Bernadette (1988)

In 1857, an unemployed miller moves his family into grim lodgings; his wife takes in laundry. In February of 1858, at the Massabielle grotto, their 14-year old asthmatic, illiterate ... See full summary »

Director:

Jean Delannoy

Writers:

Robert Arnaut, Jean Delannoy

Stars:

Sydney Penny, Jean-Marc Bory, Jean-Marie Bernicat

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sydney Penny	...	Bernadette Soubirous
Jean-Marc Bory	...	Le curé Peyramale / Father Peyramale
Jean-Marie Bernicat	...	M. Pailhasson
Philippe Brigaud	...	Le docteur Balencie
Claude Buchwald	...	Tante Bernarde
Bernard Cazassus	...	Le cafetier Duran
Alain Christie	...	Le garde-champêtre Callet (as O Alain Christie)
François Dalou	...	Le commissionnaire Jacomet
Franck Cabot-David	...	Le receveur d'Estrade (as Franck David)
Roland Lesaffre	...	François Soubirous
Michèle Simonnet	...	Louise Soubirous
Jean Davy	...	Mgr Laurence Bernard
Bernard Dhéran	...	Docteur Dozous / Doctor Dozous
Arlette Didier	...	Mme Milhet
Michel Duchaussoy	...	Napoléon III

Storyline

In 1857, an unemployed miller moves his family into grim lodgings; his wife takes in laundry. In February of 1858, at the Massabielle grotto, their 14-year old asthmatic, illiterate daughter, Bernadette, sees a light she later distinguishes as a beautiful young woman. The girl converses with the woman over the next few months. Crowds follow her and people are cured by the waters from a spring Bernadette has cleared. Secular authorities are threatened by the popular gatherings and subject the girl to police inquiry and medical review. The local monsignor is also skeptical, then becomes Bernadette's champion. She maintains her forthright simplicity and untutored wisdom throughout.

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Plot Keywords:

grotto | asthmatic | church | year 1858 | skeptic | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

Switzerland France Luxembourg

Language:

French

Release Date:

January 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bernadett - Lourdes legendája 1. rész

Filming Locations:

Senlis, Oise, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bernadette Associates International, Interport Holding S.A., Les Films de Etoile D'Or

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When it was released it replaced The Song of Bernadette in a theater in Lourdes, in which the latter had been shown exclusively for decades.

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Connections

Version of A Canção de Bernadete (1957)

User Reviews

Accurate, funny, but not a masterpiece

This movie gets a lot of details right (or almost right) concerning the life of St. Bernadette. Song of Bernadette was beautifully written, but there wasn't as much effort to be accurate. Hence, this movie is great if you want a clearer idea of the life of this saint, and the circumstances she experienced. She is interpreted quite a bit differently from Song of Bernadette: with an emphasis on her human weaknesses to the point of melodrama. The movie received a PG rating because of some strong derogatory language that is aimed at Bernadette by some who were against her. The movie ends with her entrance into the convent, and the story is picked up in a sequel: The Passion of Bernadette, which I consider to be a better, more focused movie than this one.