Of Men and Gods

In the seclusion of the Algerian mountains, a group of French monks have built a peaceful oasis that also benefits the inhabitants of the surrounding villages. After all, the monastery provides medical and humanitarian aid. The nine monks have long since become more than just a religious community. But the idyll threatens to shatter when a group of migrant workers is brutally killed by Islamist rebels near the monastery. It is clear to the monks that these murderers will not stop at the monastery walls and that their Christian faith could put their lives in acute danger. And so they face a difficult task: should they abandon the monastery, and thus their "family"and abandon their neighbors, or should they stay despite all the dangers?

"Of Men and Gods" is, on the one hand, certainly a fascinating and also beautiful film. The story, based on real events, is told with great imagery, with director Xavier Beauvois ("A Fatal Decision") taking a lot of time to let the viewer experience the peaceful, quiet daily life of the monastery before the bloody events. Those who are interested in this subject matter will get their money's worth here. However, this interest should already be relatively large, because otherwise the very worn staging could quickly lead to yawning boredom.

Great actors, who fit perfectly into the seemingly authentic scenery, also ensure that the film, which won the Grand Jury Prize in Cannes, captivates its audience. What was extremely disturbing for me personally, though, is that I didn't feel taken completely seriously as a viewer. Let's be honest: a film like "Von Menschen und Göttern" is not made for a broad audience and anyway only attracts those people to the cinemas who are very open-minded about the topic. And these viewers know that Islamist terror is not necessarily synonymous with the Islamic faith.

But towards the end of the film this is emphasized again and again in an almost penetrating way, which feels to me as if the makers were afraid that their film might be interpreted anti-Islamically. But in the end, this is about integration, the coexistence of different cultures and faiths. It becomes clear from the story alone that this does not end tragically because it is not possible in principle. If that had been the message of the film, then all those who live according to the Islamic faith would indeed have been allowed to feel that they had been stepped on. But it becomes clear through the in itself very sensitive production that only a small group of extremists is responsible for destroying the peaceful idyll. The images alone would have spoken a very clear language. Therefore, it would not have needed the constant lectures.

For this reason alone, I do not consider "Of Men and Gods" to be the masterpiece that many other critics see in the film. But there is no denying that Xavier Beauvois has delivered a very fine piece of work in terms of craftsmanship that really does give viewers interested in religion, at least, a very special cinematic experience. And for this audience "Of Men and Gods" is then also - despite justified criticism - well worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp