Lourdes

To the Glasgow Film Theatre this evening (GFT) to see "Lourdes", a French-language film directed by the Austrian film-maker Jessica Hausner and starring Sylvie Testud. this is a film which deals with faith, desire and our capacity to believe in miracles in an age more skeptical than ever. Christine (Testud) is a young woman virtually paralslysed by multiple sclerosis and confined to a wheelchair who, though not terribly religious, makes a pilgrimage to Lourdes. She goes on these visits not out of piety or belief in miracles, but simply because "It's the only way I get out".

Without wishing to give away too much about this thoughtful, observant, surprising and delightful film, a miracle may or may not happen to one of the group of pilgrims, which may or may not prove lasting - or may or may not be undone or overturned by the end of the film. The comedy and the pathos comes naturally out of the ways in which the other pilgrims and figures who represent different institutional arms of the pilgrimage site react to what has befallen "our miracle girl".

The strapline on the film's poster reads, "Nothing test faith like a miracle". Indeed ...

It's a very human story, set in an oveertly divine context. Beautifully judged, it's balanced on a knkife edge between appeaing to be the strongest, most biting satire and a loving portrait of something myseterious yet mundane at the heart of European Catholic life. Lourdes has won prizes both at Christian and more mainstream film festivals. It's tone and meaning are entirely dependent on what the viewer brings to it. Our party of three had mixed responses and opinions. I loved it.

Having been brough up as a Protestant in Glasgow in the 1960s and 70s, I can't vouch for the authenticiy of the Roman Catholic dimension of the film. I was born on the wrong side of the tracks for that. What I will say, however, is that it shows how different are the place and the times since then. In those days, a film such as this couldn't have been shown in Glasgow without howls of protest from Protestant spokesemen. Placards would have been waved outside the GFT and all those going in to see the movie would have had anti-Catholic pamphlets thrust into their hands. A few kicks and punches might have ensued which would have ensured that the controversy found its way into the newspapers or onto the television news. Thank goodness we live in more liberal times. Glasgow's all the better for it.

Read an interesting review and discussion of the movie ("Bressonian 'Lourdes' A Meditation on Faith"):
http://wondersinthedark.wordpress.com/2010/02/19/5497/