A beautiful but gut wrenching film

baumer

I have to applaud Bruce Beresford.  After his huge success with Driving Miss Daisy, I believe he could have had his choice to direct any film that he wanted to.  To take on a small Canadian/Australian film is not only inspiring but it shows that this must be personal to him in some way.  And it shows here as well.  His direction shows that he cares for the subject and the people and the landscape.  Everything is precise and pristine and immaculate.  I am not a huge historian when it comes to colonization in Canada, and that is a shame, perhaps I should be.  After all, my elementary school history teacher once told me that there are two things that are given to you when you are born, one is your name and the other is your nationality.  Be proud of both.  And it is subjects and films like this that he would have been proud of and so am I.  Although you can get just as much out of this if you are American, there is just a little more substance to it if you are Canadian.  After all, these were jesuits and these are the Iroquois and the Hurons and this is snowy, fridgid Quebec in the winter. These are all very Canadian and it is a film that tries to shed some light on how our country became what it is today.  It is films like this that remind us as Canadians that we do have a history.  And as silly as that may sound, it is an important statement.  Go up to the average Canadian, any Canadian, young or old and ask them to name all the capitals of our 10 provinces and now 3 territories and I'll bet 6 times out of ten that they can't do it.  Ask them if the Baffin Islands are a part of Canada or ask them where the Strait of Juan De Fuca is and they won't know.  I am not in that category, I know my fair bit about my country, but I am unfortunately one that does not enough about things like Samuel De Champlain and what party Sir Wilfred Laurier was a part of and I certainly don't know much about subjects that Black Robe deals with.  And even though it sounds like this film is good and important only because it teaches us about our history, that is not true.  It is an interesting film but it is also very well made.  I was intriuged and my eyes were wide open during this film. The acting and the direction and of course the photography was superb.  But as much as this film was a good cinematic experience, I have to say that all Canadians should see it for it's historical importance.  It is a part of history and it is something that should intrigue us all.  I am very proud to say that this is at least partly funded, produced and distributed by Canadians and it is something that all of us should see at least once.  It is a good film and it will teach us a great deal about out own country, and that is something that all of us need.

score 9/10

baumer 15 September 1999

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0291657/