Possibly the greatest character study ever made on film
There's a reason why Tarkovsky called this his favorite film. Only a handful of movies have ever been made with the power to move a viewer on so many levels with such a simplistic delivery.This story of a rookie priest serving a small, French parish is similar to Ingmar Bergman's "Winter Light" in that it addresses the trials of a priest in his quest to reach a largely unresponsive community as well as the priests faltering faith in God, but Bresson's work exceeds Bergman's in the fact that while "Winter Light" has 3 or 4 very powerful and moving scenes, "Diary of a Country Priest" has 13 or 14.
The film is a brilliant exploration of how one man deals with failure in spite of his greatest efforts to succeed. It is special in a very spiritual way, for from the opening scene to the heartbreaking finale, the viewer watches the main character's idealistic outlook dashed by circumstances he couldn't possibly be prepared for. The fact that Bresson is known for coaxing flat and unexpressive performances from his actors makes the overwhelming effect of this character study all the more impressive. His work is evidence that great special effects or Oscar worthy performances are not always necessary ingredients for a captivating, powerful movie.
score 10/10
mjelliott9 26 March 2009
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2043175/35200
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