2008 Woodie Awards
Movie Review: "Into Great Silence"
Monks' solitude has messages for all humanity
By: James Hansen
Issue date: 4/12/07 Section: Reviews
- Page 1 of 1
5 out of 5 stars
Heading into a film like Philip Groning's "Into Great Silence" could be seen as something of a task.
The film is a 162-minute documentary that contains no narration, almost no dialogue and only wants to observe the lives of Carthusian monks as well as observing the passing of time. However daunting that may seem, "Into Great Silence" manages to be exhilarating, spiritual and not nearly long enough.
Groning waited 16 years to film the monks, which may be why there is an omnipresence of serene sincerity throughout the entire film. Shot on location in the Chartreuse monastery hid-den in a valley in the French Alps, the Carthusians speak only when in prayer or song, or when they take an expedition around the grounds.
One of the most moving sections of the film is when we see from afar a few of the monks sledding down one of the hills. Some slide on their feet and see how far they can go before fal-ling; others slide on their bottoms while some watch with laughter. Despite seeming like mythi-cally quiet creatures, what Groning captures in these moments is the humanism of the monks that helps the audience connect with these people who could be viewed as strange and radical outsid-ers.
"Into Great Silence" uses many visual motifs to help carry the film along, as well as cre-ating a framework for what the audience is experiencing. There are biblical titles written between each section, giving everyone something to think about while observing the monks in quiet prayer, cutting vegetables or receiving ointment on their skin.
However, above all of this is the image of a single, red candle that glows above the monks while they are in worship. At times, all of the lights go out and all that can be seen is a small, red glow. This glow represents everything the monks look up to, strive to touch and seek to become. Like the glowing green light across the bay in "The Great Gatsby," the glow here has the same depth, power and beauty every time it appears. There is good reason it stays on screen throughout the credits and beyond. Its visual representation and cohesion to the lives of the monks, as well as the search for something in our own lives, is certainly something of which Groning is aware.
Whether it is actually finding God as the light of the world or just seeking that unattain-able glow, light or ideal that can represent different things to every person, Groning, alongside digital videography pioneer Anthony Dod Mantle, composes images, ideals and a sense of movement. Groning and Mantle capture the essence of the Carthusian monks. Unhurried and constantly observant, the monks have managed to slow down their lives in order to find what they seek.
While it may seem impossible to slow our own lives in the fast-paced world we live in, the ebb and flow of the monks' lives is something that must be respected and sought. It is only if we seek it that we will find the same mystical beauty and rhythmic power ever present in the world the monks - and Groning - have created.
"Into Great Silence" is currently playing at Landmark's Plaza Frontenac Cinema.
Heading into a film like Philip Groning's "Into Great Silence" could be seen as something of a task.
The film is a 162-minute documentary that contains no narration, almost no dialogue and only wants to observe the lives of Carthusian monks as well as observing the passing of time. However daunting that may seem, "Into Great Silence" manages to be exhilarating, spiritual and not nearly long enough.
Groning waited 16 years to film the monks, which may be why there is an omnipresence of serene sincerity throughout the entire film. Shot on location in the Chartreuse monastery hid-den in a valley in the French Alps, the Carthusians speak only when in prayer or song, or when they take an expedition around the grounds.
One of the most moving sections of the film is when we see from afar a few of the monks sledding down one of the hills. Some slide on their feet and see how far they can go before fal-ling; others slide on their bottoms while some watch with laughter. Despite seeming like mythi-cally quiet creatures, what Groning captures in these moments is the humanism of the monks that helps the audience connect with these people who could be viewed as strange and radical outsid-ers.
"Into Great Silence" uses many visual motifs to help carry the film along, as well as cre-ating a framework for what the audience is experiencing. There are biblical titles written between each section, giving everyone something to think about while observing the monks in quiet prayer, cutting vegetables or receiving ointment on their skin.
However, above all of this is the image of a single, red candle that glows above the monks while they are in worship. At times, all of the lights go out and all that can be seen is a small, red glow. This glow represents everything the monks look up to, strive to touch and seek to become. Like the glowing green light across the bay in "The Great Gatsby," the glow here has the same depth, power and beauty every time it appears. There is good reason it stays on screen throughout the credits and beyond. Its visual representation and cohesion to the lives of the monks, as well as the search for something in our own lives, is certainly something of which Groning is aware.
Whether it is actually finding God as the light of the world or just seeking that unattain-able glow, light or ideal that can represent different things to every person, Groning, alongside digital videography pioneer Anthony Dod Mantle, composes images, ideals and a sense of movement. Groning and Mantle capture the essence of the Carthusian monks. Unhurried and constantly observant, the monks have managed to slow down their lives in order to find what they seek.
While it may seem impossible to slow our own lives in the fast-paced world we live in, the ebb and flow of the monks' lives is something that must be respected and sought. It is only if we seek it that we will find the same mystical beauty and rhythmic power ever present in the world the monks - and Groning - have created.
"Into Great Silence" is currently playing at Landmark's Plaza Frontenac Cinema.
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