Dominic: Light of the Church

Good for what it does cover of St. Dominic's life. However, so much was left out! By the end I wad saying, he can't be dying yet because there is so much more to the story. I felt like they started well but then ran out of time / money and had to finish prematurely. The movie does capture 3 things well: the charism of evangelical poverty, the need for an order of preachers and the war that broke out in France because of the heresy. I would not recommend this movie for those that know little of the life of St. Dominic. It does convey a spiritual sense about Dominic's love for the poor and his dedication to the mission, so it is worth watching from that standpoint. Oh, and it did inspire my 10 year old son to read the Gospel of St. Matthew.

Dominic was around at the same time as Francis of Assisi. Both preached to the poor and lived lives of complete austerity; meaning they practiced what they preached. The late 13th and early 14th Century was a time of religious wars and both future saints were caught in the middle of those troubled times. Each of them traveled on bare feet and suffered with the use of self mortification. Dominic is shown whipping himself in order to suffer for God. It is one of the tenets of the Catholic Church. I was raised in the Faith and and am presently attempting to revive it, in part, by watching inspirational films and reading faith based books. So far, even with daily prayer, I have not found comfort in my nights of the dark soul. The movie is well done and predictable, as Dominic dies and leaves a Holy Order in his name, which thrives today seven hundred years later.