"Black Robe" is a beautifully filmed, sensitive and in the end emotionally moving film depicting the work of French Jesuit missionaries in New France in the 17th century and their interactions with the natives (particularly the Hurons) of the region. The real power of the movie comes from the authenticity with which both the Jesuits and the natives are portrayed. Too often we get caricatures from Hollywood. Missionaries and natives are either romanticized or demonized. But this isn't a big-budget Hollywood production. It's a Canadian-Australian film that presents a pretty balanced view of both groups. Neither are innocent: the Jesuits perhaps a bit too rabid in their determination to challenge what they perceive as the "savage" native culture, the natives perhaps a bit too cruel in their response to the Jesuits - but such is culture of any kind. All societies have their good and bad features. Overall, the good outweighed the bad for both cultures in this movie. The natives are depicted as having a rich culture and spirituality of their own; the Jesuits are depicted as having a true and sincere "love" for the natives and truly believe that they are offering them "paradise" by sharing their religious faith with them. The natives are shown quite appropriately as having mixed reactions to their European "visitors." They're intrigued by them and yet also recognize the dangers that European incursion pose for their culture. The Jesuits have an equally mixed reaction to the natives: appalled by what they perceive (by European standards) as some of the less civilized aspects of the culture, but also recognizing them as people loved by God and therefore deserving of love from them. I thought the story did a great job of balancing all of these different perspectives.
Also a highlight here was a superb performance by Lothaire Bluteau as Father Laforge - the Jesuit priest whose missionary journey we follow after he's dispatched from Quebec by Champlain and heads for the inland Huron mission. Bluteau seemed to capture the character perfectly - both his hesitancy about the natives and his very sincere love for them. In fact, I found a scene near the end of the movie to be extremely moving, as a group of sick Hurons approach Bluteau at the mission and ask to be baptized. As Bluteau seems to hesitate (he's previously suggested that the natives shouldn't be baptized without a firm understanding of the faith) the leader of the group asks "do you love us." As Bluteau looks over the desperate people in front of him and remembers some of those he's encountered in the past he's finally moved to respond simply "yes" and the baptism proceeds. Too often the portrayal of European colonization of America portrays only the greed and self-interest of the Europeans. That's undoubtedly true in so many ways and demonstrated by so much tragedy for North American natives, but one should recognize that, especially in New France, the early Jesuit missionaries were in fact motivated by a sincere love for the natives. It may be hard to understand from a 21st century perspective, but offering Christ and the Gospel to the natives in that context was done out of love. Religion is so often offered in caricatures and portrayed in a negative or comic light today that to see it portrayed in a noble and loving way may grate on some viewers who can't understand that. But this movie, I thought, was a wonderful and realistic portrayal of the Jesuit motivation of the era, and a fair portrayal of native culture and response to the Jesuits.
Strengthened by some stunning scenery which offered a very authentic feel to the "New France" being depicted, this is a very strong movie. If one can't imagine a movie featuring natives to be anything but bloodthirsty savages or missionaries being anything but greedy exploiters then the reaction to this will be negative. But anyone interested in a realistic and thoughtful presentation of the era and cultures and motivations depicted will find this well worth watching. (7/10)
Also a highlight here was a superb performance by Lothaire Bluteau as Father Laforge - the Jesuit priest whose missionary journey we follow after he's dispatched from Quebec by Champlain and heads for the inland Huron mission. Bluteau seemed to capture the character perfectly - both his hesitancy about the natives and his very sincere love for them. In fact, I found a scene near the end of the movie to be extremely moving, as a group of sick Hurons approach Bluteau at the mission and ask to be baptized. As Bluteau seems to hesitate (he's previously suggested that the natives shouldn't be baptized without a firm understanding of the faith) the leader of the group asks "do you love us." As Bluteau looks over the desperate people in front of him and remembers some of those he's encountered in the past he's finally moved to respond simply "yes" and the baptism proceeds. Too often the portrayal of European colonization of America portrays only the greed and self-interest of the Europeans. That's undoubtedly true in so many ways and demonstrated by so much tragedy for North American natives, but one should recognize that, especially in New France, the early Jesuit missionaries were in fact motivated by a sincere love for the natives. It may be hard to understand from a 21st century perspective, but offering Christ and the Gospel to the natives in that context was done out of love. Religion is so often offered in caricatures and portrayed in a negative or comic light today that to see it portrayed in a noble and loving way may grate on some viewers who can't understand that. But this movie, I thought, was a wonderful and realistic portrayal of the Jesuit motivation of the era, and a fair portrayal of native culture and response to the Jesuits.
Strengthened by some stunning scenery which offered a very authentic feel to the "New France" being depicted, this is a very strong movie. If one can't imagine a movie featuring natives to be anything but bloodthirsty savages or missionaries being anything but greedy exploiters then the reaction to this will be negative. But anyone interested in a realistic and thoughtful presentation of the era and cultures and motivations depicted will find this well worth watching. (7/10)