Of Gods and Men

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Cast & Crew

Lambert Wilson

Christian

Michaël Lonsdale

Luc

Olivier Rabourdin

Christophe

Philippe Laudenbach

Célestin

Jacques Herlin

Amédée

Loïc Pichon

Jean-Pierre

Xavier Maly

Michel

Jean-Marie Frin

Paul

Abdelhafid Metalsi

Nouredine

Sabrina Ouazani

Rabbia

Xavier Beauvois

Director

Xavier Beauvois

Screenwriter

Etienne Comar

Screenwriter

Pascal Caucheteux

Producer

Etienne Comar

Producer

Caroline Champetier

Cinematographer

Brigitte Moidon

Casting

Michel Barthélémy

Production Design

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News & Interviews for Of Gods and Men

Critics Consensus: Hall Pass Flunks

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Critic Reviews for Of Gods and Men

Audience Reviews for Of Gods and Men

• Jul 22, 2014

  A group of Trappist monks must decide to flee or remain when a nearby village is threatened by Muslim extremists. As slow burns go, Of Gods and Men is one of the most compelling. Tightly scripted and slowly but tensely paced, as this story unfolds, the film's themes emerge subtly: the film portrays the austerity of faith and how faith leads to a sense of security and conviction. While I'm not personally committed to these theses, the film's portrayal is richly textured and compelling. By the end of the film, we get to know these monks about as well as we get to know anyone in an understated French film, and it's hard not to admire them. Overall, this is profound and compelling story well-told.
  

  Super Reviewer
• Jul 20, 2013

  <i>"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."</i> Winner of the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival of 2010, <i>Des hommes et des dieux</i> is a striking testament of faith and human perseverance in extremely dangerous environments. The arguments regarding whether the monastery held a correct religion approved by God's Word is irrelevant; this beautifully shot jewel stands as another proof of the power of love towards humanity, as a parable of the Good Shepherd, as a moving feature film of great power without the need of resorting to melodramatic elements. Its universal message transcends political and religious boundaries. <i>Remember that love is eternal hope.</i> Monk Christian 80/100
  

  Super Reviewer
• Feb 28, 2013

  A slow and touching drama that looks at the true story of a group of monks who refuse to leave their monastery despite the danger they are faced with. This film skyrockets to levels of absolute perfection thanks to the way it handles religion on such a human level. The religious aspects are part of the characters, and not necessarily part of the film itself. Lambert Wilson is astonishing as the quiet but strong monk Christian, who must decide whether to stay and possibly die or leave and live. We are shown the true power of the human spirit without ever having to face over sentimental music or melodramatics. Every scene is handled with absolute faith in the cast and writing, as one scene tears us apart with tension, without needless editing nor a bombastic soundtrack. A gentle masterpiece.
  

  Super Reviewer
• Jan 07, 2012

  Loosely based on actual events that took place between 1993 and 1996, this is the story of 8 French monks living in Algeria in harmony with their Muslim neighbors in the surrounding village. This particular group of monks are from the Cistercian Order, which means that their defining feature, beyond pacifism, is that they do not proselytize or evangelize. Instead, they devote themselves to pray, worship, and serving the needs of the public at large, which in this case is running a clinic that provides the medical needs of the locals. Despite their differences in faith, ethnicity, and heritage, these men coexist nicely with the Muslims. All of that changes however, when a group of Islamic Fundamentalists kill a group of foreign workers, upsetting the delicate balance. As the fear and tensions rise, the monks find themselves and their faith tested, forcing them to make some tough choices, especially when they are taken hostage. Despite the fact that I often have a really irreverent regard for religion (primarily my own beliefs), I can get serious at times, and have much respect for productions such as this movie, that take issues of faith, religion, and acceptance seriously. Being a Catholic, and having spent time around monks at an Abbey, I can say that the film does a great job of how they portray monastic life. This film is quite quiet, contemplative, and thoughtful, much like its characters. The film has a deliberately easy pace, allowing the viewer to really relax and drink in the world these character inhabit, providing a nice look at the everyday workings of monks doing the mission they were called out for. I also appreciate the portrayal of the Muslims, and how it's not a purely black and white situation. When things get sour, they are handled in an appropriately downplayed manner, relying on subtlety instead of going visceral. The film is quite moving, and there's many great moments, but the best moment, hands down, has to be the sequence set to "Swan Lake", which absolutely floored me. While the ending doesn't totally come as a surprise (especially since its based on true events), it is nevertheless quite good. You could argue that the characters and their motives could have been better developed, but I feel like they did it decently enough. The actors likewise, do a good job, and are quite convincing as a group of men with great senses of compassion and devotion. Where the film really shines is in the departments of mood, tone, atmosphere, production design, and cinematography. It's all simply beautiful. All in all, this is quite a film. I kept getting interrupted while viewing it, which kept taking me out of the experience, so, if not for that, I'd probably be giving this a higher grade. As it stand though, I have a lot of admiration for this. It's certainly not a film for everyone, but if you've enjoyed what you've read, and think you might like it, then give it a shot.
  

  Super Reviewer