Soul," probably inspired "Jounal of a Country Priest" and the character of the Cure d'Ambricourt.

St. Therese died a very painful death from tuberculosis when she was in her mid-20's. But she still regarded everything--even her suffering--as a "grace"; that is, as a gift from God.

This simple phrase is the very definition of heroic virtue--the stuff all saints are made of.

I seem to recall reading a letter by Bernanos in which he expressed dismay that so many of his readers did not get the allusion he was making; they credited him with inventing the phrase.

[–] r-bresson 17 years ago

you are grace
dead on
i'd replace heroic virtue
with redemption
and souls
instead of saints

and the bernanos letter reference
could use polish

but who am i to say
i think might be part of the phrase too

its just a gift
is how i feel about those words spoken

[–] solitudesblind 16 years ago

I thought Pickpocket was very good. i just watched this, and I'm a bit underwhelmed by it. It had its strong points...the dilemma of the main character was well-executed and I became strongly locked into the film at certain points. But...it went on too long, I drifted out sometimes and missed some of the plot, and with myself being against religion, I was repulsed at times by the film, especially the ending.

[–] mac_alain 16 years ago

I thought Pickpocket was very good. i just watched this, and I'm a bit underwhelmed by it.

The opposite is the case with me: I was a bit underwhelmed by Pickpocket, funnily enough.

There is an excellent (running) commentary by Peter Cowie on the Criterion disc: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReview2/diaryofacountrypriest.htm

[–] yomanletmeborrowurbeef 15 years ago

This is my favorite film of all time, and I am glad it had such an effect on you. All is grace. All is grace.

[–] PoppyTransfusion 11 years ago

All is Grace reminds me of a song by Bjork called All is Full of Love, one has only to perceive it. In his dying moments the priest saw, or felt, that everything exists in a state of Grace. For him, God's Grace. To me, he died in peace.

Why do you refuse to remember me?