Les oiseaux se cachent pour mourir

Upon my initial viewings, this moved me. It is an emotionally charged drama of forbidden love, scandal and tragedy that teaches a very powerful lesson...that we, as a human race, are all doomed to destruction, each generation repeating the mistake of the one before (remember Rev. Jim Jones himself said "those who cannot remember history are doomed to repeat it").

This miniseries was the Australian outback's answer to "Gone With The Wind". Only this time it's Cardinal DeBricissart (Richard Chamberlin) that's the Scarlett O'Hara and Meggie Cleary (Rachel Ward) that's the Rhett Butler. And yes, it cries for a sequel that can never be made. And yes, not all love stories have happy endings.

And there are some sequences that do not depend on a music score, such as the touching climactic scene with Meggie and Justine in the barn.

But that's just what makes a miniseries a classic. This is not some cheap-skate adaptation of a best selling book...this is the way novels should be made.

I saw this movie first time when I was 16. I didn't understand it at first, but after that I got the novel and read it all over in 3 days. I have a VHS copy of this movie at home and I usually watch it twice a year (It means that I have nearly watched it more than 20 times). Every time I watch it I can't give any breaks! Last night I watched it till the end again until 6am... It always makes me sad and I can't stop my emotions, I cry (together with smiles) for a forbidden love.... especially the last 30 minutes of the movie.

Very great movie with a wonderful music, the best movie I have ever seen in my life, I always have recommended it for all my friends and the people who believe in existence of a true love. I am going to buy the DVD version of this movie for myself, although I have VHS version of it.

I always adore the acting of both Richard (Ralph) and Rachel (Maggie). Both of them have done best in this movie and I have become to love Rachel Ward since I saw this movie.

I hope the people who read my comment have seen the movie. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend you to hire it and watch it till the end at least once in your life time.

For anyone who has suffered through the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune in love, this 1983 mini-series will touch their hearts like no other film or TV series ever made. The casting was perfect in every way to bring the story of the Australian Cleary family to life so vividly (Jean Simmons as the mother "Fee" won the Emmy Award that year; unfortunately Henry Mancini didn't for his gorgeous musical score, and he deserved to win!).

While the main thrust of this story and film appears on the surface to be the love of a Roman Catholic priest for a young girl whom he sees grow into adulthood, the underlying, truly poignant aspect of this story is about the long-term effects of what happens to children when mothers love one child more than another. This theme is the real heart tugger here. Meggie is an afterthought to her mother Fee until the very end of the story (Frank is her favorite child, even though he is troubled, because Frank was the love child of a pre-marital affair), and later on when Meggie becomes a mother Dane is her favorite child (also a product of a clandestine love), and her daughter Justine is the afterthought.

It is this basic lack of love that each child feels from his or her mother that determines the choices they make in life (i.e. Meggie choses to love someone who cannot commit to her, Justine choses to avoid love altogether and throw herself into acting to escape reality, Frank goes off and kills a man because he cannot deal with loving his mother too much, Ralph reveals his mother abandoned him early so he too inclines towards a non-committal type of love with Meggie and escapes through the church, etc.)

The pattern develops early and continues throughout the lives of the Clearys. That is why, to me, the most profoundly moving scenes in this entire series are right near the end: 1) when the old Fee has to tell Meggie that her son Dane has died, and she caresses Meggie's face for the first time in both their lives, and 2) the scene in the stable barn, between Meggie and Justine, as they confront the truth: that Meggie does love Justine, but Dane WAS the favorite child, for reasons beyond Justine's control. In hugging Fee and crying in grief, and in resolving her differences with Justine, Meggie finally finds the peace she needs in life; she is then able to let go of Ralph when the inevitable takes him from her for good.

Barbara Stanwyck at her best; as with Richard Chamberlain Rachel Ward shows much promise as an actress in the future. A beautiful love story. A mini-series that should not be missed. Needs to be shown again, a much too long wait for this era.

Very well done; highly watchable. Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward are okay as the tortured lovers, but the acting kudos go to Barbara Stanwyck and Christopher Plummer. Stanwyck won an emmy for her role and Plummer was nominated for his. (He should have won.) Ms. Stanwyck's final scene is wrenching--the emotion came straight out of her guts and no matter how many times I see it, it chokes me up. She was one of the greats and it shows in this performance. Christopher Plummer's portrayal of "Vittorio," Ralph's friend and mentor in the church, is delightful and oh, so perceptive. He sees right through Ralph and we see what he knows in his eyes--subtle and convincing; a good role for Plummer. Numerous plot lines, interesting locations, adventure, romance, tragedy, strong cast, great music, thought-provoking theme, engaging script--I recommend it!