Tonight I watched a thought provoking film called "The Apparition" (2018), made by French filmmaker Xavier Gianolli. I found it last Sunday at Mid-Valley Libe, but held off watching until now because I'd never heard of the director, and the reviews on IMDB and Amazon were decidedly mixed. Folks seemed to either love it or hate it. In addition, it had a long running time, 144 minutes. But tomorrow the dvd is due back at the library, meaning tonight was my last chance to watch, so I gave it a try and I'm very glad I did.
The synopsis on the dvd box is what intrigued me. It's billed as a "spiritual thriller" about a man who is trying to prove or disprove an appearance of the Virgin Mary. The synopsis goes on to say that the story was inspired by the real life visitation at Lourdes, in 1858, to Bernadette Soubirous who was later canonized as a Saint in 1933. Many Catholic churches are now named Our Lady of Lourdes, for the Virgin Mary but also in honor of Saint Bernadette. The church across the street from my apartment, of which my Mom was a member, is one such parish.
In the movie, a French actor named Vincent Lindon plays a dedicated journalist who specialises in front line war reporting in the Middle East. He's just learned that his best friend, a photographer, has been killed by a terrorist bomb. The man's motto was "bring back the truth", in documented form, whether through pictures or confirmed reporting, to tell the world of the evil that goes on in these horrific places.
Lindon is distraught from his friend's death when he gets a call from an unexpected source, The Vatican. A high ranking Monsignor is on the line, explaining that he has a case involving what he calls an "apparition", an alleged appearance of the Virgin Mary to a young Novice from a French village. At first, Lindon doesn't understand. "But why are you calling me"?, he asks the Monsignor. "I am a reporter". The Monsignor explains that he's seen Lindon's work and is impressed by his integrity. "I am trying to determine the truth of this matter", he says. "The Church receives many claims of Appearances by the Virgin Mother, most of them false or outright frauds. But here, we have a girl with a believable story who has attracted the news media. Thousands of pilgrims have already visited the site. Hundreds more arrive daily from all over the world. I know of your reputation for finding the truth. The Church must make a decision whether or not to validate this Appearance. Would you be willing to lead an investigation"? Lindon is intrigued by the proposition and agrees to the request.
When he arrives in Rome, he informs the Monsignor that he is a lapsed Catholic who has no position on religious matters. The Monsignor and his Bishops say it will not be a problem, just find out if the girl is telling the truth. She is flown in from France, along with the local village Priest who has become her protector. It is his parish that is adjacent to the hilltop where the apparition was seen. He does not want the young Novice to be subjected to the Vatican's investigation, and is there under protest. They have brought with them, by demand, a Relic - a piece of fabric said to be stained with the Mother's blood.
The girl (well played by an actress named Galatea Bellugi) presents a serene facade to the investigators. She answers all their questions without pause. She even submits to humiliating medical exams (which you can figure out for yourself). Her priest is outraged at all of this. As soon as the committee is finished, he whisks her back to France with "no comment" for the hordes of reporters. Lindon follows. During the initial Q & A, he gained the girl's trust by asking fair questions and accepting her answers at face value. Now, however, he will have her one-on-one. Her priest doesn't want him there, but the girl has given her consent because she wants her Visitation to be officially recognised. There is another person on hand who is also exhorting the priest to cooperate. He seems to be connected to the Church but his affiliation is unclear. Mostly, he appears to be interested in keeping the story alive and in the news. He mentions other well-known, and recognised, Appearances : at Fatima and Medjugorje. I must interject here to relate that I remember Lillian mentioning Medjugorje (which is located in the former Yugoslavia), way back in the late 1980s. She said she wanted to go there. I did not know much about the subject of Marian apparitions at the time, and did not know that the Medjugorje Appearance took place recently, in 1981. I don't know if Lillian ever made it to the site, but it's an interesting memory.
At any rate, in the movie, this other man, who does not have a title (priest, bishop, etc.) but wears a large cross around his neck, seems mostly interested in the publicity the Visitation has generated. He is trying to make a media star of the Novice, which she goes along with but her priest resists. Meanwhile, reporter Lindon has daily access to her. He is learning a lot through their private conversations, and the mystery begins to deepen. He discovers that before becoming a Novice, she was an orphan who grew up in a foster home. Being thorough, he drives around to interview as many of her former housemates as he can find. During this process, he finds out that she had one friend with whom she was inseparable. This friendship will turn out to be a major plot point, as Lindon sets out to locate the friend as well.
I don't want to reveal any more, because besides being a religious film, "The Apparition" is also a detective story and the element of mystery is important. I found it to be quite beautiful, and like the critic who was quoted on the dvd box, I can't stop thinking about it. It's not a big, glossy movie. The budget was likely minimal, and the photography, while professional and suited to the material, has a "documentary" look. But the acting and direction are first rate, and the pace of the film, the motion of the camera and the editing all combine to create the hypnotic effect that Gianolli was no doubt aiming for. He certainly must have seen "The Song of Bernadette", the Academy Award winning picture that featured a career-making performance by Jennifer Jones, and perhaps wanted to emulate the mesmerising flow of that film. In any event, his approach works. Even though the film is long, and slow, I found myself riveted to the screen. The gaze of actress Beluggi conveys her deep faith and draws you in, too, though you don't have to be a Christian to enjoy the picture.
At first, I was gonna give it Two Thumbs Up, or even Two Big Thumbs Up, but it has grown on me overnight (I am now finishing this review the next day), and I like it even more. So, I am giving "The Apparition" Two Huge Thumbs Up with my highest recommendation. Once again I say, we need more movies like this! Also, the score by Arvo Part is one of the most moving in recent memory. ////
That's all for the moment. I am "so done" with the wet weather, as the kids say. Wait a minute...is it the kids who say "I am so done" with whatever it is they are done with, or is it the older folks? Oh hell, I dunno. But I am "so done" with this weather. I'm gonna go for a drizzly walk and then head back to Pearl's. See you tonight at the Usual Time.
Tons of love! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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