MovieChat Forums > Des hommes et des dieux (2011) Discussion > Insanely boring.

Insanely boring.

posted 10 years ago by Portlis
3 replies | jump to latest

And I'm the type of person who is usually quite accepting of a slower paced, "boring" movie.

Their motives were never made completely clear, the movie moved at a snail's pace, and I often found myself looking at the clock wondering how only X amount of time had passed since it seemed like an eternity.

You're going to somehow need to be the type of person who is deeply interested in monks or what have you to find entertainment in this film, because for the rest of us it was just boring beyond belief.

[–] mail-2217 10 years ago

LOL.

I've spent a bit of time in this type of setting. And it -is- very slow. And I think that's the point. The way it was shot, to me, perfectly captures the life in all its ironies and sharp contrasts.

Even the colour palette is bland.

I often think of an old Eric Idle bit... 'not just boring. Dull,tedious, tiresome, repetitious, unending, relentlessly BORING.

If it's not for you, it's not for you, but I think they accomplished what they were trying to achieve very well---capturing a certain way of life that is completely alien to most people.

It's probably easier for me to enjoy than some because I admire the monastic orders... not these guys per se, but the commitment. It takes a special person to live like that and not go NUTS, let alone feel fulfilled. :D

[–] spookyrat1 10 years ago

You're going to somehow need to be the type of person who is deeply interested in monks ...

Fair comment, because the movie's pace is quite deliberately I think, synonymous with that of a monk's typical day. I did find it interesting and wonderfully well re-created.

[–] Tullyboy 9 years ago

This is a terribly sad yet beautifully crafted walk in the shoes of those who dedicate their life in the service of their God and humamity. The pace is perfectly presented as we observe the process these men go through in their everyday existence and the deep struggle they wrestle with when they fully realize the enormous risk they are taking by staying with this community in the face of both terrorism and Algerian nationalism. They are caught between both the Islamic terrorists and the Algerian military with nowhere to retreat. The film illustrates the challenges they face in "doing good" for all, regardless of affiliation, while pushing their enemies further and further toward excusing them from the equation. Extraordinarily done . . .