Sure, it’s a heavy-handed religious hagiography, but it’s a biopic of a Catholic saint, so that comes with the territory.
The cliches in this film weren’t cliches when this film came out, just after WWII, when there were a lot of poor people (like, a lot), and the infrastructure to take care of them was in many places scarce at best. The message here is that charity, true charity, born of pure kindness and empathy for others, is virtually impossible, but you’ve got to try. It’s the only way to make the world better.
This film is not complicated in its story arc, but hits all the proper notes, and the Pierre Fresnay as Saint Vincent de Paul brings plenty of weight and skill.
Sure, it’s a heavy-handed religious hagiography, but it’s a biopic of a Catholic saint, so that comes with the territory.
The cliches in this film weren’t cliches when this film came out, just after WWII, when there were a lot of poor people (like, a lot), and the infrastructure to take care of them was in many places scarce at best. The message here is that charity, true charity, born of pure kindness and empathy for others, is virtually impossible, but you’ve got to try. It’s the only way to make the world better.
This film is not complicated in its story arc, but hits all the proper notes, and the Pierre Fresnay as Saint Vincent de Paul brings plenty of weight and skill.
