The Sunday Morning Movie Presents: Into Great Silence (2005) Run Time: 1H 6M Plus Bonuses!

Greetings gentle readers and welcome to another installment of the Sunday Morning Movie. Today it’s a peek into the contemplative world (again), Into Great Silence:

Edited version (1H 6M):

Full version (2H 45M):

Next week’s film, Hószakadás

Hószakadás (1974)

Reviews of Into Great Silence:

RogerEbert.com says:

I must confess my fondness for contemplative movies of this sort. The less frenetic onscreen activity you are forced to endure, the more you’re able to notice. And the form of “Into Great Silence” is ideally suited to its subject. The monks lead a regimented existence (you can see a typical weekday schedule, and learn about their history, at their official Web site, www.chartreux.org), but time is allotted for the introspection and reflection that are essential to their devotion. You’re given the opportunity to contemplate details, including ones you may overlook in the rush and routine of your own everyday life.

The Independent Critic says:

“Into Great Silence” fully immerses those experiencing the film into the monastic order of Grande Chartreuse. While one may not, necessarily, be enduring this order’s everyday rigors one is experiencing, at least for the film’s nearly 3-hour running time, a nearly complete sensory deprivation…an inner silence, a stillness and an uncommon simplicity to which Americans are seldom exposed.

Decent Films says:

The result is more than a documentary of monastic life. It is a transcendent meditation on the human pursuit of meaning, on man as a religious and social creature; on the form and function of symbols and ritual and tradition; on the rhythm of work and prayer, day and night, winter and spring.

The silence is not total; the monks must speak, to celebrate the liturgy and other special functions, to accomplish certain necessary tasks, and on weekly outings from the monastery to socialize and discuss their life together. But if the silence is not absolute, it is still the point of reference; it gives meaning to the words, not the other way around. “The symbols are not to be questioned — we are,” says one monk during one of those weekly outings. The monks don’t question the silence, it questions them — and us, if we let it.

For all its asceticism, Into Great Silence is an exquisitely beautiful film. Precise compositions and splendid use of light at times overtly suggest the paintings of Vermeer, while stunning use of the natural beauty around the monastery may evoke Malick or Tarkovsky.

My take:

As noted above, this is a beautiful film. Long time readers may recall that I have a soft spot for contemplatives, and I got my fill here. Their lives are so simple and plain. It’s very appealing to think of spending one’s time that way. In reality, I’d probably be sobbing from boredom but it’s a pleasant thought. There isn’t much more to say, it’s a film about the daily lives of monks. Some might find it worth watching more than once but I’m satisfied with what I’ve seen: ⭐.

Director: Philip Gröning

Writer: Philip Gröning

Plot (Spoilers!):

It’s hard to spoil this film because it’s so basic. It’s just scenes from the daily lives of monks: cooking, sewing, praying, eating, and even having some outdoor fun in the snow. It’s beautiful and open to much deep reflection.

***

Bonuses:

I’m going to be starting a short series of videos about rare and odd musical instruments here in Bonuses. Here’s one of the “fan harp”:

and here’s one for the Jimi Hendrix and/or Traffic fans:

and here’s one for the jazz fans:

and here’s one for the art fans:

Surrealism (and Dada) (1971)