With the Catholic Church getting so much bad press these days as a result of allegations of sexual abuse, it's refreshing to watch a story about Christians who are the good guys. Based on a true story, 'Of Gods and Men' chronicles the tragic tale of a group of Trappist monks in Algeria who were murdered by terrorists during the mid 90s.
The story begins with a group of seven monks led by their leader, aptly named Christian. They live in a monastery which has been part of an French-Arabic-speaking community for years. The monks minister to the local townspeople, providing counseling and medical assistance. One of the monks, Luc, apparently was a physician before entering the order and feels overwhelmed, seeing approximately 150 villagers per day.
The monk's peaceful life is interrupted when a group of Croatian workers are murdered by terrorists near the monastery. The scene is very realistic, as the armed terrorists suddenly drive up to a work site in vans and begin slaughtering each man one by man, slitting their throats. They allow a local worker to leave but all foreigners are marked for execution.
The local authorities offer to post soldiers at the monastery to protect them but the monks refuse. Soon, Ali Fayattia, a local terrorist commander, pays a visit with his gun toting thugs at his side. They need medical assistance for wounded comrades but Christian refuses to let any of the monks leave with them. Christian displays great courage when he tells Fayattia he won't talk to them on the monastery grounds while his men are holding weapons. Fayattia appears to respect Christian and agrees to speak to him right outside the monastery grounds. Christian, quoting the Koran, convinces Fayattia to leave, convincing him that they do not have the medical supplies to treat the wounded men.
The near slaughter propels a crisis of conscience amongst the monks. These simple, spiritual men are now faced with the reality of evil impinging on their ordered existence. They debate amongst themselves whether they should stay or leave. During the first vote, a couple of the monks vote to leave as they fear for their life; another is undecided, another two are in favor of staying and Christian joins an older monk in waiting for a sign from God.
The film tautly depicts a world surrounding a peaceful enclave ready to explode. Local townspeople inform the monks of a young woman who is murdered by teenagers because she refused to wear a veil. Soon, a local military commander accuse Christian of collaborating with the terrorists after hearing rumors that he permitted treatment of one of Fayattia's wounded men (the rumor turns out to be true). Later Christian is called upon by the Army to identify the body of man who has been identified as Fayattia. Christian says it's him but it appears that the local military commander doesn't believe him.
The situation becomes more dire as local news reports bring more bad news of terrorist attacks. When the monks travel by car, they pass burned out cars on the side of road with soldiers milling about—the aftermath of terrorist attacks on innocent victims. There's more intimidation from the Army as they harass villagers at the monastery's clinic and send a helicopter to pass over the monastery while the monks embrace one another, while chanting a hymn.
The monks finally hold a second vote and after a great amount of soul-searching all decide to stay at the monastery. While music from Swan Lake plays, they hold a Last Supper of sorts, with the camera focusing on the beatific visage of each monk. As Christian remarks in substance, their work of Christian charity is simply a reflection of the work of their maker. They cannot leave Algeria since they have promised God that they will always help the people they have promised to serve.
The ending is masterfully understated. Instead of focusing on the slaughter of the innocents, we merely see the terrorists march the captive monks up a mountain while it snows; the scene eventually fading to white, followed by the credits chronicling the fate of the principals.
Of Gods and Men works on two levels. First it depicts the courage of the monks as they face death. Can any of us say we would have been as courageous as the monks were here? Secondly, it's a cautionary tale about the danger of evil in the world today. No one is safe from these fanatics who seek to destroy the innocent with impunity.
Despite my admiration for the monks' courage in the face of an encroaching horror, I still am troubled by the fact that they remained at the monastery. What good is martyrdom when they could have packed up and helped other people in an area where their own lives wouldn't have been placed in jeopardy.
Of Gods and Men is sometimes slow-moving, particularly when the monks are either chanting or performing rituals of religious devotion. Despite this, there are many reasons to admire this true tale brought to the screen with great sensitivity and insight.
The story begins with a group of seven monks led by their leader, aptly named Christian. They live in a monastery which has been part of an French-Arabic-speaking community for years. The monks minister to the local townspeople, providing counseling and medical assistance. One of the monks, Luc, apparently was a physician before entering the order and feels overwhelmed, seeing approximately 150 villagers per day.
The monk's peaceful life is interrupted when a group of Croatian workers are murdered by terrorists near the monastery. The scene is very realistic, as the armed terrorists suddenly drive up to a work site in vans and begin slaughtering each man one by man, slitting their throats. They allow a local worker to leave but all foreigners are marked for execution.
The local authorities offer to post soldiers at the monastery to protect them but the monks refuse. Soon, Ali Fayattia, a local terrorist commander, pays a visit with his gun toting thugs at his side. They need medical assistance for wounded comrades but Christian refuses to let any of the monks leave with them. Christian displays great courage when he tells Fayattia he won't talk to them on the monastery grounds while his men are holding weapons. Fayattia appears to respect Christian and agrees to speak to him right outside the monastery grounds. Christian, quoting the Koran, convinces Fayattia to leave, convincing him that they do not have the medical supplies to treat the wounded men.
The near slaughter propels a crisis of conscience amongst the monks. These simple, spiritual men are now faced with the reality of evil impinging on their ordered existence. They debate amongst themselves whether they should stay or leave. During the first vote, a couple of the monks vote to leave as they fear for their life; another is undecided, another two are in favor of staying and Christian joins an older monk in waiting for a sign from God.
The film tautly depicts a world surrounding a peaceful enclave ready to explode. Local townspeople inform the monks of a young woman who is murdered by teenagers because she refused to wear a veil. Soon, a local military commander accuse Christian of collaborating with the terrorists after hearing rumors that he permitted treatment of one of Fayattia's wounded men (the rumor turns out to be true). Later Christian is called upon by the Army to identify the body of man who has been identified as Fayattia. Christian says it's him but it appears that the local military commander doesn't believe him.
The situation becomes more dire as local news reports bring more bad news of terrorist attacks. When the monks travel by car, they pass burned out cars on the side of road with soldiers milling about—the aftermath of terrorist attacks on innocent victims. There's more intimidation from the Army as they harass villagers at the monastery's clinic and send a helicopter to pass over the monastery while the monks embrace one another, while chanting a hymn.
The monks finally hold a second vote and after a great amount of soul-searching all decide to stay at the monastery. While music from Swan Lake plays, they hold a Last Supper of sorts, with the camera focusing on the beatific visage of each monk. As Christian remarks in substance, their work of Christian charity is simply a reflection of the work of their maker. They cannot leave Algeria since they have promised God that they will always help the people they have promised to serve.
The ending is masterfully understated. Instead of focusing on the slaughter of the innocents, we merely see the terrorists march the captive monks up a mountain while it snows; the scene eventually fading to white, followed by the credits chronicling the fate of the principals.
Of Gods and Men works on two levels. First it depicts the courage of the monks as they face death. Can any of us say we would have been as courageous as the monks were here? Secondly, it's a cautionary tale about the danger of evil in the world today. No one is safe from these fanatics who seek to destroy the innocent with impunity.
Despite my admiration for the monks' courage in the face of an encroaching horror, I still am troubled by the fact that they remained at the monastery. What good is martyrdom when they could have packed up and helped other people in an area where their own lives wouldn't have been placed in jeopardy.
Of Gods and Men is sometimes slow-moving, particularly when the monks are either chanting or performing rituals of religious devotion. Despite this, there are many reasons to admire this true tale brought to the screen with great sensitivity and insight.