Lourdes evaluation action
2022-05-13 11:36
"Lourdes" is a wonderful film that shows the director's unwavering ambition. While the story of the pilgrimage to the French Catholic holy site of Lourdes is highly regarded for its religious involvement, Hausner neither dismisses nor humbles the subject. No matter in terms of tone, slow-paced narration or the handling of the general direction, the film is more inclined to art films. The film begins slowly and has a strong sense of ritual. After the opening, the plot is presented in a simple, restrained, and ceremonial manner, but as people get closer and closer to Lud, the director begins to shift the focus, and continues the second half of the film more and more directly around the two themes of miracles and faith. Faced with such a heavy theme, the director's way of handling it is quite clever, so that the film is permeated with a comically pleasant atmosphere from beginning to end. That's the film's strength, and its value has become more apparent over time.
In addition, photographer Martin Gschlacht presents the audience with a visual feast that fits perfectly with the subject. The composition is as simple as possible, even at the cost of cutting out the extra background. The whole city of Lourdes looks like a spiritual city with a strong religious atmosphere. There are no souvenir shops, no crucifixes, just an abundance of candles. There's also no real soundtrack in the film, but the scattered prayers, a small piece of Bach's religious music, and the farewell dance performed by all the pilgrims at the end of the film are enough to remember
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Extended Reading