Well Deserved Praise

Please don't spend money on this.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

In 1858 France, Bernadette (Jennifer Jones), an adolescent peasant girl, has a vision of "a beautiful lady" in the city dump. She never claims it to be anything other than this, but the townspeople all assume it to be the virgin Mary.I suspect religious folks and non-religious folks might get two different things out of this film. From a religious point of view, there is definitely a theme of religion versus the state, and how you have to be firm in your beliefs when the state comes to challenge you. Even if threatened, stay strong.Now, I am not religious, but I think a more general theme can be taken from this. And that is to believe in yourself when others doubt you or call you stupid. It may be easy to believe in yourself when the Mother of God is telling you to do things, but it need not be so dramatic.Oh, and Vincent Price is in the movie. So that automatically makes it worth watching.

Based on the novel of the same title written by Franz Werfel , just the year before, provided with a lavish budget, and a stable of excellent supporting actors to interact with the star: Jennifer Jones, in her first film with her new name. Jennifer was, at this time, switching her romantic affiliation from actor husband Robert Walker to wealthy producer David O. Selznick, who loaned her to Fox, to star in this film. Reportedly, she was chosen partly because of her innocent youthful-looking beauty, and her superior ability to look as if having a mystical experience.Werfel was a Jewish playwright refugee from Nazism, who fled from Paris, initially to Lourdes, near Spain, during the unexpectedly quick conquest of France by the Germans. Several families in Lourdes protected his family from the Germans, while he learned about the most famous local historical resident : Bernadette Soubirous, whose story somewhat resembles that of Joan of Arc: another illiterate obscure peasant teen, whose apparently divinely -inspired visions eventually excited the French people into celebrating her as chosen by God to have special gifts relevant to others. In appreciation, Werfel vowed to write a novel based on her life. This he did not long after escaping to the US, incorporating some fictional events and persons.As reproduced in this film, Werfel sought to use the example of Bernadette in an attempt to somewhat restore the credibility of tales of supernatural interventions and visitations against the scathing skepticism of non-believers, most clearly represented in this film by Vincent Price's Imperial Prosecutor: Vital Dutour. The latter is probably largely based upon the French novelist Emile Zola, whose "Lourdes" provided a scathingly negative view of the many claimed miracle cures from drinking water from the seemingly magically-appearing spring in the grotto where Bernadette experienced her visions.The film is quite long at more than 21/2 hours, for a screenplay that seems better suited to a play than for a film audience. Initially provoking marked skepticism and suggestions of intent to profit from notoriety, Bernadette eventually wins over nearly all her doubters, including the jealous Sister Vauzous: her school teacher, who labeled her a lazy stupid girl, and who later reenters her life when Bernadette joins the same convent. There is the local doctor(played by Lee Cobb), who tries to keep an open mind as to whether she is suffering from a mental condition, faking her visions, or is really experiencing divine visitations. He is also involved in assessing some of the reported cases of apparent cures from drinking or bathing in water from the grotto spring. The most celebrated claimed cure comes from the empress, in regard to her feverish son. Interestingly Bernadette is unable to cure herself of her debilitating asthma, or her later lethal bone TB problem. She states that "the spring is not for me", an interpretation of the statement by 'the lady in white' that she could not promise Bernadette happiness in this life, only in the next. Bernadette is also denied the opportunity to live the normal life of having a husband and children, partly because of her asthma, and partly because her protector: Father Peyramale convinced her that "since heaven has chosen you, you must chose heaven", meaning that she was meant to serve God and her community by becoming a nun rather than a wife and mother. Her repeating "I love you", during 'the lady's' last visitation, as she is dying, sounds almost lesbian. Father Peyramale had initially been skeptical of the validity of her visions, but came to be her chief non-peasant supporter against her doubters, who tried to have her declared insane or having criminal intent. Clearly, Jennifer developed a close relationship with Charles Bickford, who played Father Peyramale. When he died, several decades later, the then reclusive Jennifer immediately tried to commit suicide, apparently by a combination of drugs and drowning. That she very barely survived was a miracle worthy of being include in this film!This film is not for everyone. As I said, it's overly long for a mostly grim drama, and was filmed in B&W, which will put off many viewers today. If you don't believe in miracles and divine interventions, that won't help appreciating this story. Jennifer's Bernadette isn't terribly charismatic, like Joan of Arc: being very soft spoken and humble throughout, although being very persistent about the validity her visions. Jennifer isn't really called upon to do a lot in her acting to earn her Oscar. It does give a reasonable snapshot of provincial French society during that era. and a dramatization of the events which led to Lourdes becoming a major pilgrimage destination for Christians throughout the world.Yes, I believe some people have special spiritual attributes. For example, my wife once was put into a trance by an Indonesian shaman, in an attempt to find an American who had not returned from a solo trek on a volcano. Supposedly, the American's soul was called to enter her body and speak through her where he was. Well, this worked. He had fallen down a ravine and had a broken leg. Previous searchers had missed him, not searching in this unexpected area.

I loved this movie. Jennifer Jones was magnificent as Bernadette, and Lee J. Cobb, Charles Bickford, and Vincent Price were all great also.I have visited Lourdes twice and was inspired by the beauty, peace, and inspiration it offers. This movie is beautiful and Jennifer Jones' performance is wonderful and believable.Many people don't realize that the greatest miracle of Lourdes was Bernadette's identifying the beautiful lady she was seeing as The Immaculate Conception. Being an uneducated peasant girl, Bernadette had no idea what these words meant. Further investigation by the Church revealed that nobody, not the priests in her parish, not the nuns in her school, or anybody in her own family had ever revealed the words, Immaculate Conception, to her. Since Bernadette could not have made these words up herself, she could only have gotten them from the Virgin Mary Herself. Of course, atheists and other skeptics will refute this, but as the movie correctly states, "To believers no explanation is necessary, to unbelievers no explanation is possible."

This film simply could not be made in this day of Hollywood anti-religion, anti-Christian bias. It is a faithful adaptation of the Werfel book and, although a long film, is consistently high quality. All of the elements come together to elevate the film to a position in the top rank of films of the period.Casting is one of the strongest facets of the film. Jennifer Jones gives a performance that is quiet, self effacing yet filled with a core of strength entirely suitable for the young Bernadette. She is surrounded with an astonishing group of character actors -- twelve of the best Hollywood had to offer at the time. Charles Bickford, Anne Revere, Roman Bohnen, Lee J. Cobb, and Vincent Price head the list, but even fairly small roles are played by first rank pros. Gladys Cooper (later to play Henry Higgins mother brilliantly) is outstanding as a bitter, covetous Nun who fails to understand Bernadette.Even though long, the pacing is tight throughout. I have watched the film several times and have never felt that it dragged at any point. Photography is excellent and even the "visions" of the Virgin Mary, though primitive by todays high technical ability, is acceptable. (One bit of trivia to smile at, the Virgin is played by Linda Darnell, later to be a popular sex symbol) The Song of Bernadette will not be every one's cup of tea. It requires focus and attention. It is thoughtful. It respects the religious point of view of the central figure, Bernadette. In some ways, the film has a sort of European sensibility. If any of that represents barriers to your enjoyment of a film you'd best pass on this gem.