Faith under pressure in 'Of Gods and Men'

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"Of Gods and Men" is based on the true story of a group of French Cistercian Trappist monks caught up in the violent protracted civil war in Algeria in the 1990s.

French director Xavier Beauvois' film is a story of faith under extreme pressure.

The eight monks of the story live in a village in the Atlas Mountains where their abbey has stood since the mid-19th century. Mostly their lives are of contemplation, raising bees and praying. They sell their honey at the local market and coexist peacefully with their Muslim neighbors. One of the brothers (Michael Lonsdale) runs a medical clinic, dispensing prescriptions, advice and secondhand clothing to the locals.

A former French colony, Algeria fought a complicated war for independence in the 1950s and political unrest was common afterward. By the 1990s religious parties were banned, resulting in insurrection by some Islamic extremist groups.

While the monks cannot do anything about what happened during the period of colonialism, they dedicate their lives to creating a new bridge. The prior, Christian (Lambert Wilson), spends much of his time learning he Quran as he tries to show that he's a friend to Algerians. But as Europeans, the monks are still the target of anger by many in the country.

When a group of Croatian highway workers are killed as militants drive to rid Algeria of foreigners and others they consider infidels, local civil and military authorities try to persuade the monks to abandon

the abbey. Several are tempted to leave, and some of the most dramatic moments in the film are of them debating what they should do.

While Beauvois finds beauty in the Trappists' lives - the soundtrack is often their chanted prayers or passages of classical music the monks listen to - the director does not try to make them out to be saints. Instead he tries to find a balance between their beliefs and who they are as men.

"Of Gods and Men" is a beautiful film and provides food for thought, especially in light of these turbulent times in the Muslim world. The DVD includes a documentary on the real events.

Keep in mind

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There are remastered editions of two excellent films to excite collectors - Wolfgang Petersen's World War II submarine yarn "Das Boot" and "The Sacrifice," the final work of the great Russian film director Andrei Tarkovsky.

Source: http://www.dailynews.com/lifestyle/ci_18398050?source=rss

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