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Robert Bresson does nothing in a superficial solution to please his audiences. The rewards of his movies unfold slowly from their tales, and pierce deeply. He’s very critical about human nature and the indifference of the world. He isn’t a Catholic however an agnostic who values any comfort his characters can discover, in or out of religion.
His visible technique does not break scenes down into straightforward storytelling components however regards them as unyielding info. On this movie he opens and closes many passages with old style iris pictures, reproducing the act of opening our eyes to the world, seeing its actuality, and shutting them once more. There may be plenty of background music, a few of it vaguely religious, a few of it saccharine, all of it extra ironic than consoling. The look appears darkish and miserable at first, however his movies dwell not within the second however of their full size, and for the final hour I used to be extra spellbound than throughout a thriller. Bresson does nothing to make me “like” the priest, however my empathy was urgently concerned.
Bresson (1901-1999) was one of many nice figures within the French cinema. In 50 years he made solely 13 options. I noticed the ultimate one, “L’Argent,” on the 1983 Cannes Movie Competition, and recall that the press screening was not like these of most administrators; you’ll have thought the critics have been in church. It’s ironic that his movies are extra deeply religious than, in my view, anybody else’s. He didn’t imagine, however he revered perception, and hope.
Not for his characters the consolations of tidy plots and snappy conversations. They’re confronted with the existential dilemma: What’s the level of life when its vacation spot is demise? In “The Diary of a Nation Priest,” the younger hero welcomes the recommendation he receives from the native physician and the outdated priest of a close-by parish. The physician examines him, observes all of the native individuals have been weakened by the alcoholism of their dad and mom, warns him is undernourished, admonishes him, “resist it!” The priest (as solely a French priest may) attributes a few of his issues to the truth that he does not drink higher wine. The priest’s recommendation is form, sensible, concerned with the administration of a parish. He treats the younger man like a son. We sense he is an efficient outdated man and a superb priest, however cautious of devotion carried to harmful extremes.
The star of this movie, Claude Laydu, can hardly be seen to behave in any respect. In life he was fairly vigorous, and certainly hosted a TV present for kids. Bresson had a well-known idea that actors have been “fashions.” He did not require them to behave, and certainly would repeat a shot time and time once more to take away seen indicators of “performing.” The state of affairs, the visible technique and the modifying would embody his story. The actor should not appear too proactive as a result of his character is in any case solely a determine pushed right here and there by life and destiny. This appears like a extreme creative self-discipline, however the end result could be purifying. After rising from one in all his movies, you might typically see typical film performing as silly: The characters really imagine they will affect the end result!
