The Song of Bernadette

Plot synopsis:
François Soubirous (Roman Bohnen), a former miller now unemployed, is forced to take odd jobs and live at the city jail with his wife (Anne Revere), his two sons, and his two daughters. One morning he goes to find work, and is told to take contaminated trash from the hospital and dump it in the cave at Massabielle.
At the Catholic school (run by the Sisters of Charity of Nevers) that she and her sisters attend, fourteen-year-old Bernadette Soubirous (Jennifer Jones) is shamed in front of the class by Sister Vauzous, the teacher (Gladys Cooper), for not having learned her catechism well. Her sister Marie (Ermadean Walters) explains that Bernadette was out sick with asthma. Abbé Dominique Peyramale (Charles Bickford) enters and awards the students holy cards, but is told by Sister Vauzous that Bernadette does not deserve one, because she has not studied, and that it would not be fair to the other students. Peyramale encourages Bernadette to study harder.
Later that afternoon, on an errand with her sister Marie and school friend Jeanne (Mary Anderson) to collect firewood outside the town of Lourdes, Bernadette is left behind when her companions warn her not to wade through the cold river by the Massabielle caves for fear of taking ill. About to cross anyway, Bernadette is distracted by a strange breeze and a change in the light. Investigating the cave, she finds a beautiful lady (Linda Darnell) standing in brilliant light, holding a pearl rosary. She tells her sister and friend, who promise not to tell anyone else. They do tell, however, and the story soon spreads all over town.
Many, including Bernadette's Aunt Bernarde (Blanche Yurka), are convinced of her sincerity and stand up for her against her disbelieving parents, but Bernadette faces civil and church authorities alone. Repeatedly questioned, she stands solidly behind her seemingly unbelievable story and continues to return to the cave as the lady has asked. She faces ridicule as the lady tells her to drink and wash at a spring that doesn't exist, but digs a hole in the ground and uses the wet sand and mud. The water begins to flow later and exhibits miraculous healing properties. The lady finally identifies herself as "the Immaculate Conception". Civil authorities try to have Bernadette declared insane, while Abbé Peyramale, the fatherly cleric who once doubted her and now becomes her staunchest ally, asks for a formal investigation to find out if Bernadette is a fraud, insane, or genuine.
The grotto is closed and the Bishop of Tarbes (Charles Waldron) declares that unless the Emperor (Jerome Cowan) orders the grotto to be opened, there will be no investigation by the church. He says this will be a test for Bernadette's "lady". Shortly thereafter, the Emperor's infant son falls ill and, under instructions from the Empress (Patricia Morison), the child's nanny obtains a bottle of the water. Arrested for violating the closure order, she appears in court, identifies herself as the Empress' employee, and pays the fines of the other persons who attempted to enter the grotto, so that they will not have to serve time in jail. The magistrate permits her to go and to take the bottle of water with her. The Emperor's son drinks the water and recovers. The Empress believes that his recovery is miraculous, but the Emperor is not sure. The Empress upbraids him for doubting God, and at her insistence, the Emperor gives the order to reopen the grotto. The Bishop of Tarbes then directs the commission to convene. The investigation takes many years, and Bernadette is questioned again and again, but the commission eventually determines that Bernadette experienced visions and was visited by the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.
Bernadette prefers to go on with an ordinary life, work, and possible marriage, but Peyramale does not think it is appropriate to turn Bernadette loose in the world, and persuades her to become a nun at the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity in Nevers, the Saint Gildard Convent. She is subjected to normal although rigorous spiritual training and hard work, but also emotional abuse from a cold and sinister Sister Vauzous, her former teacher at school, who is now mistress of novices at the convent. Sister Vauzous is skeptically jealous of all the attention Bernadette has been receiving as a result of the visions. She reveals this to Bernadette, saying she is angry that God would choose Bernadette instead of her when she has spent her life in suffering in service of God. She says Bernadette has not suffered enough and wants a "sign" proving Bernadette really was chosen by Heaven.
Bernadette is diagnosed with tuberculosis of the bone, which causes intense pain, yet she has never complained or so much as mentioned it. The jealous Sister Vauzous, realizing her error and Bernadette's saintliness, begs for forgiveness in the chapel, and vows to serve Bernadette for the rest of her life. Knowing she is dying, Bernadette sends for Abbé Peyramale (who in reality died a few years before Bernadette) and tells him of her feelings of unworthiness and her concern that she will never see the lady again. But the lady appears in the room, smiling and holding out her arms. Only Bernadette can see her, however, and with a cry of "I love you! I love you! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for me", she reaches out to the apparition, and falls back dead. Peyramale utters the final words of the film, "You are now in Heaven and on earth. Your life begins, O Bernadette".

Tags: brainwashing

Review:
I've never been so moved by a story demonstrating the incredible power of innocence and simplicity as performed by Jennifer Jones in this faithful adaptation of the true story of the now-canonized Bernadette Soubirous.
Bernadette Soubirous, 1844-1879, was a modest, shy, retiring religious girl of strong convictions in her faith who would have passed through this world unnoticed by many, but for an incident in her hometown of Lourdes in France.
If you believe it was all a hallucination than this film will mean nothing to you.But there are a great many people who believe that the pious young lady was chosen for a visit from the Virgin Mary one day when she was an adolescent teen.
Playing the Virgin Mary in an unbilled part was Linda Darnell, a fact I believe that did not come out until after Ms. Darnell's death in 1963.Director Henry King gave his young unknown a lot of support by assembling a thoroughly professional cast without a bad performance in the lot.
Cobb, Vincent Price, Charles Dingle, Gladys Cooper, Roman Bohnen, and Anne Revere were just perfect in their parts.As was Charles Bickford in the role of the priest and director of the Catholic school in Lourdes.
Bickford was nominated for Best Supportin Actor, but lost to Charles Coburn and Cooper and Revere both received nominations for Best Supporting Actress, but lost to Katina Paxinou.Even with a more recent film telling the Bernadette Soubirous story that came out in 1989 with Sydney Penny, this film is still owned and shown in many Catholic churches and schools to this day.
From Our Lady and through Bernadette the spring started to flow.to this very day it continues to help the faithful who are sick and disabled.A beautifully scripted film, it tells the story of Bernadette Soubirous, a young French girl who was chosen above all others to bestow her eyes on the Mother of Christ.
The Story follows her journey from poor peasant girl till she enters the convent.One of the many reasons why I love this film is because of the sincerity and unrelenting faith one person can have, faced with so much doubt and ridicule shown by others.
Religious figures became big success in distinguished films like "Going My Way," "The Keys of the Kingdom," "The Bells of St. Mary's," and "The Song of Bernadette."The film is the story of a simple peasant girl who wins the quality of a 'Saint.' Bernadette was born in an isolated French village called Lourdes, in January 7, 1844...Jennifer Jones, in a well deserved Academy Award as Best Actress, performs Bernadette Soubirous, the eldest of 9 children from a poverty-stricken family, who would not find happiness in this world, but only in the next...In 1858, at the age of 14, while gathering firewood, the pious Bernadette had numerous visions of a 'beautiful Lady' on a hillside, on the left bank of a stream...
Bernadette stands firmly defending the 'genuineness' of these visions despite strong opposition from her frightened parents (Anne Revere and Roman Bohnen), the local clergy (Charles Bickford) and civil authorities as the Imperial prosecutor, Vital Dutour (Vincent Price).Events have become more stressful...
She always wanted a proof...Jennifer Jones is superb as the honest girl who declares that she is not very brilliant, but who never hesitates from her insurance of a miraculous contact...Henry King's sensitive direction is marked by energy and interest, maintaining a steady clear vision on the heart of the story and its characters...Alfred Newman's highly music is tender and spiritual...I highly recommend this beautiful movie...
The bright lighting and soft focus on Jennifer Jones, for example, makes her angelic pose of peace believable.One scene near the end of the film is utterly beautiful, and truly makes the movie.
But the second kudos of the film go to Gladys Cooper, who should have won a best supporting award as the old nun, who cannot accept Bernadette for who and what she is.
Charles Bickford is great as the dean of Lourdes and Gladys Cooper gives a memorable performance as Sr. Marie Thérèse, not to mention the great Vincent Price as the hateful, yet intelligent Imperial Prosecutor.The town of Lourdes is taken back to the 1850s in this faithful re-telling of the famous story of the apparitions of the Immaculate Conception way back in the last century.
But, like him, she finally finds the proof she has been always seeking - the secret of suffering in silence - and from then on (that is to say the last 7 minutes of the film) she becomes Bernadette's best friend and helper.This movie is definitely a winner in all respects and its Oscar awards for  were all vell deserved.
For those who do not believe in God, no explanation will suffice."  Thus, 20th Century Fox made clear it's stance on the incident involving a poor ignorant peasant girl from the western Pyrenees who one early spring witnessed a vision of a "beautiful lady".
Jennifer Jones is excellent in the role of Bernadette, the girl so sweet and truthful, you just have to believe her story.
Filmed brilliantly in Black and White, with one of the best musical scores ever (kudos to Alfred Newman) "The Song Of Bernadette" is an inspiring classic brilliantly acted, and regardless of anyone's religious association, the story is inspiring.
Jennifer Jones gives the best performance of her career as the simple peasant girl who sees the Beautiful Lady in the grotto and sets in motion the story, based on Franz Werfel's best-selling novel.
no explanations is necessary .For those who don't ,no explanation is possible.The lines which opens the film are repeated towards the ending by Father Peyramale.Few legends have been woven from humbler stuff,and this particular encounter between one of the poorest peasant girls in a tiny village of the Pyrenées and "the Lady" led to events that shook not only my native France but the entire Christian world.Lourdes has become the second Christian pilgrimage place in the world after Rome,the second hotel town in France after Paris.Like in the book,the film begins with the humble life of the Soubirous.The first pictures show Bernadette's father taking infectious clothes from the hospital to the dump.And the family was housed in a dark place which the inhabitants of Lourdes used to call "le Cachot" ("The dungeon").Henry King's film is absolutely inspired.Jennifer Jones (who would play another -fictious- French character ,"Madame Bovary" and who would become the par excellence romantic heroine ),thoroughly deserved the AA she won.The characters she would play later in her career ("Duel in the sun" ,"Ruby Gentry" "Gone to Earth" and MInnelli's Flaubert's adaptation)and Bernadette are worlds apart.Her metamorphosis was extraordinary: her portrayal of the young illiterate peasant girl ,her look,her sweet humble voice,her self-denial ("I don't promise you happiness in this world but in the next one") made her the absolute French saint.French words have been introduced in the dialog (Bernadette always uses:"Monsieur" ) To a hostile world (the bourgeois,the Church),Bernadette puts forwards her faith ,her beaming smile and her moving clever answers which will remind you of those of Joan of Arc during her trial;the two heroines were chosen among the humble few.That's what Sister Vauzous (a sublime Gladys Cooper)did not understand : and however,hadn't Bernadette suffered from TB ,her childhood in a room as dark as a dungeon,her humiliations when she was at school ,the exhausting questionings she had to cope with ,wasn't it enough?
"The Song of Bernadette" is so intense a movie it can appeal to atheists too.Prosecutor Vital Dutour cannot enter Bernadette's world cause it takes a lot of faith and he realizes that he will die a lonely man too late.Like this ?Try these....(great religious movies about French saints) "Monsieur Vincent" Maurice Cloche 1947 (Saint Vincent de Paul) "Thérèse "Alain Cavalier 1986 (Sainte Therese de Lisieux) "Bernadette" Jean Delannoy 1987 (Although despised by most of the French critics and inferior to KIng's version,it's essential viewing for anyone interested in Bernadette's story;it's to my knowledge the only recent French film dealing with the subject).
In the movie, it seems like she was there for a year or so.The luminous Jennifer Jones gives a simple and beautiful performance.
Jennifer Jones is wonderful in her debut appearance and the supporting cast includes such veterans as Vincent Price, Charles Bickford and Anne Revere.
Edward Epstein discusses Jennifer Jones; John Burlingame delves into the Oscar winning score of Alfred Newman; Donald Spoto covers the production and speaks of the films importance from a religious angle (his remarks are very thought provoking).
The script, direction, all of the performances (especially Jennifer Jones), the cinematography, the marvelous sets and the Newman music all work to make this one of the truly great films from the 20th Century Fox library.
Jennifer Jones gives the Oscar-winning performance of her career as Bernadette Soubirous, a French girl who in 1858, claimed to see a wondrous vision of The Virgin Mary (played by Linda Darnell).
In the convent, she is scorned and reprimanded for her 'ignorance' by Sister Marie Therese (played by the wonderful Gladys Cooper), who, once Bernadette dies, regrets never believing in the faith and devotion of the young girl.
Partly because of being so busy, but also, although being an admirer of a lot of the cast and crew, finding that the subject matter didn't appeal to me for a while.Goodness knows why though, because finally getting round to it 'The Song of Bernadette' was a miracle of a film.
The luminous black and white photography wholly deserved its Oscar, that, the atmospheric lighting and sumptuous production values help make 'The Song of Bernadette' one of that year's (that half of the decade even too) most visually beautiful films.
Despite being a long film, the production values, music and performances are so wonderful, Henry King's direction so sensitive and the emotions so high that one is riveted throughout.Jennifer Jones, in her debut performance (in her own name that is, having done a few other previous projects under a different name), seldom gave a more touching or better performance, of her five Oscar nominations this was the only time she won one and it was a very deserved win from personal view.In support she is particularly well aided by Gladys Cooper, on fiery form, Vincent Price, impeccably giving his character menacing colour and unusual restraint, and Charles Bickford, suitably sympathetic.
Jennifer Jones was groomed by David Selznick and was loaned by Selznick to his Brother In Law William Goetz to star in this beautiful film produced via 20th Century Fox and directed by Henry King.
While Bill Goetz and David Selznick and Daryl Zanuck were non Catholics they gave this movie loving and tender care and is a moving and spiritually uplifting story of the meek peasant girl who witness the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
An overwhelming success, its film rights were sold almost immediately to 20th Century-Fox. THE SONG OF BERNADETTE (1943) Starred Jennifer Jones and had a huge, outstanding cast.
Movie based on the true incident of Bernadette Soubirous, whom in February of 1858, saw the image of the Virgin Mary in a grotto in the south of France.
This is the story of Bernadette Soubirous, a French peasant girl from Lordes, France who in 1858 claimed to have been visited on 18 different occasions by the Virgin Mary.
Jennifer Jones in an early starring role is Bernadette with a fine supporting cast in Glayds Cooper, Anne Revere, Charles Bickford, Vincent Price, and Lee J.
Jennifer Jones plays Bernadette Soubirous, the young girl who claimed to see the Virgin Mary at Lourdes.
I was once reading a book about the Oscars, and the author, whose research required him to watch Oscar-winning and -nominated films throughout the years, said he had put off "The Song of Bernadette" because he was turned off by the religious subject matter and assumed it would be a heavy-handed, sanctimonious film for believers.
As with most things, our culture demands that people pick a side and refuses to acknowledge shades of gray, so in that way this film was a bit much to take by the time it ended, which is a LONG 156 minutes from the time it started.Jennifer Jones received the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance, and she's fine, but it's the supporting players around her that are far more interesting, including Oscar-nominated Charles Bickford as the village dean, and Gladys Cooper as a bitter nun who has a marvelous scene late in the film during which she faces a crisis of faith.
In 1858 France, Bernadette (Jennifer Jones), an adolescent peasant girl, has a vision of "a beautiful lady" in the city dump.
This movie is beautiful and Jennifer Jones' performance is wonderful and believable.Many people don't realize that the greatest miracle of Lourdes was Bernadette's identifying the beautiful lady she was seeing as The Immaculate Conception.
Jennifer Jones won a well deserved Academy Award as an innocent peasant girl(Bernadette) in 1858 France who claims to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary in the city dump.
Eventually Bernadette joins a convent, where her faith will be tested in all new ways...Excellent film is beautifully directed by Henry King, acted by all, and told with sincerity, and as a result is deeply moving.
"Song of Bernadette" is the film that helped make Jennifer Jones famous.
And, to me, her performance was a bit odd to say the least.The film is about a famous peasant girl, often referred to as Bernadette of Lourdes--a young lady who reputedly received visions of the Blessed Virgin and who discovered a well with reputed miraculous properties.
The Song of Bernadette is also one of a number of Christian religious pictures from the war period.Playing the eponymous saint is Jennifer Jones in one of her earliest roles.
I've seen her!' Bernadette (Jennifer Jones) exclaims at a crucial point in the story, as she tries to convince the non-believers in her village that her visions are authentic.
One of the best films of all time and maybe Henry King's best - the real story of Saint Bernadette.
One of the greatest films of the golden era of Hollywood was a religiously themed film about the private revelations of the Blessed Virgin to Bernadette Soubirou, an illiterate peasant girl from the town of Lourdes in the year 1858.
Despite being a little long at almost three hours and not all that exciting, I will watch this again if for no other reason than to see a young, beautiful, sweet Jennifer Jones once again in her screen debut.Much of this film is a frustrating experience as the sincere and honest "Bernadette" (Jones) is not believed by the powers-that-be: the local politician and clergyman.
That disbelief goes on and on and on as Bernadette sees the image of the Virgin Mary, and cannot convince politician-staunch atheist Vincent Price and some stubborn heads of the Catholic Church that she's seeing exactly what she's stating.The real story goes that Bernadette had conversations with Mary (only referred to as "the lady" in the movie) for 15 straight days and miracles took place where the two talked.The acting in here is very good, top to bottom.
This movie is one of TWentienth Century Fox finest ever productions.Jeniffer Jones, just 23 at the time gives a superb performance as Bernadette Soubirous, and Vinncent Price as the District Prosecuotr, Gladys Cooper as Sister Marie and Chjarles Bickford as The Dean all give good accounts of themselves.The film is gloriously photographed and the direction by Henry King is outstanding.
One scene in Particular is wonderous.It is right at the end Bernadettes death scene is wonderfully performed by Jones and Cooper.Jones rightly deserved her Academy Award for Best Actress and the film won 3 other Oscars too.I have never cried so much while watching a movie before, but Song Of Bernadette is so wonderfully moving and while a religiously themed movie it stays away from the heavy preaching of Kings later Stroy of REuth (1960) and tells its story in a simple uncomplicated fashion.Song of Bernadette deserves its reputation as the finest biographical movie directed be Henry King, and it also will move you, and make you think that sometimes miracles do happen!!!!.
The Song of Bernadette is a film which tells the story of Saint Bernadette Soubirous,who reported eighteen visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary from February to July 1858 in Lourdes, France.It stars Jennifer Jones as Bernadette together with William Eythe,Charles Bickford and Vincent Price.
The film was adapted by George Seaton from a novelization of Bernadette's story,written by Franz Werfel; and was directed by Henry King.The movie is a reverent recounting of the life of St. Bernadette of Lourdes.
As a teen-aged peasant girl growing up in the tiny French village of Lourdes in the 19th century, Bernadette experiences a vision of the Virgin Mary in a nearby grotto.
From the Franz Werfel novel of the same name, director Henry King and screenwriter George Seaton (to retain nominal street cred) adopt the skeptic's stance and are careful that Bernadette never actually claims to see "Virgin Mary" but "a beautiful lady," which is like saying George W.
The hook of this narrative for me personally was the classroom scene as Bernadette (Jennifer Jones) was being Hammered by her Teacher Sister Marie Therese played to perfection by Gladys Cooper.
The film is a faithful and reverential retelling of the life of young Bernadette and the miracle at Lourdes, France in 1858.
Interestingly, while the villagers of Lourdes almost immediately ascribed her visions to that of the Virgin Mary, Bernadette herself never made that claim, though it becomes clear by the end of the story that it could have been no other divinity.
As the film professes a number of times, true believers will accept the story of Bernadette on faith while for doubters there can be no proof whatsoever.