1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Last Temptation of Christ, July 13, 2011
This review is from: Leon Morin, Pretre (The Forgiven Sinner) - with ENGLISH subtitles (Import) (DVD)
This will apparently be the first review of this Russian-inspired Atrium DVD of one of the three greatest religious movies I have seen, the other two being MONSIEUR VINCENT, and THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. An Editorial Review, two consumer reviews of the Criterion version, both useless, and an endless vituperative series of COMMENTS, mostly by correspondents who have NOT seen the film, are all the prospective buyer has to go on. One reviewer waxes enthusiastic (5-stars) without exactly saying why; the other savages Melville's mid-period masterpiece because he got bored, gave up, and thought that Jean-Paul Belmondo was too much of a hoodlum to play the role of a priest. Well, let me tell him and you that his casting in this part is inspirational (as of all the other parts), and his performance is one of the most rivettingly charismatic in the entire annals of the cinema. By the same misguided reasoning, he should never have played STAVITSKY, or the sight-impaired student in TWO WOMEN either, in both of which he was superb. The movie, set in a small town in wartime France, pits the young priest working out of a run-down parish against a range of randy females who seek his services for purposes other than pure religion. With the patience and self-control of a saint, the wit of a Moliere, and a profound personal philosophy based on true (asexual) love for his fellow-man-and woman as expounded with brilliant insightful dialogue drawn from scriptures and religious writings, Belmondo and his director lead us on an odyssey that could serve as a modern rendering of The Last Temptation of Christ. The main female role is taken by Emmanuelle Riva, as sadly incandescent as in HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR, the one female parishioner to whom he comes closest and the one most likely to divert him from his true purpose. There are some interesting, amusing, and heart-rending side-plots involving the various ladies who work at the same boring office in the town, that reveal something of the tensions and dangers of life in France under Nazi occupation. The battle between the two principle protagonists -- abstinence versus temptation and belief versus atheism -- takes place through words, thoughts and ideas. It is what you expect from a film based upon a Prix Goncourt-winning novel, THE PASSIONATE HEART. Anyone lacking the intellectual apparatus for this artistic approach will very likely get bored, quit, and write a damning review. For the rest, it is potentially one of the most provocative, moving and spiritual experiences that they will ever see on celluloid, and the ending when it comes is like the aftermath of an explosion. I am glad to report that this version, much less expensive than the Criterion product when I bought it, has English subtitles and looks quite beautiful in its cool black-and-white tones. As someone who knows Melville's work quite thoroughly, I did not mind the absence of extras. You "pays" your money and you "takes" your choice. We all should live within our means!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
