Monday, January 31, 2011

Lourdes et ses miracles

Lourdes et ses miracles. Témoignages. Pélegrinages. Imprévu / [not released in Finland]. FR 1955. D: Georges Rouquier. 84 min. - Bonus: Le Sel de la terre (The Salt of the Earth, 1950), D: Georges Rouquier, 28 min. - Georges Rouquier, "il miglior fabbro", entretien avec Maria Rouquier de Grégory Métay (2004), 20 min. Dvd © 2004 Les Documents Cinématographiques, with English subtitles, viewed at home in Helsinki, 31 Jan 2011

Dvd cover: "Under the banner of neutrality, Rouquier takes us on an investigative tour of Lourdes, a stage where the surreal and the sordid cohabit. Never ironic or naively devout, Rouquier lets us follow him on his quest for understanding the meaning and the origin of the phenomena commonly referred to as 'miracles'".

A remarkable documentary on miracles, actually a series of three short films. Lourdes has become a huge phenomenon, a mass movement, an occasion for merchandizing. Interviewed by Rouquier, people give accounts of their own miracle healings. The pilgrimage section has an epic quality. With a fine sense of tact, Rouquier lets us make our own judgement. - The bonus short Le Sel de la terre has a sense of grandeur of the landscape of la Camargue.

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