Le miracle de Fatima

A copy of this film was given to me as a gift. I would've never thought to have watched this, but all I can say after viewing this is WOW! This film is almost flawless. A great, spiritual story (and a true one), and all the actors are really good, especially the man who plays 'Hugo'. Seek this one out. You won't regret it.

Missing the mark is this MIRACLE OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA, although a sincere attempt has been made to tell the story without too many additions or over-dramatizing of actual events. Even Max Steiner's busy background score is not enough to overcome the many flaws evident in the telling.

The simple truth is that none of it comes to life as vividly as THE SONG OF BERNADETTE managed to do during the previous decade, with its nuanced understanding of the various political events that shaped the period. Here the political elements are seen simply as a repression of all things pertaining to religion and oppression of The Catholic Church by the authorities in Portugal in a sort of paranoia about Communism.

To be fair, this tale of children seeing The Virgin Mary and stirring up the wrath of unbelievers is told in a straightforward manner without any name stars or over-dramatizing of the actual events. And the only marquee name is GILBERT ROLAND whose role is that of a fictional rogue who helps the children when they need some aid.

But the children are not quite up to the task demanded of them by the screenplay (nor are they as appealing as they ought to be) and the script never matches the soaring religiosity of Steiner's musical themes. The climactic spinning of the sun for the miracle sequence is well done even though this was long before CGI effects were available.

On the technical side, the Warnercolor badly needs restoration. It has a muddy look that surely is not intentional nor the way it looked when the film was originally released.

Overall, a fairly accurate re-telling of events but not as inspirational as it should have been. Hopefully, it will prompt those who don't know the Fatima story to do some research of their own.

Since 1917, the mountain village of Fátima, central Portugal, located on the tableland of Cova Da Iria, southeast of Leiria, has been one of the most famous Marian shrines in the world, visited by thousands of pilgrims annually.

"The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima" opened with a 'persecution' against the Clerical Orders opposed to the government throwing the priests into prison like common criminals..

On May 23, 1917 and each subsequent month until October, three young peasant children, Lucia dos Santos (Susan Whitney) and her cousins Francisco Marto (Sammy Ogg) and Jacinta Marto (Sherry Jackson) reportedly saw a 'LADY' on a little tree - while playing in the woods - who identified herself as the 'LADY OF THE ROSARY'.

The children's extraordinary event was treated with an attitude of doubt and whole 'skepticism'..but with 'courage' they fought the 'threat' that gripped them from strong opposition from the local authority, the Magistrate (Carl Milletaire) and with 'faith' as with the help of their loyal friend Hugo da Silva (Gilbert Roland) they convinced their 'frightened'

parents (Angela Clarke, Jay Novello, Norman Rice & Frances Morris) giving them with 'truth' a new meaning to life in Fátima.

On October 13, 1917, the Portuguese people understood the radiance of their inspiring story when a crowd (generally estimated at about l00,000) gathered at Fátima and witnessed a 'MIRACULOUS SOLAR PHENOMENON', immediately after the 'LADY' had appeared to the 3 children healing 'lame' and 'blind' people as well.

Photographed in Technicolor and with a sincere screenplay, this beautiful religious film - that I recommend highly - was remarkably intense and profound in thoughts and feelings.

John Brahm's direction had its fine moments and Max Steiner's music - Nominated for Best Scoring of a Dramatic Picture - flourished the screen with sounds of tenderness and sympathy.

The performance of Gilbert Roland and the 3 peasant children were entirely moving and convincing..throbbing the beat of our heart with deep 'faith', complete 'belief' and loyal 'truth'.

To the readers who are interested in 'Our Lady of Fatima', I can add that after initial opposition, the bishop of Leiria on October 13, 1930 accepted the children's visions as the appearance of the VIRGIN MARY and in the same year, papal indulgences were granted to pilgrims.

Being from Portugal, and having seen both films, no wonder why real-life Soror Lucia at the time didn't like the 1951 movie... it's lyrically beautiful and most of the movie was shot in Portugal, but it doesn't make up for the reality that it was. At least, the actors tried the best they could for making a nice movie.

The 1997 movie (called "Fátima", and originally conceived for the television broadcasting) itself, being Portuguese and made there, gives a much better accuracy of what really was the miracle of Fátima, the destiny of the chosen Lúcia, Jacinta and Francisco; and even including secondary stories (wondering if that secondary story was real or not). The parting of Jacinta and Francisco, while is not included in the 1951 movie, it is in the 2001 movie, with great drama.

However, both are two must-see movies...;)

You'll really believe on the miracle which conquered millions of people in Portugal :)

After seven years of political strife in 1910 Portugal--wherein clergymen became the target of a socialist regime and arrested--a new era dawns and people head back to the church. In this fragile setting, three children--whose pal is the local con-artist/thief/storyteller--claim to have a seen the holy vision of a woman floating above the "cova", who tells the oldest child she must come back every month for six months before the Lady will explain what she wants. Naturally, the story spreads throughout the village that the children have seen the Blessed Virgin, and the kids are branded as liars. Although a disclaimer tells us the film is fictitious, this event was indeed based upon a real incident (filmed previously in 1951 as the Spanish-language "La señora de Fátima"). It is a maddeningly simple-minded movie with manipulative undertones which, when combined with the artificial look of the picture, can put viewers on the defensive. On the other hand, when tender, tremulous Susan Whitney comes under fire and must endure the suffering from her squabbling elders, you might feel a little tug at your own heart. ** from ****