OF GODS AND MEN

Ma's View:

This is based on the true story of a group of French Christian monks living peacefully as part of the community in a remote village in Algeria in 19--.  Their situation becomes more and more dangerous after some Romanian volunteers are murdered by the Jihadists.  They are faced with the decision to remain in the village where they are of assistance with medical expertise, legal advice and assistance to the villagers or to flee to the safety of their homeland.  The movie traces how each monk deals with this dilemma personally and spiritually and how they gain the respect of certain sections of the extremists and put themselves at risk with the authorities for treating their wounds.  In the end, the inevitable happens and they are taken hostage by the rebels to be used as political leverage for the release of prisoners.

The movie is absorbing and well-acted but you can't help but think that they are setting themselves up to be martyrs and that they would be so much better to get the hell out of there while they could, so as not to create an international incident and be used for ransom, and instead go somewhere where they could do more good by staying alive!  Sorry, but for me blind adherence to religion in the face of common sense just doesn't cut it!  The sacrifice of their lives was for nothing - they were no help to the villagers once they were taken hostage or dead!

My Score:  6/10

Pepe's View:

Xavier Beauvois wrote and directed this true story of a group of monks in Algeria deciding whether to stay and offer what help they can to the villagers or leave and return ot their homelands.  For two interminable hours their personal and group deliberations continue interspersed with numerous prayers and much chanting.  I did not feel that the personal conflict of each man was developed enough nor the dilemma of the group explored.
For me, this film had far too many religious overtones - almost an indoctrination piece.  I could imagine it being shown to Catholic school children as an educational piece lauding Christian values.
I accept that there was a dilemma - but I couldn't help wondering how do the monks serve their God when they are dead?  However, I could not help feeling that underlying their decision was the belief that if they died as martyrs then their entrance to heaven was guaranteed.
It seemd to me there is a time for heroics - when by your actions you are saving another's life for example - but in this case their decision to stay actually made the life of the villagers more dangerous and the monks couldn't do anything to save them from the jihadists in any case.
Eventually the monks are captured and held as hostage to make a political point and publicise the rebel's  cause.
A ponderous uncritical examination of the decision made by monks caught up in a civil war.

My Score:  6/10