Black Robe

I don't know why it took me so long to see this film, as I had heard of it many times. I think that I was put off by films like "The Last of the Mohicans", which I found dreary. There is no comparison with the oft-mentioned "Dances With Wolves". This film is an outstanding and riveting piece of work. Why others seem to have found it slow or heavy going is beyond me. When I reached the end (far too quickly) I just wanted to sit through it over again.

Having lived in Canada for some years, I could only marvel at the early colonizers who explored and settled Canada, a vast wilderness with a long, hard, bitterly cold winter - and I never went further north than Toronto! Whether or not one agrees with their reasons for going, whether it be trading, grabbing land or the salvation of the native population, the thought of being completely alone in the bitterly cold wilderness does command respect for their courage.

The film is set in 1634, a time when France was a cesspool of venality, corruption, intrigue and religious fanaticism, and when the pilgrims had been in Massachusetts for less than 10 years. The French Revolution was 150 years away. Life was hard for the settlers, who were on their own, without the survival kills evolved over thousands of years by the native population, whose life seemed brutally harsh but was a necessary adaptation to the land in which they lived. Early in the film the Algonquin chief tells his daughter than she cannot marry the Frenchman who she had fallen for, as he was a fool and did not know how to provide for her. That was the key. If a man could not provide for his family he could not take a wife. Anyone who became sick or injured must be left behind to take their chances, otherwise they would endanger the survival of the group. I think that this film makes that very clear. As the little group makes their way through Iriquois territory they are attacked by the Iriquois who plan to torture and sacrifice them, not apparently out of malice or wanton cruelty, but to please their God. (We had already seen the Jesuit priest flagellating himself for having impure thoughts).

The films deals at length with the misunderstanding of each other's religion and way of life, which causes us to question our own - just why do we do that? Why do the Iriquois fight the Algonquin, and the Huron when there is land to spare for all of them? Why did the French and English use the native people to fight their wars? The Indians cannot understand the Jesuit concept of paradise, sitting on a cloud all day with no tobacco, and no sex, but if accepting baptism helps them recover from a sickness , they will compromise. One gets the feeling that if the Jesuits moved out and another sect moved in, the Indians would convert to the new faith if it suited their purpose.

The scenery, as the party begins its long trek to the Huron mission is breathtaking. What they find when they reach the mission is not surprising, but once again, one has a feeling of admiration for the stoicism and faith of the Jesuit priests who knew that they were going to the ends of the earth and would likely never see their families again. To someone who buys all their food at the supermarket, or from the take out window, the thought of the self sufficiency of these people who live entirely on what they can catch or forage is quite mind boggling. Already the Indians are becoming dependent on the white man's goods. The trading post will not be long in coming. The Husdons Bay Company was set up by Royal charter about 30 years later.

I would recommend this film to anyone who likes a beautiful, thought provoking film.

Wow, what a fascinating movie and different kind of film. One really can't get the full impact of this through a review. Anyone who has seen this, I think would agree with me on that.

If I had skipped over the credits and someone had told me Terrence Malick (Days Of Heaven, The New World, The Thin Red Line and Badlands) and directed this film, I would have believed it. Visually, this is his kind of film. I wonder if this movie inspired parts of his latest effort, The New World? There are a number of similarities. Black Robe has the same kind of beautiful and haunting images Malick's films possess but the director in this case is Bruce Bereford, the man who directed Driving Miss Daisy a couple of years before doing this film. DMD also is beautifully-filmed.

Black Robe is not just a piece of art. As great as it is visually, this is a powerful story of a well-intentioned Jesuit priest in the early 17th century who travels to "New France" (upstate New York/French Canadian territory) attempting to convert a few area tribes to Christianity. To unbelievers, that seems pushy but Biblically-speaking it is not. Jesus commanded his followers to do just that (Matt. 28:18-20) , so the priest is only doing what missionaries have done for centuries. He also is a good man, stays strong in his beliefs regardless of his own well-being and is a gentle soul. Kudos to the filmmakers for being fair to him.

The Algonquins and the Hurons are also shown with their beliefs, too, and their cultures which obviously were in contrast to the white European-based priest. All sides are shown fairly in this movie, with both positive and negative traits of all.

I was shocked at a few scenes in here, not expecting them as the film has such a gentle flow to it before anything dramatic happens. We see a few sexual scenes and then some brutal violence. The Hurons, particularly, do not want any invasion of their privacy and culture and are openly hostile to the priest and the Algonquins. The story transforms from a quiet Malick-type "New World" poetic piece to a violent, suspenseful film and the question is, will the "good guys" make it out alive?

The actors in here, perhaps, are not names most people outside Canada are familiar with, including me, but Lothaire Blueteau as Father Laforgue, Aden Young as his assistant "Daniel" and Sandrine Holt as Daniel's Algonguin lover "Anuuka" are all very, very good. All the characters in this film are very credible people, steadfast in their own beliefs and they come across as realistic people. Most films have unreal people with unrealistic dialog....but not in this movie.

Another big plus was the soundtrack: a lush, haunting score throughout.

Without spoiling the ending, or adding political/theological agendas my own, let me just add that if you enjoy a beautiful-looking movie which also has a thoughtful, haunting story with honest characters, you should check this out. Highly recommended.

This film is the best attempt I have seen to make a true-to-life, culturally unbiased depiction of an early encounter between the white man and American Indian, in Eastern North America. In keeping with this aim, it unflinchingly depicts several incidents of what seem to European eyes to be shocking cruelty and 'barbarism' of the Indian.

Although the Indians appear from the point of view of the visiting priest, the white man's beliefs, appearance and customs are also shown from a startling, alien perspective.

All the same, it is a story of a heroic quest, that leaves you with a sense of the awesomeness of human courage and the mystery of the commonality of human nature across gigantic cultural boundaries. And, yes, the photography and the aboriginal landscapes are breathtakingly beautiful.

Movie depiction of Eastern Indians, and of this era in North American history, are so rare, that I have to give it extra credit for illuminating a culturally formative time.

Released in 1991 and based on Brian Moore's researched novel, "Black Robe" relays the story of a young Jesuit priest in 1634 visiting the French settlement that later became Quebec City. Father LaForgue is assigned to a distant Huron mission accompanied by a young quasi-believing assistant and a family of Algonquin Indians. The group faces challenges beyond the harsh realities of the river trek itself, including an attack by hostile Iroquois. Of course the Indians question the "strange ways" of the priest and his dark attire and wonder whether he is a demon. Instead of addressing him as "Father" they simply call him "Black Robe."

I've viewed "Black Robe" three times now and it never fails to capture my attention from beginning to end (the film runs 101 minutes), which is why I don't get the criticism that it's somehow unabsorbing. What strikes me most is the raw realism. Viewing "Black Robe" is the next best thing to going back in time and viewing the events firsthand.

Other highlights include: Lothaire Bluteau's solid performance as the missionary priest; LaForgue's assistant, well played by Aden Young, and his developing love for the daughter of the Algonquin leader, played by the beautiful Sandrine Holt; the Algonquins themselves, particular the patriarch; the freaky midget shaman of a band of Montagnais natives; the harrowing events at an Iroquois fort; the subtext on the truth or falsity of spiritual beliefs, both of the Jesuits and the Indians; and the spectacular cinematography of the Quebec wilderness (mostly the Saint Lawrence River, filmed on location). The film successfully shows the desolate, untamed nature of the NE before the mass encroachment of Europeans.

Some may wonder: How does it compare to "Last of the Mohicans" or "Dances with Wolves," two contemporary films also featuring realistic portrayals of AmerIndians? Of the two, "Black Robe" is closer to "Last of the Mohicans" since the story takes place in the East and there aren't any cowboys & Indians, although the story takes place well over a century earlier. The film differs from both in that there aren't really any Hollywood contrivances, including conventional movie plotting. As great and generally believable as those other films are, "Black Robe" shows the harsher, bleaker reality, which some may translate as boring.

However, as raw and realistic as "Black Robe" is, it could've been more so, considering that it fails to show one disturbing reality of Eastern AmerIndian culture, as detailed in Moore's book (pointed out by another reviewer): The film avoids depicting the native practice of ritual cannibalism on a dead infant, a custom that was common among the tribes of the Eastern woodlands. To consume an enemy's flesh was to absorb his power. The heart of an especially courageous foe (such as Jesuit martyr St. Jean Brebeuf) would be eaten by tribal leaders. But, don't get me wrong here, I'm kind of glad the movie left this aspect out.

"Black Robe" has the same vibe as 2007's "Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan," so if you appreciate that style of raw-realism you'll likely value "Black Robe." Needless to say, if you have ADHD or require constant explosions to maintain your attention, stay far away.

GRADE: A

This movie is a gift. Beautiful cinematography, spellbinding adventure, powerful acting and historical accuracy all wound up in a wonderful story line. It is not only a study of the French in the New World (with an emphasis on the Jesuit experience) but also of the native Indians which they encountered. Instead of trying to simplify each group by stereotypes the film sympathically delves into variances in each culture and how individuals reacted and interacted differently to the changing environment and ultimately an acceptance of each other. Unlike other films that have an agenda either to glorify or attack Catholicism (i.e. colonial expansion) or to praise or defame Indian life (enlightened shamans vs dumb savages), Black Robe shows its characters in moments of incredible faith, insight and personal triumph along with all their mistakes and failings. For me that is the theme of the movie as it is more or less a commentary on the human experience then as now. What a pity that few movies these days seek to explore anything other than the obvious and dish out a stale formula of sex and action with a mind-numbing blur of special effects. Black Robe will cause you not only to rethink your take on the past but more importantly will allow you to examine your own personal value system in today's world. This movie will stay with you for the rest of your life.