Journal d'un curé de campagne
Tags: bleak

Plot synopsis:
An idealistic young priest arrives at Ambricourt, his new parish. He is not welcome. The girls of the catechism class laugh at him in a prank, whereby only one of them pretends to know the Scriptural basis of the Eucharist so that the rest of them can laugh at their private conversation. His colleagues criticize his diet of bread and wine, and his ascetic lifestyle. Concerned about Chantal, the daughter of the Countess, the priest visits the Countess at the family chateau, and appears to help her resume communion with God after a period of doubt. The Countess dies during the following night, and her daughter spreads false rumors that the priest's harsh words had tormented her to death. Refusing confession, Chantal had previously spoken to the priest about her hatred of her parents.
The older priest from Torcy talks to his younger colleague about his poor diet and lack of prayer, but the younger man seems unable to make changes. After his health worsens, the young priest goes to the city to visit a doctor, who diagnoses him with stomach cancer. The priest goes for refuge to a former colleague, who has lapsed and now works as an apothecary, while living with a woman outside wedlock. The priest dies in the house of his colleague after being absolved by him.
Two famous lines from the film include "God is not a torturer" (Martin Scorsese's favorite line) and "All is grace."

Review: Journal d'un cure de Campagne is about a young priest who, whilst suffering from an illness, is assigned to a new parish in a French country village.
As he becomes estranged, and to an extend outcast by the townspeople, he increasingly relies on his faith for strength and comfort, however even this begins to fade as he witnesses the townspeople purvey sinful and malicous behaviour, damaging his faith in human nature.The films of Robert Bresson, although wonderful, can at times seem austere almost to the point of being drained of any emotion.
In Diary of a Country Priest, Bresson had Claude Laydu repeat scenes many times in order so that he would rid himself of all natural desire to perform.
I was especially thankful to Bresson for having left us with a film about a priest which didn't involve his tiresome sexual issues in any shape or form - what a refreshing change!
In the role of the young parish priest of Ambricourt, young Claude Laydu was in his debut role here - though he very occasionally shows his inexperience as an actor, he is nonetheless remarkable in the title role, and his sensitive, silently suffering, candid boyish face will remain with me for quite a while.
It depicts, very well, the life of a young man (who appears very boyish throughout the entirety of the film) not just living as a Priest, but also living as a sort of outcast -- it shows very well what the inter-workings of this Priest's, this outcast's brain is like, and it shows the human emotionality very well.From the beginning to the end of the film I was fascinated with the main character, and his goals and his aims, his beliefs and his passionate inclination to helping others -- rarely do you see such great work done in putting the spotlight on the character.
a profound reflection of way to be, portrait of a community, Dostoievsky scene of conversion, and impressive Claude Laydu in role of priest of Ambricourt.ladder of nuances, cruel exploration of reality, shadow of a delicate work, image of lost place, a cast out of tricks and air of a society who remains a huge prey animal.
Based on a 1930's novel by a right-wing Euro novelist, *Diary*  details the sad experiences of a young priest with health problems who is assigned to a new parish.
Robert Bresson's masterfully composed film, Diary of a Country Priest, is in complete alinement with his other work.
Bresson was a very spiritual filmmaker, and he weaves the fascinating tale of a young parish priest who sets up shop in a hostile environment with such grave and minimalistic purity.
Alongside the biggest artistic achievements in French cinema of the fifties such as Henri-Georges Clouzot's "Les Diaboliques" (1955) or Julien Duvivier's "Voici Le Temps Des Assassins" (1956), one has to reserve a first-class place for Robert Bresson's third long-feature film where he proves that Georges Bernanos' universe is his.
Bresson's piece of work makes it justice in its own special way and deeply involves the audience in the battle led by this young priest to keep the faith.Although the filmmaker later disowned this jewel because it didn't really answer his cinematographic demands, the most constitutive elements of his cinematographic approach are already here: a straightforward style, an austere black and white cinematography, a rigorous, hieratic directing which give many shots, the form of little paintings.
Through the young priest's inner turmoil and his confrontations with the inhabitants of the village, it's quite easy to detect one of Bresson's recurrent themes: the opposition between a subjective mind and a cruel objectivity.
Unsurprisingly it is truer of the semi-epistolary novel than of the film, but as one who was outside the fold of traditional Catholicism for most of his life and is slowly being brought in I think it is safe to say that Cawkwell is on to something.Robert Bresson's film strips out most of the (already spare) political context sprinkled into the original story--"democratic priests" (read: Jansenists, Gallicans, Revolutionaries/leftists), the Church in distress, a moribund and apathetic Christianity (and while it is often supposed that the French uninterested have simply abandoned the Church, in some quarters this apathy remains a serious problem among practicing and believing Catholics)--to focus on the spiritual battle of a pious priest who should have been completely unremarkable and these days would be remarkably controversial for reasons not related to those depicted in the film: the Curé d'Ambricourt (Monsieur l'Abbé...
It is fascinating to see the treatment of this character: a priest, as an imperfect man, acts as the rightful Vicar of Christ all along the Way of the Cross, right up to the bitter end, and without being sacrosanct, imitates his Master in a manner fitting, without parallel, his religious vocation.Claude Laydu, the lead actor, was not in fact an actor but a comedian for children.
I am told Bresson made it a point to use a non-actor and to have this latter repeat scenes over and over to remove any desire to "act." Indeed, he succeeded: the spiritual torment, interior and exterior, is ever-present on the Curé's face and we have no doubt that he suffers by souls, as did our Master.
Only a handful of movies have ever been made with the power to move a viewer on so many levels with such a simplistic delivery.This story of a rookie priest serving a small, French parish is similar to Ingmar Bergman's "Winter Light" in that it addresses the trials of a priest in his quest to reach a largely unresponsive community as well as the priests faltering faith in God, but Bresson's work exceeds Bergman's in the fact that while "Winter Light" has 3 or 4 very powerful and moving scenes, "Diary of a Country Priest" has 13 or 14.The film is a brilliant exploration of how one man deals with failure in spite of his greatest efforts to succeed.
I know of a more eloquent "resignation" (which he preaches) in Buddhist non-attachment; a cessation of ego that doesn't demand self-mortification.Another possible reading is too tantalizing to ignore but would go against the grain of why the film is lauded as pure and deep.We see a young man who is well-meaning but a little befuddled in his efforts to be pure; he drives himself to sickness by his ascetic lifestyle and begins gradually to confuse the pain of that sickness with a pious torment of the soul in the course of doing the right thing, a surrogate Christ bearing the sins of mankind.
Every scene in the film shows a moment in the life of the young, idealistic priest as a depiction of his being, his disease, his questions and his silence.
The only reason I don't give it a higher rating is that I feel that it is perhaps about 20-30 minutes too long.Claude Laydu's wonderfully understated performance (so natural that the term "performance" is almost an exaggeration) underpins this film, but alongside this are the wonderfully unaffected portrayals Bresson gets from, among others, André Guibert and Martine Lemaire (both appearing in their one and only film according to this database) as the fellow priest and catechism class member respectively.Although on the whole the proceedings are very understated there is a moment of high drama when the young priest takes on La Comtesse, over the way she is coping with a bereavement, quite a scene!In my view it is important in any film or play that at least one of the characters has our sympathy and Laydu carries you along with him.
I find Bresson's exploration of faith and the priest's pursuit of the meaning of life and existence interesting, but I find Bresson's distant style with the coldness of movement(both in terms of acting and storytelling) very jarring considering the intimate nature of the subject itself.Bresson remains a director that I respect and whose importance in the history of French cinema, I acknowledge.
Though tough to watch, it seemed very real and the priest somehow worked through this quite well.Do not be put off by how depressed and screwed up the priest seems--the conclusion, though sad, helps to explain and put everything into perspective.FYI--in some ways this movie is similar to Bergman's Winter Light but overall I thought Diary was a better film.
A young priest (Claude Laydu) taking over the parish at Ambricourt tries to fulfill his duties even as he fights a mysterious stomach ailment.Two other French scriptwriters, Jean Aurenche and Pierre Bost, had wanted to make film adaptations of the novel.
The film revolves around a young, dying priest in Ambricourt, whose attempts to get close to the people have failed repeatedly.
His many attempts to be open and available to them are shown in a sympathetic light, and we see this young man's yearning for people and ultimately for God. Touching less on God's silence and more on the individual's inability to hear, Diary of a Country Priest is able to attain one of the most touchingly real portraits of individuals without a real spiritual sense.What stood out the most to me in this film was the slow pace, which brought in our ability to take the time to become familiar with this young man.
This young man has a thirst and desire for God, and to give God to others, yet he cannot and the barrenness of his existence grows clearer and clearer.Diary of a Country Priest is trademark of Bresson; it's slow and requires patience, but when you begin to form connections to the plot and characters it can be one of the most moving experiences you will ever have.
In "Diary Of A Country Priest", Robert Bresson has made an almost impeccable film.
I always found this film to be profoundly moving.A very true work about the human spirit.It honestly reflects a person's feelings about their life.If you like this you should also see 'Taste of cherry'.
The young, dying priest (played eloquently by Claude Laydu) must put up with a stomach that will only tolerate hard bread soaked in wine and sugar which sets the villagers of Ambricourt's tongues wagging about his being alcoholic.
With 'Diary of a Country Priest', his fourth film, director Robert Bresson began to establish his philosophical and religious motifs, shown beautifully through his style.
This film depicts the physical, mental, and spiritual demise of a minister in a rural town.Arriving in the village of Ambricourt, the young priest nervously hopes to make a good impression on the public.
With a young girl as his only ally, the man finds it nearly impossible to carry on.Bresson's use of stark, Black & White photography augments this tale of sorrow and suffering.
"Diary of a Country Priest" (French, 1950): This is a slow, evenly paced, thoughtful, introspective story by Robert Bresson, shot in exquisite black/white, lit and composed like a series of paintings (with beautiful, slight movements).
While the beauty and power of this film can appeal to viewers of any religion or denomination (or none), I especially recommend it for Catholics.The original novel by Georges Bernanos is a splendid and often-forgotten jewel of Catholic literature, and I feel that this film does an outstanding job of "distilling" the story, capturing the essentials of the characters, atmosphere, and themes.It is one of the most genuine and realistic stories of life as a Catholic I've encountered.
Although the priest has his own particular struggles, he is also a Catholic "everyman." Watching this film, I feel that I enter into an intimate and privileged relationship with a friend, brother, and father.This story reminds us that being a Christian and achieving holiness is often a very difficult and very lonely journey.
Filming one over the other might have worked better than subjecting an audience to both, as they basically say the same thing: The priest of Ambricourt is a wretched human being.
Yes, a dark, depressing film, but an amazing study of an alienated young man, who happens to be a priest, who struggles to find his voice and identity and ultimately comes to find peace and grace.
Diary of a Country Priest, Bresson's third feature, was the first time the French director would fully embrace this approach, going so far as hiring non- professional actors for the bulk of his cast.
Scenes would be re-shot if Bresson felt his actors were, well, acting too much, and Laydu often looks like he's suppressing so much he's going to explode.When you understand what Bresson's goal was with Diary of a Country Priest, Laydu's performance becomes almost transcendent.
Alongside Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc and Rossellini's Francesco, giullare di Dio, Diary of a Country Priest is a masterpiece about Catholicism made by an agnostic or atheist, using the Bible's teachings and the institution itself as a way to tell more humanistic story of human anguish and struggle..
A young and insecure Priest was sent a parish church in a small village iin countryside of French ,there he faces a kind of animosities and suspicious from the villagers after they realized such dry and laconic behavior of newcomer,a frugal dietary patten supplied by just hard bread with wine gave to him a poor health and taking worst his mental thoughts already confusing regarding such internal struggles,meanwhile he has involved inside of powerful family matter which end up in a premature death of a old lady,after these strong events he was under aware watch from their superiors clerics, among others pontual bad experiences all them written in a journal,a sort of second character,one most powerful drama from religious matter ever....deep and cruel that make us think about faith and spiritual state,near masterpiece to be watch alone!!!Resume:First watch: 2018 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 9.5.
A young priest unknowingly dying of stomach cancer inherits a church in a village that has seemingly turned its back on the Catholic faith.
The lead character goes through so much that I can just imagine many will ask themselves, "Can something good happen to this guy???" The film techniques applied by director Robert Bresson might also be questioned.
Constant narration is used repeatedly as is the reference to the priest writing in his diary (hence, the title of the film and how its writer uses this as a means to open candidly and honestly about what he goes through on a daily basis) as he contends with ordeals not of his own making as much as his pious, dedicated ministry (unorthodox, his methods might be, he holds onto his principles and never fails to allow those that might provoke him gain advantage; his struggle is real, though, as his suffering does weaken him spiritually at times) seems to attract attention from those who might like to see him falter and fail.If anything, he might have died in the little impoverished room of his seminary pal and buddy's scrubwoman girlfriend, but at least in this place he was in the company of folks who cared about him.
The community of the small town does not accept him, and although having a serious disease in the stomach, the inexperienced and frail priest tries to help the dwellers, and has a situation with the wealthy family of the location."Journal d'un Curé de Campagne" is a very depressive, human and impressive movie about faith, sin, religion, guilt, love and hate.
The story is centered in a tormented and naive priest, very human and therefore having flaws inclusive in his character, who tries to help people of his parish through his best efforts.
I did not read the novel of George Bernanos, but in accordance with the information in the DVD, Robert Bresson changed the personality of the priest in his adaptation to the cinema, but reaching the same objective of the original character.
Robert Bresson's 1950 breakthrough film, Diary Of A Country Priest (Journal D'Un Cure De Campagne), is one of those films that is absolutely antithetical to everything a Hollywood film stands for.
Whereas Bergman's film transcends religion and cores into universal human behavior, Diary Of A Country Priest merely presents its simple narrative, and if one cannot get into it- for its religious-specific ideas, so be it.
Also, the film never gets truly inside the young priest.
Yet, the film likens the priest to a Christ-like character, rather than a mere outcast.
I enjoy French movies, but this is one that was completely absurd.Diary of a Country Priest is filmed in beautiful black and white photography but, that alone cannot save this deadly dull tripe.
That's because director Robert Bresson's modern day Jesus figure, the Priest of Ambricourt, becomes a martyr after being rejected by the Church establishment.Diary of a Country Priest is based on a novel written by George Bernanos in the early 30s.
The Priest (who is never named in the film) is an intense young man played by Claude Laydu (in his first film role).
The final image is one of the cross and like Jesus, the Priest maintains his faith despite all the suffering.Bresson curiously has been described as an 'agnostic' but I think that's a misnomer.
Diary of a Country Priest is worth watching a number of times, especially in terms of the gripping cinematography (reminiscent of films from the silent era) as well as the superb use of off-screen audio.
This is the story of a young country priest who lives on wine and bread and tries to help people.
I think Bresson in a way is trying to say that alienation of the church/god and men is because of the church practices.Our priest is only a representation of a good man in a wrong place to magnify its defects.
I found this French film in the book of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, with it being rated five stars out of five by critics I was hoping I would agree with that recommendation as well, from director Robert Bresson (A Man Escaped, Pickpocket, Au Hasard Balthazar, L'Argent).