Black Robe: 1991 Movie on the Jesuits in New France

Showtime | 1/13/2005 | Pyro7480

[Pyro7480]

Last night, after watching the end of Much Ado About Nothing, I caught the beginning of a movie called Black Robe. It is about a young Jesuit priest in 17th century New France (present-day Canada), who journeys across the vast wilderness to found a new mission. Since it was past midnight, and I work Monday through Friday, I was forced to turn it off.

[Pyro7480]

Has anyone seen this movie, and would they recommend it? It looks very interesting.

[Pyro7480]

Catholic ping!

[mark502inf]

"Black Robe" is a great movie--historically accurate, high production values, and a compelling story. I recommend it very highly. Although if you get the DVD there are a couple scenes for which you might not want the kids around--(not gratuitous, but not appropriate!).

[ultima ratio]

Yes. The movie was based on the novel which was based on the actual Jesuit Chronicles from that time which are amazingly detailed and interesting. The martyrdom of those Jesuits was embraced with a zeal that has got to be baffling to modern filmgoers--and to modern clergy, for that matter. These were refined, highly educated men who left civilized France to live among savages where they were subject to barbarisms offensive to every sense. The film captures some of this--but it would be depressing without appreciation of its spiritual context. Ignatian spirituality was truly potent once--and awe-inspiring. It's sad to think of how debased it has become.

[ELS]

Black Robe (1991)

"Trivia: The ferocity of the torture scenes prompted accusations of racism from Native Americans. However, Brian Moore, who had done extensive research on the subject, had actually toned down the documented violence for both his book and his screenplay."

Sounds familiar, no?

[xzins]

I remember watching it years ago, and I wouldn't waste money on it until it shows up in the Walmart $5 DVD bin.

It was no big deal, and not very good storytelling, either.

The Jesuits were sort of dull in this show. They were far more interesting in "Shogun."

[Antoninus]

It's ok. Not great, just ok. If I remember correctly, it had some pretty graphic sex scenes. It's portrayal of missionary life among the Hurons was OK, but there were some definite inaccuracies--particularly when it came to presenting the reasons WHY the Hurons converted to Christianity.

[Antoninus]

It is, however, an honest and totally forthright account of the martyrs of early French Canada.

I wouldn't go that far. It was an attempt, but they left a lot of the deep devotional Catholic spirituality of the Jesuits and the Indian converts out of the movie--and the zeal and piety which accompanied so many of their deaths. That said, it's probably about as close as secular film-making can come to historical accuracy when dealing with a Christian subject.

[Antoninus]

"Trivia: The ferocity of the torture scenes prompted accusations of racism from Native Americans. However, Brian Moore, who had done extensive research on the subject, had actually toned down the documented violence for both his book and his screenplay."

That is very, very true. The actual tortures would have been unwatchable.

[Antoninus]

It was no big deal, and not very good storytelling, either. The Jesuits were sort of dull in this show.

I fully agree. This film didn't do justice to the Jesuit misisonaries. The Mission did a much better job. For the real scoop on the principle Jesuit missionaries/martyrs in New France, I recommend:

The North American Martyrs

[Artist]

It's rough. The violence portrayed is still memorable all these years later....worse than the hatchet scene in The Patriot, or the scenes in Gladiator, IMO.

It floors me to read that the author toned it down!

[msdrby]

I saw the movie when it came out. I thought it was very good. Need to watch it again to refresh my memory, though. Kinda like reading a good book more than once, you catch things you missed the first time.

[Mark in the Old South]

I saw it a long long long time ago. I think it was made in the 70's. I remember my brother loved it. But keep in mind he is a Anglican priest, but was always sympathetic to the Traditional Catholic Faith

[xzins]

I think in had the "Waterworld" problem....drug on and on and ended up nowhere.

[T.L.Sink]

I didn't see the film but I think you make a good point
about "Ignatian spirituality", and a good biography of St.
Ignatius Loyola, how and why he founded the Society of
Jesus, and its role in the Counter-Reformation period
would be bound to give one better ability to evaluate the
film (historically). Although Loyola died in 1556, the role
of the Jesuits has been enormous - throughout the world,
not just in Canada during that time, but in what became
the U.S. Have you read Willa Cather's, "Death comes to
the Archbishop" ? If I may ask, what do you mean by "how
debased it has become" ?

[ultima ratio]

It has lost connection with its spiritual roots, has been in the vanguard of modernist thinking in the Church, and has a huge gay problem it refuses to confront. The Order itself is dying, attracting very few--and very mediocre-- vocations. It is a shadow of its former self.

[Claud]

In his book, Triumph of the Roman Catholic Church, HW Crocker says that one of the greateat tragedies in Christendom was how the Jesuits were ijntentionally gutted by political intrigue

LOL...I just checked a great 100+ year old book out of the library with a whole bunch of Jesuit missionary accounts. The editor was a Protestant, he had tons of respect for the martyrs, but he wondered out loud why such great men with such fervor, such commitment, "failed" everywhere in the world. He concluded that there was something fatally wrong with their theology.

Uhh...having the order SUPPRESSED just at the time they were making great headway wouldn't have anything to do with it? Or the banning of the rites in China, which they accepted under obedience but didn't agree with.

Antoninus, dead on about the real torture being unwatchable. I remember not being able to READ some of them because they were so gruesome.

[TradicalRC]

Have you read Willa Cather's, "Death comes to the Archbishop" ? If I may ask, what do you mean by "how debased it has become" ?

Excellent book. I read an article years back that said the Jesuits made a pivotal mistake when they abandoned traditional theology and took up with modernism. This article mentioned a particular person as being the linchpin of this turnaround in Jesuit theology/philosophy. I cannot for the life of me remember if it was a theologian, a philosopher or a leader of some kind within the Jesuit community. Nor can I recall his name or which publication I read the article in.