Diary of a Country Priest

Scarecrow-88

A young priest unknowingly dying of stomach cancer inherits a church in a village that has seemingly turned its back on the Catholic faith. Instead, the priest is scorned by the locals as a drunkard, and his lack of food intake is considered a questionably odd way to live (his stomach can't hold much beyond wine-soaked bread). Yet, no matter how ill, miserable, or persecuted he is (the suffering this poor kid endures would make most men throw their hands up and quit the ministry or leave the village), this priest holds onto his integrity and refuses to give up on those who live near his church.

I think this will be an endurance test for some viewers. The lead character goes through so much that I can just imagine many will ask themselves, "Can something good happen to this guy???" The film techniques applied by director Robert Bresson might also be questioned. Constant narration is used repeatedly as is the reference to the priest writing in his diary (hence, the title of the film and how its writer uses this as a means to open candidly and honestly about what he goes through on a daily basis) as he contends with ordeals not of his own making as much as his pious, dedicated ministry (unorthodox, his methods might be, he holds onto his principles and never fails to allow those that might provoke him gain advantage; his struggle is real, though, as his suffering does weaken him spiritually at times) seems to attract attention from those who might like to see him falter and fail.

If anything, he might have died in the little impoverished room of his seminary pal and buddy's scrubwoman girlfriend, but at least in this place he was in the company of folks who cared about him. I think the key scene that rings so real and powerful is the priest's visit to a wounded and broken soul, a Countess who lost her child and has isolated herself in her manor, detached from her adulterous husband and vicious daughter. Undaunted in his faith (even though he himself has went through rigorous trials which have tested his own), the priest confronts the Countess on her unyielding rift with God, and the two eventually find peace. The Countess' daughter and husband, on the other hand, continue to denigrate and diminish the priest's reputation and value to the area. One night shatters this when the priest visits home after home despite the stomach cancer rendering him gaunt and bereft of strength. He collapses and this little girl that had often been a repeated nuisance to him helps to look over him until the priest could arise.

Claude Laydu is a haunting figure, and the starkest of stark B&W village photography—whether up close or at a distance—often emphasizes his "aloneness" in Ambricourt. Jean Riveyre is the Count who uses his influence to demean Laydu as the priest just isn't like the others before him. Laydu isn't helped by Nicole Ladmiral, the Count's conniving, scheming daughter, looking to gain total attention in the family. Adrien Borel as Laydu's sympathizer, a priest in Torcy, often both scolding him and admiring him in conversations because he is a most unusual priest...he does consider him of great value to the church. Rachel Bérendt is the Countess, the priest's worthy opponent in the "lessons of faith". This is indeed a tough journey to experience along with Laydu due to how much he tolerates for his faith. Heart-wrenching, but the performance by Laydu is worthy of the time invested. The minimalist score isn't overbearing but touches / punctuates the drama.

score 10/10

Scarecrow-88 25 September 2015

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3323572/