Nostra signora di Fatima

Although the religious aspects of The Miracle Of Our Lady Of Fatima story stuck pretty much to the established story, the political dynamics were tailored very much for the Cold War. It was a case of a lot of mutual needs being met.

In 1910 the Braganza-Coburg dynasty was overthrown in a revolution which plunged Portugal into a great deal of political turmoil until Antonio Salazar took power in 1926. The revolution that threw out the monarchy was anti-clerical in nature, that is true enough, but it was hardly the nascent Marxist state that is depicted in The Miracle Of Our Lady Of Fatima. That was done to meet Cold War needs.

The Roman Catholic Church under Pius XII and Antonio Salazar's Portugese state were staunchly anti-Communists. Portugal, neutral in World War II was now a member of NATO. It was under Salazar who was a former Seminarian and religious Catholic that the Fatima legend was spread and tourism to the site of Fatima was encouraged and the story really took off from there. The film helped the Salazar regime and most assuredly encouraged Portugese tourism.

But as to the story itself, if we believe it, like Bernadette of Soubirous, three pious Catholic youths, a brother and sister and their cousin were given a vision of the blessed Virgin Mary and an insight into what the future holds for God's creations on this planet. And on October 13, 1917 a sign was given from the heaven's themselves to confirm the truth of the children's story.

The three children, Sammy Ogg, Sherry Jackson, and Susan Whitney give deeply felt and sincere performances. Frank Silvera plays the administrator of the town and a sinister individual indeed, personifying the anti-clerical regime of the time. The skeptical folks of the time is personified by Gilbert Roland, friend of the children who is not a person of faith by any means, but the protector of the kids when they need one.

Roland is one of my favorite character actors from the golden age of the cinema. He has enough cheerful Latin charm for a dozen people and he's never boring in any film. He's reason enough to watch the film even if you are skeptical in matters of faith.

The younger two children played by Ogg and Jackson died during the great influenza epidemic post World War I. Susan Whitney's character Lucia Dos Santos became a nun and was revered as a living saint in the Roman Catholic community until her death at the ripe old age of 97 just a few years ago. Whitney's performance though good was hardly rewarded with an Oscar the way Jennifer Jones's was for playing St. Bernadette. The Miracle Of Our Lady Of Fatima did in fact get one Oscar nomination, one of several Max Steiner got for his musical score.

In 2001 I was touring Portugal and visited Fatima. A place more isolated and remote you can hardly imagine. But other than the giant cathedral there, pictured at the end of the film, and the various little shops selling religious articles, the place has kept the character of what it was in 1917. No one is going to put up a Fatima Hilton there, it would ruin the place altogether.

For Roman Catholics the film is a matter of faith. For film fans it's not a bad telling of a strange and beautiful story.

This is a splendid, meaningful film in the spiritual genre which details the visions claimed by three Portuguese children during the height of tumultuous events in Europe preceding the rise of communism in Russia. The film briefly underscores the persecution of the Catholic Church in Portugal at the turn of the last century. Enough humor, vis a vis the fictitious character "Hugo" the local village thief, inebriate and film-flam artist, is injected into the movie which offsets the sombre subject matter. The children are at first disbelieved, and the local priest fears further persecution at the hands of the local authorities should the details of the children's visions come to light. The children are hounded by the authorities who attempt to compel them to recant, all to no avail. Hugo tries to make money out of the venture by selling 'relics' to the thousands of pilgrims who flock to the site in search of a miracle. The film concludes with the 'vision of the sun' whirling and descending to the earth during a violent rainstorm, after which it returns to its designated spot in the heavens. A fine family film. Well cast and thoroughly delightful to watch.

It is all too easy to find positive or negative aspects of the religious message of this film, released nine years after "The Song of Bernadette." In the ravaged middle of the twentieth century, torn up by wars and desolation, movies of faith helped to revive the spirits of many people, and that alone gave films like this great value. But the fact is, it is also great movie making, with a great story. While in my mind it does not match the sheer artistry of "Bernadette," It is well constructed and captures again the two sides of the question, whether to believe or not believe. There is a lot of documentation to support the validity of the story, but again if one chooses not to accept it, all the evidence in the world would be meaningless.

None-the-less, the catholic church took it very seriously. Sister Lucia, it is rumored sent a sealed letter to Rome just shortly before her death with the third and final message of the "lady." with instructions that it not be opened until a specific date. whether or not this is true, I do not know, but I do know that this is one of those films that will last for generations.

Although there is a considerable number of religious movies of the 1950s, this one stands out as quite unique and extraordinary due to its captivating content...

1917...the horror of WWI does not manage to spread totally with its destruction and death. Deep within the Portuguese Cova Da Iria, in the land ignored by the new corrupted masonic government (consider Alfonso Costa and the 1910 events), on May 13th a beautiful Lady from Heaven appears to three little children, Lucia (10), Francisco (9) and Jacinta (7). She asks them to come to the very place on every thirteenth day of consecutive months, asks them to offer sacrifices for human conversion and ... promises to give them a miracle. The news spread not only to nearby towns but to all Portugal. Parents fear and doubt; believers ask the children to pray; skeptics mock; Masonic mayor arrests them; yet, no one predicts that the place would become one of the most magnificent sanctuaries visited by a few pontiffs and millions of pilgrims from all over the world...

This movie was for long considered to be the most popular film about the events. However, more recently, for more than ten years, it has been compared to another film, FATIMA (1997) by Fabrizio Costa. Yet, the new version did not manage to eliminate Brahms' film from the list of best religious films; it did, however, lower its value due to quite obvious reasons. While THE MIRACLE OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA has become quite clichéd, Costa's movie more convincingly addresses modern viewers thanks to a more developed interpretation of the events as well as well depicted plots. Although my intention isn't to compare the two films, I have to state clearly that there are three obvious facts that one cannot ignore about this 1950s' production.

Firstly, it is a typical Hollywood view of religion (which is not necessarily wrong but very condensed and not much thought provoking). Secondly, it is a movie made at the time when not much was yet revealed of what Fatima Apparitions are about. What I mean by this, in particular, is the Pontiff of John Paul II so closely linked to the Message of Fatima...here, naturally, nothing could be said about the Pontiff in 1952, which makes it now pretty dated a view of these highly prophetic apparitions. Thirdly, it is a typical story-like content where viewers are supplied with facts in a linear manner rather than a desirable insight into the Message: penance, sacrifice, conversion, peace. Although that view does not necessarily refer to the entire movie (there are some moments that clearly constitute exception to the highlighted factors), those absorb the viewer in majority. Nevertheless, it would be highly unjust not to see the merits of the film.

THE MIRACLE OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA belongs to few of such films that nicely presents the historic characters that were part of the events. Here, let me start from the Seers of Fatima: it seems (and that is very accurate) that our attention is called upon Lucia dos Santos (Susan Whitney), who was the only child who talked with the Lady and whom Virgin Mary gave the three secrets in full (Jacinta saw and heard Mary while Francisco only saw Her but didn't hear anything). We see Lucia as a nice good hearted girl who is the oldest and... spiritually most mature (being 10 years old), who has faith but also doubts (if you read MEMOIRS written by Sister Lucy (1907-2005), you will find a lot about those doubts that she faced from May till October 1917). Jacinta and Francisco Marto are showed as if in the shadow of Lucia (pity, there is so little about their sacrifices for sinners) but the viewer gets a perfect view of their virtues at the scene with the cruel mayor of Ourem, Arturo Dos Santos (Frank Silvera). At the face of this evil man, his tricks and his arrogance, their courage, faith, confidence and goodness shine forth.

When we consider other characters, most of them are presented clearly and accurately, including Maria Rosa (Angela Clarke), Lucia's mother who had greatest doubts about the apparitions till the end of her life because of her reasonable modesty. She thought that her family was not worthy being granted such a grace. Yet, Love proves something different... I would have doubts concerning the portrayal of Antonio Dos Santos (Jay Novello), Lucia's father. According to her aforementioned MEMOIRS, her father had many friends in the village, they played cards in their free time and drank wine (which is absolutely common in the southern countries of hot climates). But being deeply religious, he wasn't an alcohol addict who would not attend Mass and plan to sell land depriving the family of means to live. Therefore, it is a serious distortion that may badly influence the view of the Dos Santos family which.

Nevertheless, the fact that this movie was made as early as the 1950s proves to us the interest in the miraculous events at Cova Da Iria which took place at the dawn of the 20th century. And it is good that it was made, that still many people in various countries see it and think about how the light of faith illumines the darkest hours of history.

But, neither much words nor action will help here. Such films are there rather to experience; they are there to change something in you. At the final scene, Sister Lucy seems to give an answer to what it means to be happy: 'Console Jesus and Mary and make sacrifices for the reparation of sins,' that is the story of the little shepherd Children, the story of their short but fruitful lives that have touched millions of people throughout the world. Isn't that the story of Love at the face of which only a fool would say that there is no God?

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 :)