The Song of Bernadette

Despite being a huge classic film fan, it took me a while to get round to watching 'The Song of Bernadette'. Partly because of being so busy, but also, although being an admirer of a lot of the cast and crew, finding that the subject matter didn't appeal to me for a while.

Goodness knows why though, because finally getting round to it 'The Song of Bernadette' was a miracle of a film. Sure it is a long film, perhaps a little too long (the only thing that counts as a debit against it for me, and it is so small because what it does right is enough to fill a novel), but contrary to one might think its point of view that it portrays is valid and very sincerely put across, not heavy-handedly or in a way that's biased. It also, from personal view, doesn't contrive to move audiences, or convert viewers and sceptics to its way of thinking. The emotional impact comes from how well it explores its subject matter and how much the sincerity and poignancy shines through every frame and performance.

Before one forgets, 'The Song of Bernadette' is a surprisingly quite faithful account of the story of Bernadette Soubirous, which is an amazing story in itself, some may ask how idealised it is, actually considering other films based on true stories/history etc and the subject matter it doesn't actually feel that idealistic. It manages to do the seemingly impossible in making capture the main events, spirit, background and atmosphere of Werfel's novel and making everything cohesive while condensing things necessarily to the point from a book so rich in detail to the point of bloat.

There are so many that make 'The Song of Bernadette' a film miracle. The luminous black and white photography wholly deserved its Oscar, that, the atmospheric lighting and sumptuous production values help make 'The Song of Bernadette' one of that year's (that half of the decade even too) most visually beautiful films. Alfred Newman's score adds so much to the film to the extent that the film may have been a completely different one without it, and it's hardly surprising it's garnered a soundtrack album of its own considering how well it stands up as music on its own. It's stirring and achingly gorgeous music, some of my favourite work of his.

Scripting doesn't resort to preachy sermonising or bias, instead it's very intelligently written and as aforementioned the argument it makes is valid and sincere, and it makes sense. The dialogue itself does provoke thought some time after. The story is incredibly moving and inspiring, also being careful not to paint its characters too black and white. Despite being a long film, the production values, music and performances are so wonderful, Henry King's direction so sensitive and the emotions so high that one is riveted throughout.

Jennifer Jones, in her debut performance (in her own name that is, having done a few other previous projects under a different name), seldom gave a more touching or better performance, of her five Oscar nominations this was the only time she won one and it was a very deserved win from personal view.

In support she is particularly well aided by Gladys Cooper, on fiery form, Vincent Price, impeccably giving his character menacing colour and unusual restraint, and Charles Bickford, suitably sympathetic. The Virgin is sincerely portrayed as a symbol of hope by Linda Darnell, am also of the opinion that the film and role were not trying to say anything comparing who was greater between Mary and Jesus, it was just a symbol.

Overall, a miracle of a film. Whether one is converted is very dependent on the person, personally I watched 'The Song of Bernadette' expecting to be challenged but still admire it a good deal, finished it feeling very moved and inspired. 10/10 Bethany Cox

In 1858 France, Bernadette (Jennifer Jones), an adolescent peasant girl, has a vision of "a beautiful lady" in the city dump. She never claims it to be anything other than this, but the townspeople all assume it to be the virgin Mary.

I suspect religious folks and non-religious folks might get two different things out of this film. From a religious point of view, there is definitely a theme of religion versus the state, and how you have to be firm in your beliefs when the state comes to challenge you. Even if threatened, stay strong.

Now, I am not religious, but I think a more general theme can be taken from this. And that is to believe in yourself when others doubt you or call you stupid. It may be easy to believe in yourself when the Mother of God is telling you to do things, but it need not be so dramatic.

Oh, and Vincent Price is in the movie. So that automatically makes it worth watching.

I'm not Catholic, but this film makes you want to believe the whole thing. I've never been so moved by a story demonstrating the incredible power of innocence and simplicity as performed by Jennifer Jones in this faithful adaptation of the true story of the now-canonized Bernadette Soubirous. Beyond this story, the sets, performances, narrative flow, and in particular, the heavenly-inspired music of Alfred Newman is nothing short of transporting. Some may find the movie overlong, but I cherished every character and angle to the story--much like enjoying the book with all of its detail. This effort demonstrates more than just the quality of the golden age of cinema and 20th Century Fox, but it adds a cast and crew clearly inspired to tell this true story like no other has been told before or since.

The weighty subject matter and emotional performances overshadow the film's flaws, which are numerous. Characters and events are not adequately introduced, leaving the viewer with a persistent, though not overwhelming, confusion. It runs a little long, and at times loses focus. But "The Song of Bernadette" has much to redeem it. This is true black and white cinematography, and Henry King uses highly effective lighting techniques to enhance his actors' performances. The bright lighting and soft focus on Jennifer Jones, for example, makes her angelic pose of peace believable.

One scene near the end of the film is utterly beautiful, and truly makes the movie. It takes place at a convent after Bernadette has been accepted as a nun. Sister Marie Vauzous, who has doubted Bernadette the entire film, stands over her in a pose of authority and accuses her of trying to get attention. Sister Marie is lit from an angle at sharp focus, which accentuates the lines and imperfections of her face as she asks for "proof" and laments about her own suffering. Meanwhile, Bernadette is lit straight on with a soft focus as usual, and the smoothness of her peaceful, humble face is perfect and divine. She agrees with Sister Marie that she is "a hundred times more worthy" than herself, all the while hiding the true nature of her own suffering. It is at this point that the Christian theme of salvation through suffering which has meandered its way through the film really makes its point, and it is a genuinely moving moment.

"For those who believe in God, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not believe in God, no explanation will suffice." Thus, 20th Century Fox made clear it's stance on the incident involving a poor ignorant peasant girl from the western Pyrenees who one early spring witnessed a vision of a "beautiful lady". Fox decidedly erred in favor of Bernadette's 'marion apparition'. But it wasn't because the mammoth studio had gone all pious suddenly. It's that the demographs showed that a vast number of potential audiences across the country had for the longest time gone untapped. The Catholics. What's more, the time seemed right to bring out the religious angle in a time of war. We looked to God for peacetime but raking in hefty profits at the boxoffice for such a sacred cause wasn't a bad idea either. Fox found their inspirational story from a most unlikely source who's own true-life story would have made a compelling screenplay. Franz Werfel , an orthodox Jew, had taken flight from the Nazis. He needed desperately to be reunited with his wife in America by seeking out those who would help along the way. Stopping to rest in his escape in Lourdes which bordered occupied France and neutral Spain, he found the people very sympathetic, hiding him from the Germans until he was given safe passage to the US. It is in Lourdes that he learned of Bernadette Souibirous and made a promise to God that if ever he should leave Europe alive, he would tell Bernadette's extraordinary story. It must've been a case of 'from Werfel's lips to God's ears' because that's just exactly what happened. In preparing the galleys for his book on Bernadette's account, the suits at Fox got wind of it and bought the rights to the film even before the publisher had the book on the stands which would become an enormous best seller in 1943. This was Jennifer Jones first leading role in a major film and few of us, I believe, could deny that her sensitive portrayal was nothing short of a miracle. A convincing harrowing portrayal of a pious ingenue without ever once being mawkish. Now that's walking a tight rope between instinct and skill. The rest of the cast is uniformly fine especially Anne Revere as Louise Soubirous (whose brilliant career would run afoul of the House Commitee for Un-American Activities, labeled a communist sympathizer). As for the real-life Bernadette, she was canonized in 1933, the same year it was decided to remove her remains to Never. Something even more startling however is that when her remains were disinterred some seventy-five years after her burial, she was found virtually in tact an incorruptible. Needless to say, the Church had all the justification it needed in declaring her a saint. And to this very day many who 'believe in God' make pilgrimages to the little grotto where the vision took place and the spring which brought about so many miraculous cures. There is in all this an interesting bit of irony though. The uncredited role of the 'beautiful lady' went to Fox contract player Linda Darnell who would have a brief but successful career playing 'bad girls'.