Author Topic: Catholic Movies - which are good - which are bad? (Read 8485 times)

Matthew · « **on:** May 26, 2012, 01:21:28 PM »

My friend is about to order these movies. He and his family are serious traditional Catholics -- they don't want anything with bad stuff in it, including liberalism, women in pants, etc.

I know buying Catholic movies is a sort of land mine. Anyone here have experience (good or bad) with the following movies?

Thanks --

Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
St. John Bosco: Mission to Love
Love is a Choice: Life of St. Gianna Molla
Monsieur Vincent
Saint Rita (Vittoria Belvedere)
Francis of Assisi (Bradford Dillman)
The Song of Bernadette (Jennifer Jones)
Therese (Linsay Younce)
St. Peter (2007)
Saint Francis (Raoul Bova)

Matthew · « **Reply #1 on:** May 27, 2012, 02:43:34 PM »

Hey, hey, guys...one at a time! Don't all talk at once!

Thorn · « **Reply #2 on:** May 27, 2012, 03:28:58 PM »

I have less than 2 cents worth of info, but here it is anyway.

I've only seen 2 of these - Song of Bernadettte which I saw quite awhile ago & can't remember anything bad about it. I think that one's safe to see & was quite good. The fact that it was filmed so long ago before the world went insane probably saved it.

Therese was filmed after the world went insane & by N.O. to boot. Can you imagine a film about St. Therese without once filming inside a church? Well, they did. I'm quite sure it was so they wouldn't have to deal with showing the true Mass.
It's an OK movie but just doesn't have the fullness or spirit that it should. If they had been honest it could have been a great movie.

lefebvre_fan · « **Reply #3 on:** May 27, 2012, 06:13:57 PM »

I second The Song of Bernadette. Great movie. The last third of the movie, after Bernadette enters the convent, is very moving and a great example of her humility and redemptive suffering that we should all follow. Other than a somewhat silly platonic romance between Bernadette and a boy named Antoine, I felt it was a really good portrayal of the saint, and a movie that every Catholic should own.

Francis of Assisi is also a great movie, a reverent portrayal of the saint free from the hippie influences of several later films. Once again, a movie every Catholic should own.

I also agree with Thorn on Therese. It's not that there's anything necessarily wrong with the movie, but by no means does it do St. Therese justice. And I'm not really sure why she has a mustache after she becomes bedridden. That always disturbed me somehow.

Matthew · « **Reply #4 on:** May 27, 2012, 07:25:52 PM »

Quote from: lefebvre_fan

I second The Song of Bernadette. Great movie. The last third of the movie, after Bernadette enters the convent, is very moving and a great example of her humility and redemptive suffering that we should all follow. Other than a somewhat silly platonic romance between Bernadette and a boy named Antoine, I felt it was a really good portrayal of the saint, and a movie that every Catholic should own.

Francis of Assisi is also a great movie, a reverent portrayal of the saint free from the hippie influences of several later films. Once again, a movie every Catholic should own.

I also agree with Thorn on Therese. It's not that there's anything necessarily wrong with the movie, but by no means does it do St. Therese justice. And I'm not really sure why she has a mustache after she becomes bedridden. That always disturbed me somehow.

Which St. Francis of Assisi movie is the good one? I think he had several on his "to buy" list.

Rosemary · « **Reply #5 on:** May 27, 2012, 07:51:39 PM »

Here is an excellent movie about Saint Teresa of Avila. It is in Spanish with English subtitles. Just ignore the commercials for Ratzinger's books before the movie starts.

St. Teresa of Avila

lefebvre_fan · « **Reply #6 on:** May 27, 2012, 07:53:03 PM »

Quote from: Matthew

Which St. Francis of Assisi movie is the good one? I think he had several on his "to buy" list.

Sorry, I should have been specific. The 1961 movie starring Bradford Dillman is the one I was referring to. I haven't seen the later one with Mr. Bova.

brainglitch · « **Reply #7 on:** May 27, 2012, 08:55:06 PM »

Song of Bernadette is good.

The movie about St. Therese is decent, although it had it's faults. As another poster said, it is rather odd that they never show the inside of a church. On the bright side the acting is quite good, better than the average Catholic low-budget production.

brainglitch · « **Reply #8 on:** May 27, 2012, 08:56:17 PM »

Forgot to mention-I have not seen the St. Gianna movie, but several people whose opinions I trust have said that it is excellent.

Telesphorus · « **Reply #9 on:** May 27, 2012, 09:00:29 PM »

Not a movie but a docuмentary, is it good? I haven't watched it yet:

savethemales · « **Reply #10 on:** May 27, 2012, 09:40:49 PM »

Quote from: Matthew

My friend is about to order these movies. He and his family are serious traditional Catholics -- they don't want anything with bad stuff in it, including liberalism, women in pants, etc.

I know buying Catholic movies is a sort of land mine. Anyone here have experience (good or bad) with the following movies?

Thanks --

Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
St. John Bosco: Mission to Love
Love is a Choice: Life of St. Gianna Molla
Monsieur Vincent
Saint Rita (Vittoria Belvedere)
Francis of Assisi (Bradford Dillman)
The Song of Bernadette (Jennifer Jones)
Therese (Linsay Younce)
St. Peter (2007)
Saint Francis (Raoul Bova)

Of these I have seen St. John Bosco: Mission to Love and The Song of Bernadette. Monsieur Vincent has been on the top of my list of films to rent.

I would not recommend the St. John Bosco film. I saw it in English, and maybe it was just a bad dub, but the acting and dialogue was very mediocre and seemed more like a Protestant film. He is portrayed as a type of pacifist.

The Song of Bernadette was well made, but most of the story is imaginary, typical of Hollywood. St. Bernadette never had any love interests. That is 100% imaginary. The movie leaves out a lot of important details about her life and shows almost nothing from her life as a religieuse. A much better film was made by Jean Delannoy (a Protestant!) called Bernadette. There is also a sequel La Passion de Bernadette. These films are more accurate, but they are not perfect. The American version is ok, but the acting is much better in the French.

savethemales · « **Reply #11 on:** May 28, 2012, 06:45:56 AM »

I want to say also that I have watched the Spanish Bernardita de Lourdes and it was very good. I would recommend buying that one. It is made by a Jєω but it is better than Hollywood.

http://catolicidad-catolicidad.blogspot.com/2011/10/bernardita-de-lourdes-film-de-1965.html

Traditional Guy 20 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 28, 2012, 07:19:21 AM »

You have to be careful about Hollywood because Hollywood has always been leftist and by the late-1930's was pro-Communist.

However I like:

Going My Way (1944)

Bells of St. Mary's (1945)

Song of Bernadette (1943)

Passion of the Christ (2004)

lefebvre_fan · « **Reply #13 on:** May 28, 2012, 07:39:04 AM »

Quote from: Traditional Guy 20

You have to be careful about Hollywood because Hollywood has always been leftist and by the late-1930's was pro-Communist.

However I like:

Going My Way (1944)

Bells of St. Mary's (1945)

Song of Bernadette (1943)

Passion of the Christ (2004)

Agreed on all of those.

spouse of Jesus · « **Reply #14 on:** May 29, 2012, 10:54:52 AM »

Is Joan of Arc with Leelee Sobviesky (sp?) a good one?