The Island (2006)
I've already written a review of this film
on my movie blog, so this'll be a quickie.
Monks and monasteries have a special fascination with me. The life of contemplation and silence has been a draw for a long time and I spend time in monasteries and in silence at least a couple times a year. And eccentric religious people is a favorite subject of mine. This means that I am already primed to really like this film.
Technical—4/5—Nothing special, but nothing distracting, either. The scenery makes the cinematography both stark and gorgeous.
Interest—5/5—Wild monks, conservative religious people having their noses tweeked, evil, redemption, wisdom… what is there not to like?
Tension—4/5—This is mostly a quiet movie, but the tension mounts near the end.
Emotional—5/5—I was completely invested in these people and their difficulties.
Characters—5/5—Many of the characters begin as monastic stereotypes. The wise leader, the foolish saint, the hard-nosed conservative, the needy aristocrat—but every character has an arc and we see them differently and with more complexity by the end of the film.
Theme—5/5—The most saintly has need of the greatest redemption.
Ethics—5/5—This isn’t just a nice film, it is a deep one too. Mostly it is full of hopes and godliness, but it is also a great film of understanding those who are different from us and of redemption, even when it wasn’t really necessary.
Personal—5/5—I have to say, this film touched me deeply. I am so often the wise but proud religious leader that needs to be taken down a peg or two. Good thing I have many foolish saints around me happy to take up the task.
This is among my favorite religious films ever, which places it among my favorite films ever. It will certainly make my top 100.