Synopsis
French drama based on the 1996 kidnapping and killing of seven monks in Algeria. A group of Trappist monks reside in the monastery of Tibhirine in Algeria, where they live in harmony with the largely muslim population. When a bloody conflict between Algeria's army and Muslim Jihadi insurgents disrupts the peace, they are forced to consider fleeing the monastery and deserting the villagers they have ministered to. In the face of deadly violence the monks wrestle with their faith and their convictions, eventually deciding to stay and help their neighbours keep the army and the insurgents at bay.
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Cast
- Lambert WilsonChristian
- Michael LonsdaleLuc
- Olivier RabourdinChristophe
- Philippe LaudenbachCélestin
- Jacques HerlinAmédée
- Loïc PichonJean-Pierre
- Xavier MalyMichel
- Jean-Marie FrinPaul
- Abdelhafid MetalsiNouredine
- Sabrina OuazaniRabbia
Recommandations
- 100
Wall Street Journal
More than anything, Of Gods and Men is a drama of character, and warm humanity. - 100
The New York Times
Of Gods and Men is supple and suspenseful, appropriately austere without being overly harsh, and without forgoing the customary pleasures of cinema. The performances are strong, the narrative gathers momentum as it progresses, and the camera is alive to the beauty of the Algerian countryside. - 91
Entertainment Weekly
It is their shared strength as a band of brothers humble before their Christian God - and indeed before the God of Islam - that may stir viewers to an awe that transcends skeptical opinions about religion or politics. - 91
IndieWire
Ignore the precise religious context and it stands perfectly well as a restrained look at personal convictions in the face of certain death. - 90
Boxoffice Magazine
The film is masterfully directed by Xavier Beauvois who co-wrote the screenplay. At Cannes, Of Gods and Men received the runner-up Grand Prix. It's also France's selection for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. - 80
Time Out
Godly as the monks are, they are still human-which makes their ultimate sacrifice all the more devastating. - 70
Variety
As the film patiently (perhaps too much so for some) heads toward its foregone conclusion, Beauvois gradually raises his style to a level of baroqueness reminiscent of 1995's "Don't Forget You're Going to Die." - 70
Village Voice
Beauvois's film is cool while Denis's is hot-but the main difference is that where "White Material" is knowingly postcolonial, Of Gods and Men aspires to the timeless.
