Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Of Gods and Men Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 8, 2011

Selected to represent France in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 83rd Academy Awards, Xavier Beauvois' "Des hommes et des dieux" a.k.a. "Of Gods and Men" (2010) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer and a documentary film. In French and Arabic, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

We will stay!

The tragic events chronicled in Gallic director Xavier Beauvois’ latest film Of Gods and Men are real. They occurred in 1996, in Algeria, when eight Trappist monks were taken hostage by a group of Islamic fundamentalists. These events are well-known in Europe.

The drama begins to unfold when the fundamentalists kill a group of Croatian workers and the news quickly reaches the monastery where the monks live. Shortly after, the Algerian government issues a statement urging them to leave -- there is a sense in the country that things are getting out of control, and that going forward foreigners would be the primary target for the fundamentalists.

But the monks, and especially their leader, Brother Christian (Lambert Wilson, The Public Woman, Rendez-vous), feel that Algeria is their home and that they belong there. They also agree that leaving the country would be a cowardly act, negating everything that they have accomplished during the years. This is not to say that some of them are not concerned about their safety, they are; but they are convinced that their faith would help them overcome the adversity - even though they don’t quite yet understand what this adversity is.

Things become clearer when on Christmas Eve the fundamentalists arrive in the monastery. They ask for medical supplies and demand that Brother Luc (Michael Lonsdale, The Day of the Jackal, Nelly & Monsieur Arnaud), the doctor amongst the monks, helps one of their wounded comrades. Brother Christian quietly explains that there aren’t enough supplies and what they have is to be used to treat the elderly men and women from the nearby village. The fundamentalists leave, but Brother Christian realizes that it is only a matter of time before they return and take what they have been denied.

Meanwhile, the village leaders approach the monks and ask whether they will stay or go back to France. There is a feeling amongst some of them that the country’s colonial past might have inspired the fundamentalists and that things will likely get a lot worse before they get better. A local official also admits that the government is too weak and disorganized, lacking the ability to restore order.

The ensuing debates between the monks occupy a major part in the film. While eventually they all agree that the right thing to do is stay - clearly realizing that by doing so they are risking their lives - their evaluations of the situation are drastically different.

There is plenty of talk about Christianity and Islam in the film but none of it is polarizing. Instead, director Beauvois focuses on the complex socio-political environment in Algeria during the early 90s and the different reactions that Christians and Muslims had to the tragic events chronicled in the film.

Behind the majority of these reactions there are interesting sentiments. The film shows that there were mixed feelings about the origin of the violence that swept through the country and that the goal of the fundamentalists was to weaken the secular government, but does not clarify whether religion was the key motivator. If anything, the film suggests that traces of the destructive fanaticism was also present amongst those who were sent to deal with the fundamentalists.

Cinematographer Caroline Champetier’s (Le petit lieutenant) lensing is simple but very elegant, favoring a variety of warm earthy colors. Marie-Julie Maille’s (The Witnesses) competent editing allows the film to breathe and move slowly.

Note: In 2010, Of Gods and Men won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury (Xavier Beauvois) at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was also selected to represent France in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 83rd Academy Awards.

Of Gods and Men Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Xavier Beauvois' Of Gods and Men arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye.

The high-definition transfer is beautiful. Fine object detail is outstanding - the darker footage from inside the monastery has pleasing depth and fluidity, while the larger panoramic vistas from the Algerian countryside are colorful and vibrant. The natural light, which has a very important role for the film's overall mood, is also captured beautifully. Edge-enhancement is not an issue of concern; neither is macroblocking. There are no traces of heavy noise reduction plaguing the transfer either. If anything, there is light noise that has a tendency to pop up during a few of the darker scenes (and specifically during a couple of ceremonies). Color reproduction is excellent, with the variety of natural blues, greens, browns, and especially yellows giving the film a very pleasing earthy look. Additionally, there are no serious stability issues. I also did not detect any purely transfer-related anomalies to report in this review. All in all, this is yet another very impressive presentation for a wonderful film courtesy of Artificial Eye. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Of Gods and Men Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with portions of Arabic). For the record, Artificial Eye have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

Of Gods and Men does not have an intense music score, but the French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track opens up the entire film quite well. The liturgical singing benefits the most, but there are various scenes where the falling rain or strong winds are also enhanced very well. The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and exceptionally easy to follow. I also did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, hissings, or audio dropouts to report in this review. The English translation is very good.

Of Gods and Men Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Victims of Tibhirine: A Further Inquiry - a wonderful documentary that sheds additional light on the Tibhirine tragedy. In French, with optional English subtitles. (20 min, 1080p).

• Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Of Gods and Men. In French, with optional English subtitles. (3 min, 1080p).

Of Gods and Men Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Of Gods and Men is an enormously powerful and thought-provoking film with a very important message. In light of recent developments, it is my opinion that the film should be seen by as many people as possible. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye, looks and sounds fantastic. It is also Region-Free. (Please keep in mind that Sony Pictures are also releasing the film in North America on July 5th). VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.