Des hommes et des dieux
Tags: murder, violence, atmospheric, philosophical, romantic, historical

Plot synopsis:
Brotherhood. Religions. Faith. Martyrdom. Love.
French monks are living, working and praying in a catholic monastery in Algeria in the '90s (civil war).
It starts of showing how the islamic locals and the christian priests coexist in harmony. The situation with the Algerian muslim-terrorists becomes worse.
They will have to decide whether to stay or go back to France.
They are forced to question themselves and their mission very profoundly. Their sense of fraternity with the locals and amongst themselves is challenged.
They are very much appreciated by the local islamic population, especially the medic-priest, but very much in danger. This becomes clear after some croation volunteers of the monastery are brutally killed by the guerrilla-fighters. Threatened and unwanted by both
guerrilla-forces and the government their presence becomes less and less obvious. At some point after intense confrontations with eachother, the terrorists and the locals, they all decide to stay.
In the end they are all taken away, except for two who have hidden themselves well, abducted by the terrorists to swap them for their own prisoners in France. As we see them struggling in a snowblizzard in the Atlas mountains, we will not explicitly see what their final fate is...

Review: As Vivekananda has said, "The intensest love that humanity has ever known has come from religion, and the most diabolical hatred that humanity has known has come from religion." Both of these elements are present in Xavier Beauvois Of Gods and Men, the story of seven Roman Catholic French Trappist monks kidnapped by radical Islamists from their monastery in the village of Tibhirine in Algeria during the 1990s Algerian Civil War. The film depicts the sacrifices people of good will in both religions are willing to make for each other, and that the separation between religions is not an unbridgeable gap.Winner of the Grand Prix at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, Of Gods and Men stars Lambert Wilson as Christian, Prior of the monks, and 79-year-old Michael Lonsdale as a world weary medic who treats up to 150 Moslem villagers each day.
But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes." Filmed in Morocco, the film shows the daily life of the Trappist monks before the terrorist threat becomes real.Though a large part of their day consists of contemplation and devotion, living in close contact with the Muslim population allows them to interact with them in a positive way, healing the sick, selling honey in the nearby markets, and caring for the aged.
Soon word gets around about the murder of European workers on a construction site by the terrorists and the monks recoil in horror when they learn about the stabbing of a woman riding on a bus by Islamic fundamentalists simply because she was not wearing a veil.The Algerian government asks the monks to leave for their own safety but Christian tells them that their calling is to serve the people of the community and he insists on remaining, though he is willing to let the other monks decide.
Though the request is refused, Christian quotes the Koran to their spokesman Ali Fayattia (Farid Larbi) and they end up shaking hands, though the Prior senses rightly that they will be back.When all agree that they will not abandon the monastery even at the risk of death, the dramatic high point of the film is reached when the monks recreate the Last Supper by sitting around a small table drinking wine and listening to a recording of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet.
The monks are not Christian moralists but spiritualists confronting the extremes of the human condition, characters who point the way to overcoming despair.The monks, like the Curé de Torcy in Bernanos' Diary of a Country Priest, love poverty "with a deep, reasoned, lucid love as equal loves equal", expressing the eternal struggle of the spirit to know Christ and to come to terms with his anguish.
But it does share its preoccupation with exactly how far one, or rather a small community, can go to devote themselves to their beliefs.The film is located in the 1996 Algerian Civil War, and tells the true story of a monastery under threat from the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria (GIA).
*the 'last supper' with the close-ups of the monks' faces and the ballet music *the terrorist and the abbot talk about the birth of Jesus *the ending (usually i don't like abrupt and vague endings like these, but in this film it was bearable and befitting, because in real life it is also still unknown what exactly has happened)..
Also it being 7-8 men living together it was interesting to see the different personalities in a group environment; you have the natural leader, the introverted, the brave, the scared etc.etc.I imagine like most people who've seen this film the performance by Wilson Lambert was very touching.
Under threat by Islamic terrorists, a group (Laudembach , Rabourdin , Herlin, Pichon , Maly) of Trappist priests ( led by Lambert Wilson) stationed with an impoverished Algerian society must decide whether to leave or stay .French priests are living, working and praying in a catholic monastery in Algeria in the 90s during civil war and while help by various means to Algerian people , as the doctor monk (Michael Londsdale) heals ills , and other teaches and writes letters .
In the end they are all can be kidnapped by the terrorists to swap them for their own prisoners in France or hidden or getting freedom to God.This spiritual film is full of good feeling , stern life , touching sacrifice ,and enjoyable relationship among monks .
But even if you are not interested by this, or are, as I know many people are, turned off by the mention of the words "religion" or "God" what the film does is to allow it's audience to begin to look behind these literal concepts at how the spiritual (whatever that might mean to you) functions in our daily lives.
In addition, besides the two main characters, the other monks are largely one-note sketches, and the sudden turn around of those who wanted to leave – maybe the most fascinating action in the film - is largely under explored, Some of the time spent used on repeated rituals or re-tread conversations could have been used to deepen the understanding of those men and their heartrending confusion.
Of Gods and Men (2010) Des hommes et des dieux (original title) directed by Xavier Beauvois, is a powerful drama about good, deeply religious mentrying to live a truly caring, peaceful life under difficult circumstances.A small group of French monks have lived in a monastery in Algeria for many years.
In fact, the acting was so good that my wife and I had to remind ourselves that this is a movie, and these men are actors,not monks.The music, mostly chants sung daily by the monks, was superb.This is a very powerful film.
I try to tread the Middle Way: a well meaning well made film of a group of men saddled with a big problem: religions.True story of a band of monks minding their own business and their flock while getting gradually caught up in civil war, their inner anguish over whether to stay or leave and of course, ours.
I was quite looking forward to it but, found the incessant scenes of monks living their solitary existence farming, praying, eating and chanting to be painfully boring.I echo the sentiment of another reviewer and felt as if I had been heavily sedated while watching this film.
Yes, we saw a few segments of the Monks interacting with the local Algerians at social events but, we never really had a chance to discover the individual personalities of any of the characters.The film would have benefited had there been some endearing moments of humor or whimsy to make us feel closer to these men.
'Of Gods and Men', inspired by a true story, tells of a group of Christian monks living in Algeria and trying to come to terms with the rise in Islamic terrorism, which threatens their way of life and indeed, their chances of even staying alive.
The upside of this is that it does have more emotional impact as a result – because the characters are clearer, we understand their minds and I enjoyed that I was able to see their struggle and also understand the reasons for their decisions because I had seen the role they played.The film matches the slow pace with some beautiful shots; visually it is a very still film and it does feel at times that it is like a great painting, with the use of light and atmosphere.
What I experienced as important in the movie was the changing dynamic between the monks as the drama progressed, from doubt and critical thinking about what the right decision is to religious, ambiguous, circular reasoning in the end, and how a norm for self-destruction emerged through their group interactions.
That greater being would be God. Although I don't know which sect of religion these monks adhere to, they would likely be open to people believing in any God if it provided you with meaning, love and peace."Of Gods and Men" is highly praised by most critics.
Psalm 82(Mildly Recommended) Based on a true story, Xavier Beauvois' Of Gods and Men, tell the disturbing account of eight Christian monks living their pacifist beliefs while struggling to surmount the violence that surrounds their monastery.
Two of the film's central characters are Brother Christian ( Lambert Wilson ), the stoic leader of this men and guiding force and Brother Luc ( Michael Lonsdale ), the monastery's aging and wise doctor who tends to the sick and infirmed in this Muslim area.
This is based on the true story of eight Trappist Monks who are caught in the middle between some 1996 fundamentalist terrorists and the Algerian-Muslim village that the monastery serves.The driving theme is the question facing the dedicated monks ...
I think the reaction on this film may be different between those who have any religious belief and those who don't.I don't know when and why a Catholic monarch, in which all monks are French, was established in an Arabic village of Algeria.
Of Gods and Men (loosely) tells the tragic true story of the French Trappist monks of the monastery of Tibhirine in Algeria, who were kidnapped by Islamic terrorists and killed either intentionally by them, or accidentally by the Algerian army in a rescue attempt.In the midst of a civil war the monks are wise enough to know they are potential victims, and spend the little time they have deciding whether they should continue serving their mainly Muslim flock or leave.
We see their vacillating attitudes as they question the morality of their role and the strength of their spirituality.Lambert Wilson and screen veteran Michael Lonsdale (particularly brilliant here) have prominent roles; Wilson as the scholarly leader, Christian, and Lonsdale as Luc, a man imbued with a lifetime's supply of philosophy, not all of it religious.I've seen many films where the pace has been deliberately slow.
If your very life is threatened do you abandon the community or do you stay?By opting for a non-melodramatic, almost semi-documentary, approach, Of Gods And Men took this viewer into the monastic world in a way that resonated with the spiritual and resounded moreover with a clear humanity.In a simple aesthetic we have the complete monastic experience, from the silent discipline to plain chant, but somewhere in this simplicity, somehow, something truly personal and human creeps in and despite this resolute austerity we do begin to know each figure and to understand their fears their courage, their faith.Above all, this is a film about faith, not about hope, or courage, or blind willfulness, and though it mostly succeeds, as with any exploration of faith, it can only hint at the incredible complex juxtapositions involved here.
Seven of them where found beheaded and the circumstances surrounding the events and who committed the killings are till this day an unresolved mystery.French actor, screenwriter and director Xavier Beavois' sixth feature film which is based on a true story, focuses with calm camera movements on the lifestyle and harmonic fellowship between eight Trappist monks who are put to their life's biggest test of faith when they are threatened by Islamic fundamentalists and debates weather or not the monks are to stay or leave the monastery.
In the most affective scenes the monks are gathered inside their monastery and consider whether they should sacrifice their life's work to ensure their future or risk dying as martyrs.This is a describing and realistic drama about faith with excellent performances which insightfully examines religious themes and gives a credible depiction of life inside a Catholic monastery in the Muslim populated Algeria during the civil war where eight monks lived side by side with their faith.
Juxtaposing with American's contemporary Christian films (e.g. FIREPROOF 2008, COURAGEOUS 2011 and all that whose only trick is some kind of revoltingly mawkish doctrinairism), OF GODS AND MEN are endearingly touching under the backdrops of an impecunious Algerian community.An impending danger hovers along the narrative, like a ticking time bomb, there will be no miracle for escapists to avoid from the horrendous truth, the most overpowering moment arrives when the SWAN LAKE is playing during their last supper, one realizes there is the swan song for them, the close-ups focusing on each individual's face, resonates a world with utter devotedness and sublimates all the mundane afflictions into fearlessness and peace.
It is also quiet (there is no background music whatsoever, only the music the characters themselves provide) and slow-paced, and the persistent tension comes only from the knowledge of the fear under which the characters are living.I cannot think of this quite as a war drama, but rather as a story of nine men whose lives, at this particular time, happen to be affected not only by their faith, and their work, and their friends, and their individual doubts and aspirations, but also by a kind of war..
And while there is no way to really capture the inner reality of a group of eight men devoted entirely to God as they go through this traumatic time, I think the film does a great service to what happened (it is based on actual events).
Directed by Xavier Beauvois and based on the true story of seven French Trappist monks mysteriously beheaded in Algeria in 1996, the film focuses primarily on the events leading up to their deaths.Of Gods And Men is a beautifully made film, eschewing the high drama contained in the source material in favour of quiet contemplation and a celebration of humanity which, although informed by religion, is not defined by it.
'Of Gods and Men' is a low-key, understated film about a group of French priests living in a monastery in Algeria.
Based on a true story about Monks realizing their end is near at the height of the Algerian Civil War in the 1990s, Of Gods and Men, won the Cannes Film Festival's coveted Best Film prize, so I went with heightened anticipation of a meaningful experience.
Taking the plunge to watch this film, I felt as mesmerised as anyone else.This wonderful true tale is about a group of monks living peacefully in a mountain village in Algeria along with the community it serves, but are now coming under threat for their lives from extremist terrorists.
Having seen almost all of the Oscar nominated films from 2010, and agreeing that The King's Speech was an excellent movie, I have to say that this movie is better than any of them.To think that a movie about a group of monks would be unthinkable, and that it is a true story, makes it all that more unbelievable.The quality of the movie and the performances shines through every scene.
Of Gods and Men explores a variety of complex religious themes and ideas through the re-telling of a true story of a group of French monks caught up in the Algerian civil war.
Based on a true story, the time is in the 1990s, the place Algeria during their Civil War. A Trappist Monastery is the home of eight devout elderly monks, each performing the duties to allow them to exist off the land and serve the poverty stricken Algerian village near by.
Of Gods and Men is the true story of nine Trappist monks living in Algeria during the civil war of the 1990s.
Based on a true story, 'Of Gods and Men' chronicles the tragic tale of a group of Trappist monks in Algeria who were murdered by terrorists during the mid 90s.
What good is martyrdom when they could have packed up and helped other people in an area where their own lives wouldn't have been placed in jeopardy.Of Gods and Men is sometimes slow-moving, particularly when the monks are either chanting or performing rituals of religious devotion.
This the story of monks from Tibéhirinin in the months preceding their assassination in 1996;they were abducted by GIA extremists and disappeared in mysterious circumstances .They could have come back to their country and save their life but they were not born to give up,and like the Carmelites nuns during the French revolution (who refused to live their convent and were guillotined ),they became martyrs.They did not ask for any protection by the army either.The movie focuses on faith ,on life inside the monastery,prayers,canticles,but also the desire of these seven men to embrace other cultures and the world outside (agriculture,medical care,celebrations) The top-flight cast gives moments of brilliance:brother Luc(Lambert Wilson) explaining to brother Christian he does not fear death ;when you have true faith inside you ,when Christ walks on your side "even though I walk through the valley of the shadow and death,I will fear no evil,cause you are with me....." When Herodias's soldiers (the terrorists) arrive ,the monks refuse to cooperate and it's their death warrant that they sign on the very Christmas night.At a time when most of the French cinema is set rigidly in boring sentimental bland love stories,not-so-funny comedies and poorly-written thrillers ,it is high time it crossed the borders and that it returned to past glories ."Des Hommes Et Des Dieux,by far Beauvois 's best movie to date ,shows the way..
I couldn't see any difference between the Islamic extremists, the brutality of the military or the stubborn pride of the monks fixated in their faith and their mission to help people and serve God. Of course we could say that the monks were 'good' but what right did they have to stay in that country when they were asked to leave by the government and that their very presence incited hatred and reminder of French colonialism and made even more violence?
They are real people who pray, work, and help folks no matter what their religious views.Based upon a true story, this French movie shows how eight aging Trappist monks co-exist with the Islamic locals peacefully in Algeria in the 1990s.
Although very slow, the pace of the film was appropriate for the contemplative life these 8 men (French Trappist monks living in a monastery in Algeria) led.