Variety
As the film patiently (perhaps too much so for some) heads toward its foregone conclusion, Beauvois gradually raises his style to a level of baroqueness reminiscent of 1995's "Don't Forget You're Going to Die."
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Of Gods and Men
Award-winning French drama, based on true events, about Trappist monks who stand up for their beliefs when confronted by fundamentalists in Algeria.
The story centers around the monastery of Tibhirine, where Trappist monks lived in harmony with the largely Muslim population of Algeria until seven of them were beheaded in a still unclear incident in 1996.
The film won the Grand Prix Award at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for Best Film and Cinematography at the European Film Awards 2010.
Winner of Grand Prix Award, 2010 Cannes Film Festival.
2010Rating: M, some content may disturb120 minsFranceArabic and French with English subtitles
DramaTrue Story & BiographyWorld Cinema
- Director:
- Xavier Beauvois ('The Young Lieutenant', 'Nord', 'To Mathieu')
- Writer:
- Xavier BeauvoisEtienne Comar
- Cast:
- Lambert WilsonMichael LonsdaleOlivier RabourdinPhilippe LaudenbachJacques HerlinLoïc Pichon
Of Gods and Men / Reviews
Total Film
The Last Supper-style sequence, where the monks listen to Swan Lake and share red wine, is particularly affecting.
Full reviewThe New York Times
Of Gods and Men is supple and suspenseful, appropriately austere without being overly harsh, and without forgoing the customary pleasures of cinema. The performances are strong, the narrative gathers momentum as it progresses, and the camera is alive to the beauty of the Algerian countryside.
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Roger Ebert
I found myself resisting the film's pull of easy emotion. There are fundamental questions here, and the film doesn't engage them. I believe Christian should have had the humility to lead his monks away from the path of self-sacrifice.
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Hollywood Reporter
There are eight individual decisions to be made here, yet Beauvois never humanizes any of his monks. The film instead consumes itself with songs, communal prayers and nightly meals.
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Empire Magazine
Xavier Beauvois's Cannes winner is a spellbinder drama about courage and faith and a fascinating take on global extremism.
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