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51 out of 52 people found the following review useful:
Cross cultural conflict, 5 January 2005

Author: wrcong from Durham, NC

This exquisitely photographed film portrays the cultural clash between Europeans (in this case the Europeans happen to be French) and various native tribes in seventeenth century North America without romanticizing either French culture or that of the native peoples.

Perhaps the most striking feature of this film from my perspective was utter arrogance of the Europeans to come into a wild country presuming the superiority of their way of life over that of the indigenous peoples. No character seemed to understand that better than Father LaForgue, admirably portrayed by Lothaire Bluteau. The good Father soldiers on despite the evidence that his presence in the vast wilderness of North America won't make a whit of difference in his life or in the lives of the people he has vowed to introduce into "paradise." The Algonquin guides worry about their attachment to the "demon" LaForgue and wonder whether they shouldn't just kill him. Even LaForgue's young assistant, Daniel, wonders how the presence of a French missionary makes the the native people's lives any better. The Iroquois, who suffer from a harsh depiction in the film, take a more economically-based view of LaForgue -- he and Daniel are seen by the Iroquois as currency to be exchanged for guns.

An aside concerning the Iroquois. While the violence depicted in the film is no doubt accurate, what the film does not reveal is that the Iroquois likely became decidedly more hostile when the French began to assist old enemies, such as the Algonquin, in traveling into hunting grounds that had previously been Iroquois territory.

But back to LaForgue, whose journey is the primary emphasis of the film. He has journeyed, apparently from a life of some privilege in France, leaving behind a doting mother and (perhaps) a beautiful young woman. He has journeyed away from the "pleasures of the flesh," lingering on the sight of a couple making love in the communal tipi and later admitting to Daniel that he, LaForgue, lusts after the young Alogonquin woman,Annuka, with whom Daniel had already struck up a sexual relationship. He gets lost on the journey in the cathedral-like forest and rejoices and being found by Algonquin hunters, who express some bemusement that the Black Robe got lost in the first place. Finally, he journeys to the Hurons and a village beset by smallpox, where baptism has been sold to the natives as a miracle cure as much as it has a key to salvation.

By avoiding the tendency of films depicting Native American life to romanticize, Bruce Beresford has captured more profoundly the daily harsh realities of life for the peoples inhabiting the northeastern portion of North America at the arrivals of the first trickling of Europeans. Neither way of life is ultimately depicted as superior to the other: each simply is. This is not a "feel-good" film. Instead it is a realistic, thought-provoking tale of a journey of a man, of cultures, and of life itself. Simply a brilliant film.

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36 out of 40 people found the following review useful:
Brutal but beautiful, 7 January 2001
Author: escoles from rochester ny usa

_Black Robe_ is an under-appreciated gem. With fine acting, a strong, literate screenplay, beautiful visuals from the spare, cold Canadian wilderness, and a lyrical, dialogue-light storytelling style, this film is an absorbing experience. Viewers with less patience for visual storytelling, or who don't like having to pay attention to details, will probably find it slow-going.

Be forewarned: _Black Robe_ is a brutal film, by modern western standards. Gruesome torture is openly referred to; native americans, particularly the northern Mohawk and Huron peoples, are _not_ substantially idealized.

Nice ethnographic touches are preserved -- for example, the Alqonkian-speaking group who agree to guide the Black Robe are permitted to clearly express their perplexity at the Jesuit's rudeness for not sharing his tobacco. Similarly, a Mohawk war-leader keenly sees opportunity in permitting the French to live: they can be traded for muskets, and forced to teach the Mohawk how to use the powerful new weapons. No "simple savages", after all: The Iroquois did not come to control much of the northeast through stupidity.

While widely excoriated by some native american advocates for its depiction of Mohawk and Huron brutality, the film actually soft-pedals the reality (as noted by other reviewers). The southern, Five-Nations Mohawk may have abandoned ritual cannibalism by this time, but it's certain that ritual torture and cannibalism were practiced throughout the Iroquois sphere of influence up to the early contact period. It was an aspect of their culture, and really no stranger than similar practices as recorded among christianized Scandinavians circa 1060 AD.

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32 out of 33 people found the following review useful:
Beautifully Filmed, Memorably Told, 29 May 2006

Author: ccthemovieman-1 from United States

Wow, what a fascinating movie and different kind of film. One really can't get the full impact of this through a review. Anyone who has seen this, I think would agree with me on that.

If I had skipped over the credits and someone had told me Terrence Malick (Days Of Heaven, The New World, The Thin Red Line and Badlands) and directed this film, I would have believed it. Visually, this is his kind of film. I wonder if this movie inspired parts of his latest effort, The New World? There are a number of similarities. Black Robe has the same kind of beautiful and haunting images Malick's films possess but the director in this case is Bruce Bereford, the man who directed Driving Miss Daisy a couple of years before doing this film. DMD also is beautifully-filmed.

Black Robe is not just a piece of art. As great as it is visually, this is a powerful story of a well-intentioned Jesuit priest in the early 17th century who travels to "New France" (upstate New York/French Canadian territory) attempting to convert a few area tribes to Christianity. To unbelievers, that seems pushy but Biblically-speaking it is not. Jesus commanded his followers to do just that (Matt. 28:18-20) , so the priest is only doing what missionaries have done for centuries. He also is a good man, stays strong in his beliefs regardless of his own well-being and is a gentle soul. Kudos to the filmmakers for being fair to him.

The Algonquins and the Hurons are also shown with their beliefs, too, and their cultures which obviously were in contrast to the white European-based priest. All sides are shown fairly in this movie, with both positive and negative traits of all.

I was shocked at a few scenes in here, not expecting them as the film has such a gentle flow to it before anything dramatic happens. We see a few sexual scenes and then some brutal violence. The Hurons, particularly, do not want any invasion of their privacy and culture and are openly hostile to the priest and the Algonquins. The story transforms from a quiet Malick-type "New World" poetic piece to a violent, suspenseful film and the question is, will the "good guys" make it out alive?

The actors in here, perhaps, are not names most people outside Canada are familiar with, including me, but Lothaire Blueteau as Father Laforgue, Aden Young as his assistant "Daniel" and Sandrine Holt as Daniel's Algonguin lover "Anuuka" are all very, very good. All the characters in this film are very credible people, steadfast in their own beliefs and they come across as realistic people. Most films have unreal people with unrealistic dialog....but not in this movie.

Another big plus was the soundtrack: a lush, haunting score throughout.

Without spoiling the ending, or adding political/theological agendas my own, let me just add that if you enjoy a beautiful-looking movie which also has a thoughtful, haunting story with honest characters, you should check this out. Highly recommended.

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34 out of 37 people found the following review useful:
Amazing, 29 July 1999

Author: Mario Bergeron (bmario@videotron.ca) from Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Canada

I'm a history student of second grade of a french canadian university. So, in a history point of view, I can assure you that this movie is simply amazing. The story is about a jesuite priest who wants to bring catholic faith to the Indians of the french colony Nouvelle-France (New France, the future Quebec of Canada) in the seventeen century. In fact, there was a lot of jesuite doing that by that time. The priest and his young translator ask the Algonquins natives to guide them to the Hurons natives. That is also exactly correct! But in their quest,they had some problems with the Iroquois natives. And that is exactly right! At the end, the priest reach the Hurons. The chief of the tribe tells that if they accept the god of the priest, they will become weak and their ennemies will kill them. And that's what's gonna happen! In fact, the Hurons were the first Indians of New France to accept catholic religion. I saw the movie with the french dubbing. The Indians of that time didn't knew how to prononce R. So, in the movie, they say : obe noie, instead of Robe Noire (Black Robe). I don't know if they said black obe in the English version. In one scence, the priest tells the Indian sorcerer that he is reading a breviaire (book of prayers). And the sorcerer said: beviaire, witout the R. The way the natives are dressed and wears their hairs is also very exact in an historical view. This is not only a great movie, but an amazing reconstitution. Natives actors are great, with August Schlleberg, the always good Tantoo Cardinal and the charming young Sandrine Holt. Lothaire Blutheau is one of the best french canadian actor (see him in Jesus of Montreal). This is absolutely a superb piece of work ! And some kind of perfect history book.

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18 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
Wonderful, Soul-shaking, 13 June 1999

Author: jacksflicks from Hollywood

When averaging, extreme scores skew the result. So I wonder at the motives of those who voted "1" for this film. Sabotage?

"Black Robe" invites comparison with "Aguirre, the Wrath of God," another masterpiece. Two great directors project their vision of two different men who do something we in this "civilized" culture can hardly imagine: plunge into a vast, unknown, alien world. And ultimately into oblivion.

The motivation, the source of courage, is faith, on one hand, and hubris on the other. Watch both examples. Though we can easily discern the noble from the base, we experience equally powerful stories. Here is a chance to see juxtaposed two profoundly different outlooks subjected to a common ordeal. What a wonderful, terrifying, soul-shaking thing to witness!

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22 out of 28 people found the following review useful:
A beautiful but gut wrenching film, 15 September 1999
Author: Dan Grant (dan.grant@bell.ca) from Toronto, Ontario

I have to applaud Bruce Beresford. After his huge success with Driving Miss Daisy, I believe he could have had his choice to direct any film that he wanted to. To take on a small Canadian/Australian film is not only inspiring but it shows that this must be personal to him in some way. And it shows here as well. His direction shows that he cares for the subject and the people and the landscape. Everything is precise and pristine and immaculate. I am not a huge historian when it comes to colonization in Canada, and that is a shame, perhaps I should be. After all, my elementary school history teacher once told me that there are two things that are given to you when you are born, one is your name and the other is your nationality. Be proud of both. And it is subjects and films like this that he would have been proud of and so am I. Although you can get just as much out of this if you are American, there is just a little more substance to it if you are Canadian. After all, these were jesuits and these are the Iroquois and the Hurons and this is snowy, fridgid Quebec in the winter. These are all very Canadian and it is a film that tries to shed some light on how our country became what it is today. It is films like this that remind us as Canadians that we do have a history. And as silly as that may sound, it is an important statement. Go up to the average Canadian, any Canadian, young or old and ask them to name all the capitals of our 10 provinces and now 3 territories and I'll bet 6 times out of ten that they can't do it. Ask them if the Baffin Islands are a part of Canada or ask them where the Strait of Juan De Fuca is and they won't know. I am not in that category, I know my fair bit about my country, but I am unfortunately one that does not enough about things like Samuel De Champlain and what party Sir Wilfred Laurier was a part of and I certainly don't know much about subjects that Black Robe deals with. And even though it sounds like this film is good and important only because it teaches us about our history, that is not true. It is an interesting film but it is also very well made. I was intriuged and my eyes were wide open during this film. The acting and the direction and of course the photography was superb. But as much as this film was a good cinematic experience, I have to say that all Canadians should see it for it's historical importance. It is a part of history and it is something that should intrigue us all. I am very proud to say that this is at least partly funded, produced and distributed by Canadians and it is something that all of us should see at least once. It is a good film and it will teach us a great deal about out own country, and that is something that all of us need.

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22 out of 29 people found the following review useful:
I was truly haunted by this film, 30 June 1999

Author: Lamia7609 from Columbus OH

I noted that this movie was being compared to Dances with Wolves and Last of the Mohicans,aside from the fact that they all three involved native Americans there is little comparison.Windwalker would be a better comparison. This movie is more about this character who is being driven by a fierce passion to save a people and culture he doesn't understand and doesn't want to. It's Man vs. Nature. God vs. Nature. It draws a far more fierce and savage picture of Native Americans than most films dare to in an effort to stay PC which sometimes means pretending a victim or minority is without fault. This character,this "Black Robe",is most certainly flawed, but his courage in the face of savagery is inspiring. Also the native Americans in this film seem far more human and less a Hollywood caricature of native Americans. I plead with every movie lover out there SEE THIS FILM. I felt I was truly transported back in time. So, if you are avoiding this film because you hated Dances with Wolves and fell asleep every time you tried to watch Last of the Mohicans, try this film instead.

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14 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
One of the Finest Portrayals of American Indians in the Movies, 9 July 2006

Author: michael_the_nermal from United States

This film is brilliant, because it defies conventional stereotypes of European settlers and American Indians. This movie strives and succeeds in its portrayal of Indians and whites as human beings, rather than as villains or saints. Those who feel this movie would show the Indians as noble savages will be gravelly disappointed. The Indians in "Black Robe" can be cruel, and have sexual mores that would disgust the more prudish viewers. The affect of the Jesuit missionaries among the Indians of Quebec is not romanticized or glossed over, nor are the Jesuits shown as evil white devils. All humans in this movie have their flaws and weaknesses and all act "morally" according to their own cultures' expectations. Beresford has crafted a marvelous film that ought to be required viewing in college history courses across the country.

The cinematography is beautiful, whether we are watching the gilded altars of the cathedrals of Renaissance France, the iridescent glow of a fire at an Indian village, the cramped quarters of an Indian longhouse, or the awesome and heavenly magnificence of the Canadian woodlands and what appears to be the St. Lawrance River. This movie does feature explicit sexual acts and gruesome violence, so I would not recommend this movie at all for very young children. I think most teenagers can handle this film. I suppose this film is very hard to find at your local video rental store, but do yourselves a favor and find it. Your efforts will be amply rewarded.

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13 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
Courage of a different sort, 25 January 2001

Author: jrpeet

As a retired Christian minister, I have perhaps a different view of the movie than some of the other reviewers.

I felt that Laforgue,the Jesuit Priest, showed amazing courage to undertake his mission under the most difficult of circumstances.

Director Bruce Beresford has addressed the issues of clashing cultures in several of his other films: Driving Miss Daisy, Mr. Johnson for example. And he presents the complexities of culture anew in this film.

I was struck by the absolute beauty of Québec and the film's cinematography.

Back to Laforgue for a moment: here is a protagonist that accomplishes his mission with wisdom, intellegence, prayer, dependence upon his faith, lack of violence, and persverance.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Significantly softened, 18 December 1998

Author: Varlaam from Toronto, Canada

This film made major concessions to political correctness in its portrayal of the Indians, who are depicted in a considerably more flattering light here than they are in Brian Moore's novel. This could also be considered the romanticizing "Dances With Wolves" effect. The novel drew some (unjust) criticism here in Canada for its uncompromising approach.

The actual history is fairly readily available. "The Jesuits in North America in the 17th Century" by the great American historian Francis Parkman is the standard 19th c. work on the proselytizing efforts of the French Récollet and Jesuit fathers.

Still, if you are not very familiar with the subject, this film is a strong, and quite gruesome, introduction. I'm not aware of a lot of films about the colonial period which are as tough. Not "Last of the Mohicans", or the adult westerns from the '50's, in my opinion. "Little Big Man", perhaps. Or possibly "A Man Called Horse", which I haven't seen. The priest in the story is a composite of actual missionaries, and the impact of this historical adventure thriller is heightened for me knowing that everything in this film happened, and often a whole lot worse.

The rights and wrongs, the pros and cons, of the cultural collision of Europeans with the autochthonous peoples are still too contentious, so I would rather not get into them. There is a lot here to brood about afterwards, and chances are good that you'll seek out a copy of the novel -- it's not very long, and a lot easier to read than James Fenimore Cooper. If you're American or Canadian, this is an important part of our shared past.

"Black Robe" is one of the very best Canadian feature films, with a solid cast led by Lothaire Bluteau with August Schellenberg and Tantoo Cardinal in support. The presence of an Australian director, Bruce Beresford, perhaps kept the film from turning into a well-meaning but dry Canadian history lesson.

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