I found this movie by chance, completely on You Tube. Only problem: it is in French, and I haven't studied French since an exchange program to France. This was back when I was a student, which it was sometime between the Fall of Man and the Great Flood, (not to make myself sound too old)! But anyway I started watching this movie and, I found I didn't want it to stop. There was something in the language, (and French is such a beautiful language), as well as the performances by the actors in it. It made me continue even though there was a language issue. Still I think I got most of it.
The movie is about a little 10 year old girl named Merette. Her mom dies and she blames God for this. She decides she doesn't want to believe in Him anymore and her relatives send her to live with a pastor who they think will guide her on the right path. A good idea but he turns out to be a real piece of work! He is cruel to the girl, beats her etc which only makes her want to rebel more. After all if your only experience of God was through such a horrible man, you'd probably be an atheist too. Children need to be shown the proper way by decent people, that care about them.
The acting is excellent. I have not heard of any of the actors in this movie. But I'll watch anything they are in, from now on. I was most impressed with Jean Bouise who played the cruel pastor. He really made you believe in the character and it can be tough to play the villain. This was no superhero bad guy, just a regular man with a job and a home but who uses his power to crush other people. He was quite scary in the same way the nurse in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was scary. Anne Bos played Merette and she was just wonderful, for a girl her age to realistically portray emotional distress and anger like that. You laughed when she laughed, and you cried when she cried too. Great work from her and the kids who played her friends (4 boys and 1 girl). Francois Simon was strong in a little role as a painter who is nice to Merette. But he is quickly overrun by the pastor like so many of the other characters.
It was sometimes difficult to watch this movie, as someone who is religious. To see the words of Jesus Christ mistreated so that a little girl could be tortured. I am reminded of a verse from the book of Matthew: those who lead little ones to stumble, it would be better if they tie a millstone around their neck and throw themselves into the sea. The pastor should study that verse closely! But I would recommend this movie to any person of faith. I don't think most religious people behave like this. Some do though, and this can remind you of what happens when bad people use the word of God to get what they want. Keep an open mind and watch it. If you're an atheist it's just going to confirm what you believe. But Christians should watch this movie and be mindful, even if it does go a little far in places. I think at some point someone would intervene in real life. Stop it from going as far as it does here.
There was one scene that troubled me a little, where Merette and her friends go for a swim with no clothes on. All of them are seen naked from both the front and back, and nothing is hidden, you see all 4 boys' penises and both girls' vaginas. Maybe you get away with this in France in the 1980's. In this day and age you hear too many stories about creep producers in Hollywood, to be comfortable with a movie crew filming naked kids. I know France is more open about these things. The family I stayed with in France had a daughter who was the same age as the girls in this, and she would walk around the house naked after a shower. So maybe Anne Bos and the other kids didn't mind being naked. And the scene serves a purpose, showing Merette and her friends as innocent (it's this beautiful lake/forest that looks like The Garden of Eden). But it's still an uncomfortable experience so be mindful of this if you watch it with your family.
The ending of the movie is very sad, and the general point can seem anti-religious at times. Plus there is a confronting scene of nudity. But I think this movie is strong and has much to digest and think about. I have not written a review on this web site before, but not enough people have seen this movie. So I thought I could help bring attention to it. It's a moving story about what happens when God is used as an excuse to justify evil and destroy good things in the world.
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