Mar. 14, 2003 - 5:08 pm
this one was nominated for 12 Oscars including Best Picture for 1943. i came across it in my recent research and also Colin mentioned it when he was preparing for his last role in a play. one of the many Catholic-themed movies that the part involved.
i had forgotten exactly who this "Bernadette" was, but remembered quickly as soon as the film started. she was the very stupid and poor girl in Lourdes, France in the 1850s who saw visions of the virgin Mary in a local dumping ground/cave and who later became a nun. she also discovered a healing spring at the base of the cave when prompted by Mary to look for it during one of her visions. people began to come from all over the world to seek out the healing spring and to watch Bernadette as she received her vision. her visions, the healings, and the truth behind the matters were confirmed by a thorough investigation by the Catholic Church and Bernadette later became a nun. so this film is the retelling of that story.
it rather bothered me that they pronounced her name so oddly. it was more like "bear-nadette." that makes me feel wrong inside.
an interesting fact is that when the movie begins, the final name credited is Jennifer Jones who plays Bernadette. it says "and introducing Jennifer Jones as Bernadette." so that they make you think that the girl was "discovered" for the making of this film. the actress had actually done other films under her own name previously (Phyllis Isley) instead of using a stage name.
it was pretty good. very emotional at times. i couldn't help being reminded of Luc Besson's The Messenger (1999) which i love. that movie also deals with a similar girl (Joan of Arc) who had visions of God, and then the Church investigates...although to a much different end.
UPDATE: my mom sent me an email saying that she had seen this film a while back and started looking up info on Saint Bernadette. she found this site which shows her nearly flawlessly preserved body which is still on display in France. creepy but neat.