Léon Morin, Priest
Léon Morin, Priest | |
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![]() Film poster | |
Directed by | Jean-Pierre Melville |
Screenplay by | Jean-Pierre Melville |
Based on | Léon Morin, prêtre by Béatrix Beck |
Produced by | Carlo Ponti Georges de Beauregard |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Henri Decaë |
Edited by | Jacqueline Meppiel Nadine Marquand Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte |
Music by | Martial Solal |
Distributed by | Lux Compagnie Cinématographique de France |
Release date |
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Running time | 117 minutes |
Country | France |
Language | French |
Box office | 1,703,758 admissions (France)[1] |
Léon Morin, Priest (
For his work in the film, Belmondo was nominated for the BAFTA Film Award for Best Foreign Actor.
Plot
Barny is a young mother raising her daughter, named France, in a small town in the French Alps during the Occupation of France. She works correcting assignments for a Parisian correspondence school that has moved to the town. Her Jewish husband was killed in the war, and, sexually-frustrated, she finds herself attracted to Sabine, the administrative secretary at the school.
As a jaded
For France's protection, Barny sends the girl to live on a secluded farm. She begins to visit Léon regularly, finding his moral strength and the steadfastness of his faith impressive as he works to help her on her spiritual journey. Despite her resistance, Barny gradually finds herself drawn in by Léon's musings, philosophies, and interpretations of passages from the Bible.
The circumstances in the town get worse for the residents after the Germans fully push out the Italians, and Barny and Léon both do what they can to help and protect those in need. Barny's feelings for Sabine change after the distress the woman feels after her brother is arrested by the Gestapo and taken to Germany causes her to seem to age several years in just a few weeks.
Reluctantly, but feeling compelled to do so, Barny decides to fully return to the Church. She and Christine, a collaborationist coworker with whom she became friends after they discovered they were both talking with Léon, each refer a friend to Léon. The other women's reactions to him cause Barny to see him in a different light, and, noticing for the first time how handsome he is, she begins to develop romantic feelings.
One night, the Germans abandon the town. France comes back to live with Barny, so she tells Léon she can no longer come to visit him, and he offers to come to her instead. On one visit, Barny asks Léon if he would marry her if he were a Protestant minister. He does not answer, but becomes perturbed and abruptly leaves, and they do not see each other for a while. Eventually, he knocks on Barny's door and proceeds to talk about theology as though nothing happened. She cannot focus and reaches out to touch his arm, causing him to jump out of his chair. Before leaving, he tells her that he will return for more conversation, but she must come to him at the church to confess and receive penance for trying to lead a priest astray.
Léon learns he is being transferred to another parish, and he tells Barny. They catch France eavesdropping and he puts her back to bed, prompting Barny to think about God's irony in finally bringing Léon into her bedroom, not to sleep with her and break his vows, but to comfort her daughter.
The correspondence school announces it is moving back to Paris, which means Barny will be leaving the town around the same time as Léon. On the night before his departure, he asks her to visit him. She thanks him and they have a brief conversation before Barny bids Léon farewell. He tells her they will meet again, in another life. Barny tearfully leaves and stumbles out into the street.
Cast
- Jean-Paul Belmondo as Léon Morin
- Emmanuelle Riva as Barny
- Irène Tunc as Christine Sangredin
- Nicole Mirel as Sabine Levy
- Gisèle Grimm as Lucienne
- Marco Behar as Edelman
- Monique Bertho as Marion
- Monique Hennessy as Arlette
- Cédric Grant as American Soldier
- George Lambert as American Soldier
- Chantal, Patricia, & Marielle Gozzi as France at different ages
Release
Critical reception
Roger Ebert added the film to his Great Movies list in 2009.[2]
Home media
The film was released on DVD and
References
- ^ Box office information for film at Box Office Story
- ^ "Leon Morin, Priest Movie Review". Roger Ebert. October 21, 2009.
- ^ "Léon Morin, Priest". The Criterion Collection.
- ^ Smith, Derek (8 July 2019). "Bob le Flambeur, Le Doulos, and Leon Morin, Priest on Kino Lorber Blu-ray". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 28 March 2021.
External links
- Léon Morin, Priest at IMDb
- Leon Morin, Priest at Le Film Guide
- Léon Morin, Priest: Life During Wartime an essay by Criterion Collection