November 1, 2009

MOVIES: "THE 13TH DAY" (OUR LADY OF FATIMA)
















This is a triumph of a film. And I don’t think I’ve ever used that word for a film before. “The 13th Day” was screened here at the 1st Annual John Paul II Film Festival in Miami: http://www.jp2filmfestival.com/. British producer Natasha Howes (birthday: May 13, feast of Our Lady of Fatima) was present.
I was prepared not to like this film, and very apprehensive about not liking it because I was a panelist. Two friends had already seen it and didn’t seem to know what to do with the film, how to react to it. I knew it was in black and white, and not only that, it was presented in the noir genre. Although I’m a fan of b/w, I know that the younger generation is not, and I fully expected something sensationalized, and perhaps amateurish. I also love the oldie-goldie movie “Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima,” and consider it definitive. I couldn’t imagine anything topping it or even coming close. All of my fears were unwarranted.

“The 13th Day” was created to spread the message of Fatima (a wealthy benefactor is making this his life’s mission, and approached Natasha who connected him with the Higgins brothers, Ian and Dominic, who wrote, directed, shot and edited the film). It was going to be a ten-minute informational short, but it morphed into a feature film. The Brothers Higgins (our new Catholic Coen brothers?) have a very particular artistic view and have combined older film-making techniques and sensibilities (think “Passion of Joan of Arc,” “Citizen Kane,” “Diary of a Country Priest,” with a pinch of Westerns thrown in) with modern digital film making capabilities. The result? Stunning genius and a truly intense religious and spiritual experience. This would make an excellent retreat film.

I don’t particularly care for the above-mentioned films from which “13th Day” draws. However, “13th Day” has made me appreciate this style of film and actually enjoy it. That’s talent. (Much the way the movies “Moonstruck” and “Life is Beautiful” changed my mind about opera and made me understand it and like it.)

This is a highly stylized film. Ultra-dramatic blocking, soft focus, chiaroscuro, use of surreal, almost-colorized color, all help us focus on what CANNOT be seen. The choice of a kind of serious, spooky, supernatural thriller tone (replete with requisite ravens) is rigidly adhered to. And why not? We’re talking grave spiritual warfare here: World War I, World War II, hell—what matters could be more weighty? And real? However, the film doesn’t feel stiff. It is luminous. The actors get to emote as the camera lingers on the human face. The three children are first generation Portuguese non-actors, and they give natural, realistic performances, almost in contrast to their more polished adults counterparts. Our Lady’s face is beautiful, luminescent and glimpsed through bright white light. This film portrays Our Lady of Fatima almost as Our Lady of Sorrows. But it makes sense—the world was enduring incredible suffering during the Great War, and Our Lady could see, in God, the future suffering of the 20th century.

The clothing, especially, is utterly realistic. The story is told in a simple, straightforward, increasingly spell-binding way. (Some in my theater who did not know the story of OLF missed a few pieces of the story—their fault; but the “3 secrets” are only visualized without explanation that these ARE the secrets—moviemakers’ fault.) The audio is crisp and staccato.

The voiceover of adult Sr. Lucia (now a Carmelite nun) draws us through the events, and although I usually would have agreed with one panelist (who dislikes voiceover, and as a film purist myself, voiceover is NOT the visual medium of film: “show, don’t tell”), I found that this extraordinary visit from heaven adapted itself well to a spiritual memoir—“This truly happened to me. I saw her with my own eyes….” It makes the supernatural less at a remove—“A long time ago, three little children….” I am curious now to know how much of the narration was Lucia’s actual account.

Another panelist (a professional in the field, as was the other panelist) who works in Catholic young adult ministry was disappointed that the film wasn’t more “mainstream.” He seemed to think that it wouldn’t appeal to young adults. But judging from the little sprouts in the audience (see below), this might not be the case. “13th Day” is something so entirely different, it grabs attention.

My two favorite scenes are: 1) when Jacinta dances in prison (a foretaste of heaven—when saints and repentant sinners unite)—and weren’t all the sacrifices and penances the children were making FOR sinners? 2) the old woman who doesn’t fear the miracle of the sun because she knows her God is good. What an image of standing, enduring the “day of the Lord”! (When you hear the “poof” of the flashbulbs and see the still photos of the miracle of the sun, those are real pictures from 1917.)

The special effects are exciting and made me think: why SHOULDN’T we be using SPFX for the Divine? (And not just for monsters, explosions, witchcraft and destruction.) I love the SPFX in the movie “St. Patrick” when St. Patrick duels it out with the druids.

There is much time for reflection during the deliberately-paced shots and scenes. One can’t help but examine one’s conscience, but not in a morbid way. When Lucia is asked: “Are the secrets bad or good?” She pauses: “Bad for some, good for others.” That’s just a fact. And one may find oneself wishing to pray more, to make sacrifices to save souls as Our Lady asked. This film truly communicates faith, communicates the reality of God, the eternal stakes—a difficult task for the screen. And perhaps we should learn to be afraid of what is true horror.

And now, about the kids in the audience. There were a lot of tweens (9-12 yr olds), and one little girl, Lulu, was even celebrating her birthday with her friends at the film. It dawned on me that the protags were kids! (I would have loved to have made it more "spiritual" by questioning them: “What would you have done if Our Lady appeared to you?” “Do you think you would have the courage to go through what those kids went through?” etc., but I tried to keep to more strictly “film criticism.”
ME: “You guys (kids) aren’t supposed to like black and white. Did you like it?”
KID: “The black and white was OK. It was a very emotional experience for me.”
ME: “Were you ever scared?”
KID: “Yes, a little—when the ground opened up to show hell, and when the hand from hell grabbed her.”
The kids really wanted to talk about the movie, and when producer Natasha was fielding questions, the young people wanted explanations about what different scenes meant. I kept thinking: “Wow—wouldn’t it be great if we had religious film festivals like this all over the country and got the kids in the audience talking?”

This is not a terribly fanciful film. The characters of the children were researched along with various anecdotes that find their way into the movie.

I could go on and on about this film. But when you buy the DVD this December, make sure you watch it with your friends on a big screen. And pray a rosary afterward. Mary asked for 1) the rosary to be prayed for world peace 2) prayers and penance for the conversion of sinners 3) conversion of Russia. We need to continue to pray for Holy Mother Russia today. 75 years of communism decimated the country in many ways. Today, Russia is losing 1,000,000 Russians every year to abortion, immigration, and death from old age. Check out Mary, Mother of God missions, rebuilding the Catholic Church in Eastern Russia: http://www.vladmission.org/

OTHER STUFF:
It’s appropriate that an Our Lady of Fatima movie be shown at a “John Paul II” film festival. He was truly THE Fatima pope.

--JP2G was shot (it is believed by the Russian KGB working through a Bulgarian hit man) on May 13, 1981—anniversary of first apparition. The bullet is now in Our Lady’s crown in Fatima.
--Recuperating, JP2G became convinced that the only way to achieve world peace and to combat atheism was through the consecration of the world to Mary’s Immaculate Heart.
--May 12, 1982, a second attempt was made on JP2G’s life IN Fatima by a mentally-ill Lefebvrite priest who managed to stab JP2G with a bayonet (JP2G hid his non-life-threatening wound and went on with the Mass). This attempt was caught on camera and is in the JP2G documentary: “Testimony.”
--JP2G finally consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25, 1984, in union with all the bishops of the world (AND the Orthodox bishops) as Our Lady asked. (Pope Pius XII consecrated the world to IHM in 1940 & 1953, but he did it alone which Lucia said did NOT fulfill Our Lady’s request. Paul VI also consecrated the world, alone, in 1964.) Sr. Lucia said that the 1984 consecration fulfilled Our Lady’s request, and said: “Now, God will keep His word.”
--1989, the Berlin Wall came down (due also to JP2G’s anti-Communism efforts in Poland)
--1989, Gorbachev visits the Vatican and promises JP2G that there will be religious freedom in Russia. Gorbachev states that the Russian people need spirituality.
--October 13, 1989, Gorbachev receives Nobel Peace Prize.
--October 13, 1991, Catholic Archbishop of Moscow travels to Fatima for celebration. It’s televised in Moscow.
--June 26, 2000, JP2G directs that the 3rd message of Fatima be promulgated (it involves a bishop in white being shot). See “The Message of Fatima” at http://www.vatican.va/
--Lucia died the same year as JP2G: 2005

See http://www.fatimafamily.org/ for more information. There’s also an awesome, lengthy, uncontested entry for JP2G in Wikipedia that includes interesting facts about JP2G, Fatima, Russia and communism!

Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said that the Muslims will be converted through Our Lady of Fatima (“Fatima” was the daughter of Mohammed, Muslims already have a great devotion to Our Lady, and in parts of the world, Muslims are already joining Catholics to pray to OLF).

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11 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:54 PM

    Unfortunately, we are still awaiting the consecration of Russia and obviously Russia has not been converted as it is still communist, is self-destructing through contraception and abortion and prohibits the growth of the Catholic Church there. The consecration of the world is not sufficient.

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  2. But Sr. Lucia said JP2G's 1984 consecration was fulfillment. But I agree--Russia needs prayers still!

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  3. Sister is absolutely correct about the consecration. JP II made it, and Sister Lucy clearly stated his consecration was correct and accepted by Heaven. The fall of the Berlin wall was a start. Russia obviously still has many problems, but the affects of all those decades of atheist Communism are not going to disappear just because of the consecration. Like an individual's own conversion, the conversion of such a devastated country takes time. Yet, there are many good signs of conversion going on in Russia. So lets keep praying for them.

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  4. Dear Sr. Hellen, This is Fr. Dan Maurer, C.J.D. of the above mentioned "Mary Mother of God Mission Society" here in Vladivostok, Russia. Thank you for mentioning our mission work and providing a link to our mission website. Thanks also for your detailed review of the movie, "The 13th Day". I was sceptical about it but now I will make sure to watch it. God bless you in your work in Catholic media. Sincerely yours in Christ, Fr. Dan Maurer

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  5. Hey Fr. Dan! I think I met you in Peoria! Yes--I think you'll like the film!

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  6. I cannot wait to see the movie. Acutally, I ordered a DVD in time to show it to a group of pilgrims who are going to the National Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on December 13, 2009. We meet on the 13th of each month to pray all the mysteries of the Rosary for the Priest and the Church -cenacle. So it was reallly a blessing and a sign from God -that we all need to pray the Rosary for the salvation of souls- that this movie about Our Lady's apparition in fatima i also called the 13th.

    God bless you sister,

    Orlando

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  7. Orlando! I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. That's wonderful about your pilgrimage on the 13th of all days! United in prayer,
    Sr. Helena

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  8. Anonymous4:37 PM

    I had seen the movie advertised and just saw it on youtube. Someone uploaded it there. I was wondering. There is a girl in the movie who is pretty nasty to Lucia, always making mocking remarks and faces at her. The person who plays Our Lady in the apparition. Is it the same girl ? Something similar about the faces. Lovely little movie. I believe in Our Lady very much. I always had trouble with Fatima though. Why Mary would scare children with visions of hell and that God would ask them not to wear knotted ropes at night, only during the day. I can understand 'redemptive' suffering, but am not sure it's healthy to look for more suffering than life itself throws at all of us.

    Remarkable children nonetheless. Not saying I don't believe it. Just not sure.

    God bless

    K

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  9. K--I don't think it's the same actress. Of course, since apparitions of Our Lady--even tho' approved by the Church--are "private revelation" and not "public revelation" like the Scriptures, no one is obliged to believe in them. It is not necessary to believe in them for salvation. And Our Lady really doesn't say anything different from Jesus or the Gospels when she appears. Jesus told us several times about hell.
    I think what's more problematic than showing little children visions of hell (children can handle the truth better than we think, sometimes), is when the children supposedly saw souls "falling like snowflakes into hell." The Church teaches that there is a hell, but has never taught that anyone is in hell, not even Judas. (Fulton Sheen converted Clare Booth Luce by assuring her of this fact!) So how do we reconcile these "souls falling into hell"? Everything is filtered throught the visionaries (words, images and understandings). I hope they are "wrong" about this!
    I don't know that God asked them to do those particular penances. They were asked to do penance, but I think the kids got very creative, especially Jacinta--she was one tough little chick! You could read some of the Fatima books for more information.
    We are not required to do bodily penance, but Jesus told us to "take up our cross and follow him." Penances (like during Lent now) will be different for all of us. What's best is prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Hope this helps!

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  10. Anonymous9:52 AM

    You cannot reconcile any of it and God knows it's not for want of trying. Souls falling into hell. Grace being the motivating factor for everything. Yet those hellbound will receive less grace than the supposed saved. It does not make sense that we suffer eternal hell for a few mere mortal years. That is what is never reconcilable. I believe there are realms where it can seem like eternity/age - the 'outer darkness' or 'Gehenna' - where we can suffer for justice sake. But not for ever and ever. Even Fatima talked of the young girl suffering 'till the end of the world'. She was fifteen years old. A mortal sin seems to be a complete and abject rejection of God. We'd need to have some real knowledge of God to reject God. And we don't really have that in this life of faith and hope. Only when the veil is torn. I read somewhere that Padre Pio 'mellowed' in his later years. That souls are given a final encounter with God before rejecting completely. Perhaps it's the 'judgement seat of Christ'. None of us know anything really. We just live by faith, in hope and hopefully love. If we are to die to self - we can't hope for heaven anyway :-) We should only desire God and the will of God whatever that is - even it is hell ? :-) Anything else is not death of self, is motivated by self love and will lead to loss. So confusing. ;-)

    K

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  11. IN THIS ARTICLE (http://www.mostholyfamilymonastery.com/old.html):



    -FACT #1: POPE PIUS XII CONSECRATED RUSSIA TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY - POPE PIUS XII CONSECRATED NOT THE WORLD, BUT SPECIFICALLY RUSSIA, ON JULY 7, 1952

    -FACT #2: WHAT OUR LADY MEANS BY THE CONVERSION OF RUSSIA – THE STRIKING EVIDENCE

    -THIS POSITION IS FURTHER SUBSTANTIATED BY CONSIDERING PORTUGAL – “THE SHOWCASE OF OUR LADY”

    -THIS POSITION IS FURTHER SUBSTANTIATED BY SR. LUCY’S SUMMARY OF THE TUY VISION

    -“THE GOOD WILL BE MARTYRED” AND “VARIOUS NATIONS WILL BE ANNIHILATED” ARE PROPHECIES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN FULFILLED

    -WHAT RUSSIA WAS CONVERTED FROM – SNAPSHOTS OF THE SATANIC REGIME IN COMMUNIST RUSSIA

    -HE WILL DO THE CONSECRATION, BUT IT WILL BE “LATE”

    -OUR LADY’S WORDS REVEAL TO US THAT HER TRIUMPH IS NOT A UNIVERSAL TRIUMPH OR REIGN OF PEACE, BUT ONLY A “CERTAIN” PERIOD OF PEACE

    -THE CONVERSION OF RUSSIA =…

    -THE EVIDENCE

    -SOME LEFTOVER OBJECTIONS – AND SR. LUCY DIDN’T EVEN KNOW IF PIUS XII’S 1942 CONSECRATION OF THE WORLD WAS ACCEPTED IN HEAVEN

    -PART II: THE EVIDENCE EXPOSING THE IMPOSTOR SR. LUCY

    -THE FALSE MESSAGE OF “FR.” NICHOLAS GRUNER

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