Fatima

The story of the 3 little shepherds of Fatima (Lúcia, Francisco and Jacinta) is one of the most legendary and remarkable events of the 20th century, particularly from the early 20th century. It's a story I always found fascinating.

This movie is a pretty poor attempt of recreating this story. I know I've seen once a very old Portuguese movie in black and white about this story and I remember it being very good and liking it a lot. The colored English-language movie from 1952, while loyal to the story, wasn't completely satisfying. Besides, it's kinda weird to see an English-language movie which is a take on a mythical Portuguese story.

But this 1997 Portuguese movie is weaker. It has some wonderful scenario and the kids selected to portray the shepherds are alright in their acting. But the movie is a failure. There were a series of inconsistencies in the story, such as lame romances and silly fights in families over "forbidden romances". What were they thinking? This story was not the time or the place to put such ridiculous things. This also means that there are many unnecessary and pointless characters which serve no purpose to the story at all. And that narrator... couldn't they have chosen a less eccentric and irritating one?

The movie also doesn't possess the classic/old-fashioned environment and movie style a story like this should have, but that is also because it was poorly timed, that is, it was made at the wrong time. Late 90's movie style can't be compared to the style of golden ages of cinema. And I found plenty of other details that do not make sense in a story like this. Where is the loyalty to the way things happened in that time?