Customer Reviews

Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima [VHS]

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Through the search engine of Amazon.com, I was able to acquire The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima, and to see it again after about 50 years. The story is well paced and puts credibility on the events that transpired. I am not sure how much artistic liberty was taken with the happenings that can be objectively verified. But the basic story is there, minus the third secret that finally was publicly announced in the year 2000.

There were six visitations on the 13th of six consecutive months. It was not clear in the film whether the children actually made it to the fourth one in time, and the fifth one was eliminated entirely.

This film is food for thought for those who are wrestling with the idea of what to believe. As one reviewer said, the ordinary people would not have known about the threat from Russia, as Lenin and the Bolsheviks were coming into power. And then, how did the children know ahead of time that Francisco and Jacinta would die young, and that Lucia would live on--into her nineties and, I believe, still alive as I write these words?

I did read an account somewhere that even observers who continued to disbelieve had to admit that there was a "miracle of the sun." Can meteorologists give us a good explanation of the phenomenon that could have occurred?
This film can reinforce the devout believers, debunk those who are totally skeptical, and continue to challenge the rest of us as we try to figure out what really happened. Hope this becomes more widely available soon, possibly on DVD with commentary.

Not that it will matter to those already pre-disposed to deny the possibility, but it might interest all others to know that my 93 year old mother was six years old and forty miles away from Fatima the day the sun danced in the heavens. She has a clear and unambiguous recollection of the impact this event had upon her surroundings. The same was true of my grandparents who spoke of Fatima with reverence and awe until their deaths a half century ago. These were simple and honest people with a firm grip on reality. They did not experience some kind of mass hallucination nor were they victims of trickery on a grand scale. They had no reason to lie or deceive.

As for the movie, it suffers from the usual limitations of Hollywood story telling. Ironically, what actually took place at Fatima was much more compelling than this sanitized version with its frequent embellishments and mythical characters served up by the screenplay's authors. The costumes, set designs and dreadful attempts to speak Portuguese suggest colonial life in northern Mexico rather than central Portugal in the early decades of the twentieth century. Still, the basic outline of events is faithfully recounted, including the terrific pressure brought to bear upon the children to recant their story and the near fanatical attempts of local politicians (mainly Socialists and atheists) to discredit them.

Perhaps some day a better movie will be made. Until then, this effort to tell the story of Fatima, flawed as it is, will have to do. Hard as it may be for many to accept, the story is true.

I have viewed this film many times & at one time had a copy of the film of which I loaned & never had it returned to me. After a long search I finally found it again & will never let it out of my hands again. I'll look at it often over & over.
I have reviewed some of the comments that are favorable & those not so favorable for one reason or another. All I can say is this is BEAUTIFUL & should be seen on TV more often than it is. There are many movies shown on TV that are an insult & give nothing to our intelligence & growth. Believe it or not there are still many who are unaware of the Miracle at Fatima in 1917. The message is crutial to our times. Our Lady needs to be better known if there is to be PEACE!!!! Lucia, the oldest seer is still living & reaffirms the events in Fatima. Francisco & Jacinta are deceased & have been declared Saints. With regard to the quality of acting, I also found this to be very good. Even if it were not, it would not distracted me from the message the film had to offer. I hope to buy more of this film in the future & distribute them as gifts.

This movie had a profound affect on me as a child growing up in the late fifties, early sixties. From a Protestant family, we were taught to have little to do with any Catholic notions that elevated the Virgin Mary to any importance other than serving as the Mother of the divine child. Yet for some reason I still felt somehow connected to this wonderfully moving, if not completely accurate cinematic re-telling of the appearances of the "Beautiful Lady in White" to three peasant children in Fatima, Portugual in 1917.

Finally with its long awaited release on DVD last month I was greatly looking forward to viewing it once again, albeit this time with much older, critical eyes and a markedly more jaded and cyncial mindset. Now having viewed the '52 religious classic all I can say is I must be an old softie after all. The three children are delightful, particularily Susan Whitney (Lucia) in her one and only film appearance, as is Gilbert Roland as the amiable, though historically fictitious town drunk Hugo.

'The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima' has held up well through the years and still remains one of the great religious films of all-time. Completely accurate or not, this film will touch the heart of even the most resistant non-believer.

Please put this movie , The Miracle of our Lady of Fatima , on DVD. in Full Screen , Wide Screen . This is the most needed movie today in our times. Please amazon.com , can you send a message to Warner Bros.Pictures.Inc and put this request in for the people.I Hope There is Someone There at amazon.com would look in to this matter . I can only say PLEASE !!!

This movie is a gem. Although it omits the appearances of the Angel (St. Michael) and the bleeding host, it is still very inspiring and moving. The music is beautiful and the courage of the children is accurately portrayed. The appearances of The Blessed Virgin and the miraculous cures will bring tears to your eyes. I love this movie and it is one that I can watch over and over and over again. I wish there were more movies as beautiful and inspiring as this one. A true classic in every sense.

This is a story that never grows old. The film is beautifully photographed...although in bad need of dialogue looping.....but the excellence of the rest of the production more than makes up for this minor flaw....which is only noticeable in a few scenes.

The miracle is photographed brilliantly and never there are several scenes never to be forgotten...along with a brilliant score by Max Steiner.

Susan Whitney as Lucia is a bit old for her character but, nonetheless convincing and sincere.

Sherry Jackson as Jacinta is perfect casting. She is so loveable and delightful.

But the real casting coup is Sammy Ogg as Francisco. This child actor brings Francisco to life and is the best of the three children as far as performances!! He brings a vitality and spirit that was the essence of the real Francisco. No one could have done it better!!!

This is a beautiful movie...and if I would change one thing...I would make it longer than the 100 or so minutes that it runs.

Again.....this movie is not to be missed! And have a box of tissues handy as well....if your spirit is right!!

BASED ON A TRUE STORY! Set in Fatima, Portugal, this is a movie for families in the world to enjoy and draw meaning from. Three children innocently tending to their sheep and afterwards praying the Holy Rosary (a Roman Catholic string of beads each one standing for a salutational prayer to the Virgin Mary they call Hail Mary)suddenly become witnesses of an extremely beautiful apparition with a startling message that caused them much suffering and pain as they try to convince Catholic officials and the world that much terror and evil will come unto them if they do not turn from their wicked ways. The apparition also said to consecrate Russia to her immaculate heart.
I learned about this truly amazing story from my grandparents before I watched this movie. My family are devout Catholics and the minute I saw this movie at the video store, me and my sister, then kids, reluctantly rented it for the weekend. We were thinking it better not be one of those boring documentaries about the story of Fatima. However, the movie was not a documentary but a moving story of how these three children were heroic in their actions and how the Virgin Mary who was the beautiful apparition provided a celestial evidence that proved the children's story. Trust me, there was ecstasy and tears as we saw this one scene where the sun danced in the sky and the pilgrims screaming for their lives thinking it was the end of the world. Suddenly, this crippled character let go of his crutches realizing he had just gotten a miracle from God! (I also remember how I envied those three children as to why the Virgin Mary would appear to them over me...such childish selfishness huh?) The eldest of the children was Lucia who just recently died in 2004. May God Bless Her Soul!!! The other two-Francisco and Jacinta both died while still young.
Memorable line from this movie came from Hugo, a character who plays uncle to the three children, "Only the fool sayeth there is no God." Even if you are not Catholic, you would still be amazed at the beauty of miracles and how certain people would endure pain and suffering for their beliefs and for spreading messages from heaven! I highly recommend this one for your Christian collection. Trust me! :-)

I have fond memories of watching The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima on TV one Easter one year and being captivated by the story and just really liking the movie and when this movie was shown on one of those classic movie networks I taped it and even though the film and acting isn't quite as excellent as The Song of Bernadette (Which is also based on actual accounts about a young girl seeing visions of The Virgin Mary) I still think The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima is good and I would like for it to be put on DVD!

An incredibly sentimental 'account' of the Fatima apparitions of 1917, completely unhindered by any of the true facts, and presented in the rose-hued glow of a Hollywood studio. Ironically one of the best things about the film is the addition of a totally fictitious 'loveable rogue' (Gilbert Roland)and his donkey - so that should give a clue as to the quality of the rest of it. Still, the film is entertaining, and the depiction of the Miracle of the Sun is done well. If you want the definitive dramatised film on Fatima, seek out "Apparitions at Fatima", made by Daniel Costelle in the late 90's and available on video - it was actually filmed at the Cova da Iria with a wonderful largely amateur Portuguese cast. Accurate, very moving, and photographically ravishing. Costelle's film received both Papal approval, and that of Sr. Lucia, the surviving seer of Fatima - recommendations don't come higher than that!