November is movie month. Hollywood starts releasing its best, Oscar-worthy films, and the end of Daylight Savings time means it’s time for indoor entertainment. Since we just celebrated All Saints Day, I though I’d highlight movies about saints. Fr. Jim Martin, author of My Life with the Saints, has a top-ten list of saint movies on the Loyola Press site. You’ll also find some good films on this list of movies about “religious innovators.”
I’ll add two more. The British comedy/drama Millions features a boy with an obsession with saints. And then there’s The Mission, one of my favorite movies, about Jesuits in South America in the eighteenth century.
Do you have a favorite movie about a saint?
when i was young I saw Joan of Arc it really touched me,
I am not sure but I think I saw another film of Joan of Arc a few years ago in it her sister closed her in a cupboard and lost her life by a sword. Joan declared she would avenge her. I think we need more films of the saints and others who have shown us the way we ought to live.
I’ll add a “saints-in-the-making” film, “The Way.”
The Mission has to be in the top five. Also liked ” Into Great Silence” and “Therese” ( 2004 film about Therese of Lisieux). ” Of Gods and Men” was another don’t miss film.
I love “The Reluctant Saint”, “The Song of Bernadette”, The 13th Day” (about the Fatima seers). An old movie about a saint in the making is “Boystown”. I love the story of Father Flannagan and his cause has been started.
The Mission, Franco Zeffirelli’s Brother Sun, Sister Moon – yes I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but there are still scenes that move me to tears e.g. the scene where he is in the snow rebuilding the church and the final scene of Francis’ appearance before Pope Innocent III (Sir Alec Guinness), to make his case for an independent religious order under new rules. Of Gods and Men even though they are not “official saints “the monks are saints in my eyes.
My whole family loved the DVD of Saint Anthony. It’s in Italian with English subtitles and it’s gorgeous visually, as well as inspiring. Here’s an amazon link http://www.amazon.com/Saint-Anthony-Daniele-Liotti/dp/B000MTEKGE/ref=sr_1_4?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1352143311&sr=1-4&keywords=antonio+padua
I agree that The Mission is one of the best movies there is. The flute-playing scene says more about authentic mission work than anything I’ve ever read about the matter. And Millions is one of my favorites, too. I shared that young boy’s fascination with saints when I was his age. Great insights about how the saints accompany us even in our most difficult times.
The flute scene in The Mission is wonderful. The other great scene is the redemption of Mendoza. He’s repenting of terrible things–enslaving the Indians and killing his brother. He drags his armor to the top of the waterfall–watch it for yourself here.
Oh, yes, definitely — when deNiro started to laugh/cry, I was near tears myself.
“The Song of Bernadette,” “A Man for all Seasons,” and”Romero.”
All great files that can be seen over and over again.