Dieu a besoin des hommes (1950)

Director:

Jean Delannoy

Writers:

Jean Aurenche (writer)
Pierre Bost (writer)

Release Date:

4 October 1950 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Sun | Island | Catholic Priest | Based On Novel | Twist In The End

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Louise Andrès
Antoine Balpêtré	...	Le père Gourvennec, un pêcheur
Lucienne Bogaert	...	Anaïs Le Berre
Charles Bouillaud	...	Le gendarme
Jean Brochard	...	L'abbé Kerhervé, le recteur de Lescoff
Jean Carmet	...	Yvon
Georges Cerf
Andrée Clément	...	Scholastique Kerneis
Marcel Delaître	...	M. Kerneis
Jean d'Yd	...	Corentin Gourvennec
Jean Favre-Bertin
Pierre Fresnay	...	Thomas Gourvennec
Daniel Gélin	...	Joseph le Berre
Marcelle Géniat	...	La mère Gourvennec
René Génin	...	Le père d'Yvon
Jérôme Goulven	...	Le brigadier
Jeanne Herviale
Daniel Ivernel	...	François Guillen
Germaine Kerjean	...	Mme Kerneis
Pierre Latour
Serge Lecointe
Henri Maïk
Cécyl Marcyl	...	La vieille
Christian Martaguet
Albert Michel	...	Le Bail
Jean-Pierre Mocky	...	Pierre
Pierre Moncorbier	...	Un pêcheur
Raphaël Patorni	...	Jules
Fernand René	...	Yves Lannuzel
Madeleine Robinson	...	Jeanne Gourvennec
Pierre Salas
Sylvie	...	Coise Karbacen

Also Known As:

God Needs Men
Isle of Sinners

Runtime:

France:100 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Plouguerneau, Finistère, France

Company:

Transcontinental Films

Trivia:

Venice Film Festival organizers refused to screen the movie because it could have offended the Roman Catholics. They changed there decision and showed the movie with no offenses from Catholics. It then took home an award.

God needs men,and Delannoy needs restoring to favor.

Shall I tell once again that the new wave,by putting down former talents ,was not always the holy writ?

Once again, a movie crying to be seen!The story is absolutely original and even a risqué one for 1950:the island of Sein,in the ninetieth century,in Brittany.A crude population lives here,on these windy shores ,estranged from the rest of the world.No priest comes here anymore,because they are sinner,wreckers.So the sacristan (Pierre Fresnay)will act as a priest.The inhabitants from the island do need religion,even if theirs is close to superstition.And they do believe in their new officiant,even if the latter does not dare to do everything a priest does(the sacraments).But little by little ,he would ,were it not for the coming of a true religious figure,escorted by... gendarmes.

The movie can be interpreted as a critic of the bourgeois,organized religion,a return to the pristine, primitive faith of the first Christ followers.The OCIC (international catholic cinema office)made no mistake when they awarded Delannoy's movie their prize in Venice. Sometimes the irony and the fierceness of the lines do not fit well with Delannoy's conventional(not meant pejoratively)directing.I would go as far to say that some scenes recall ...Bunuel.But there's a crucial difference:Delannoy's faith cannot be denied:he preaches a religion which would come from the heart,whereas for the Spanish director,religion is a nuisance to live with at home.Far from being a blasphemy,the funeral without a priest becomes a communion with God,the sea being the mediator.The pictures of the boats sailing away from the so-called civilized Christian world are admirable.

There's an impressive cast apart from Fresnay:Madeleine Robinson,Sylvie,Daniel Gélin,Germaine Kerjean,Daniel Ivernel and more.Actually,they should speak the Breton language (which a non-Breton French cannot understand at all),but,as it would take subtitles, all the actors use a very pronounced accent,which makes their renderings convincing.One can sometimes regret a theatrical side,but it's a minor flaw.

Nowadays in France,Jean Delannoy 's work is ignored or despised.Turn your back on the official criticism and watch this movie.You will not regret it.