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Title: Lilies of the Field (1963)
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| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Sidney Poitier | ... | Homer Smith | |
| Lilia Skala | ... | Mother Maria | |
 |
Lisa Mann | ... | Sister Gertrude |
|
|
Isa Crino | ... | Sister Agnes |
| Francesca Jarvis | ... | Sister Albertine | |
|
|
Pamela Branch | ... | Sister Elizabeth |
| Stanley Adams | ... | Juan | |
| Dan Frazer | ... | Father Murphy | |
Homer Smith, an unemployed construction worker heading out west, stops at a remote farm in the desert to get water when his car overheats. The farm is being worked by a group of East European Catholic nuns, headed by the strict Mother Maria, who believes that Homer has been sent by God to build a much-needed church in the desert... Written by Christopher J. Thompson <thompson@amath.washington.edu>
So many of the comments are so eloquent and they all seem to reflect my own reactions, I would not want to muddy the waters by echoing them. One thing that struck me that was not mentioned was the incredibly thoughtful composition of the scenes in the film. The positioning of the tiny cross above the door in the main house was almost heartbreaking. The positioning of the crane in 2-3 scenes was extremely imaginative. When Homer ran up the stairs "into the light" (sunlight) of the Nun's roof I felt myself as uplifted as Homer Smith. The technique of the "camera moving away from the actors" in the early scene of the Sisters following after Homer's car as he went to leave was extremely powerful. I wondered if this technique would be used again or possibly overdone. It was only used one more time, very briefly, so as to not trivialize its initial use... What an amazing level of artistic discipline. I'll say it as well, this may be the most perfect film ever made.