the atmosphere. it is the pillar of a film about the fight of a priest for transform a community. and his steps to the true. adaptation of a well known novel by Bernanos, the film has the gift to be more than illustration. but an ash portrait of an universe far by basic values, cold, harsh, bitter, cruel. and that transforms the film in an useful key for understand not only the tools of neo-realism or the art of director but the manner to define the small things who saves a life. a film about duty and profound solitude. without cure or solutions or options. maybe, without hope. but important as seed of self sacrifice who could change a single life. a film who must see. for remind traits of old French cinema. or as start for discover a real interesting novel.

Intriguing portrait of the solitude of the honest observer.The unnamed Vicar here has an amazing ability to focus on his interlocutor. Even on his deathbed he is deeply, genuinely interested and concerned.His ear is highly threatening to parishioners who are unaccustomed to being seen or heard."No priest shall mix in my family affairs," sniffs the philandering Comte, whose neglected daughter, Chantal (Nicole Ladmiral), is seriously depressed. "I disapprove of your impudence," he tells the cleric. "Your habits are a danger to the parish." The mirror the Vicar extends is discomfiting to almost everyone."People don't hate your simplicity," opines the vicar of a neighboring parish. "They offend themselves against it. It burns them." A tireless giver to others, the country priest seriously neglects his own needs."The illusion of health is not health," his vicar friend wisely notes.Soon, the priest's physical condition and overall sense of well-being take a marked nosedive. "I would have done anything for a word of compassion and kindness," he admits one lonely night, eagerly approaching the window. "The certitude of having been called, yet I know I wouldn't find anyone..." One of the few glimmers of joy arrives on the back seat of a motorcycle driven wildly by Chantal's virile cousin. Having just learned that he is dying, the Vicar savors a refreshing breeze as they speed toward town.The central conflict in this film concerns the Vicar and Chantal. In many ways they are similar but she is far more rough-edged and to-the-point. "This imbecile is a coward," she says of her just-having-died mother. "Never could see to her own happiness." (Is this true of the Vicar as well?)It's the Vicar who notices and remarks on Chantal's flightiness: "You are always restless -- hoping to hide the truth of your soul." The viewer is as frustrated and saddened as the Vicar when the free-thinking Dr. Belpetre commits suicide. As in real life, an inspiring person proves not to be the rock that one has imagined him to be. "Oh miracle -- one can give what one doesn't possess!"I was saddened to read on Wikipedia that Ms. Ladmiral herself committed suicide at age 28, some six years after this film was made, by throwing herself under a subway train.

A great filmmaker, at the height of his art, working with very strong material. To distill Bernanos' great book down to so few essentials and still convey its full force took a great mind and a great spirit. bleakness has never been more uplifting.There is no need to be religious to partake by this masterpiece, it spirituality will move all equally. Be aware however of one thing: just as many films are not for children, some are not for all adults. Do not watch this (nor read the book) if you are not prepared to have your soul harrowed to its very bottom. you cannot and will not be the same person after watching it.

I kind of feel like a genius; I feel like I'm the only one who saw through this fake film. I watched it three times, once with commentary, and I found myself getting annoyed at all the close-ups, all the times the screen just blacks out, and worst of all, I feel the film never really resolves anything. Yes, the priest dies, but he didn't really seem at peace with the town that gave him so much grief, or with himself. That and he was an idiot. If it weren't for the commentary by Peter Cowie which explained not only the movie but the book it came from, I wouldn't have been able to stomach it at all. I enjoy French movies, but this is one that was completely absurd.Diary of a Country Priest is filmed in beautiful black and white photography but, that alone cannot save this deadly dull tripe. Scene after scene of extreme close-ups where characters don't say anything until the camera cuts away and goes to a black out do NOT make an interesting or relevant story. How this film ever became a classic is mind boggling: it reminds me more of The Emperor's New Clothes.Yes, Claude Laydu's performance is heartfelt and thought provoking, if you are a sadist, but this film left me feeling empty because overall it is a weak impression of the Catholic priesthood, which is an ignoble and inglorious institution of corruption. The young priest's triumph over the countess's pride is a weak scene but 90% of the film will drag you down with its dreary introspection and window into the young priest's melancholy thoughts. This priest doesn't come across so much as being humble as he does just plain pitiful.Being that I don't speak or understand French I was looking forward to doing the English SUBTITLE thing to help understand the film. Well, the English SUBTITLE is at times impossible to view/read and the text rolls by so quickly that there was much I could not read (and I am not a particularly slow reader - I just finished Dostoyevsky in 3 days). I really wanted to like this film . I try out everything "chosen" by the Criterion Collection, and yet can not see why in many ways this one merits some sort of critical nod. However, I sat through this entire two hour film yearning to feel some sort of empathy for the main character, and it never materialized. He just seemed like a victim rather than a fighter. And for that, I say it stunk.