Awesome movie. Unbelievable. Very European (in both a good and a bad way). Comedy, drama, parable.
Giorgio Pasotti made a very strong film. He also played one of the two main roles. An old padre with a very peculiar manner of conduct. This priest keeps in the mountainous wilderness a kind of shelter for the re-education of former criminals. And he tries to re-educate them with his enthusiastic view of the world. Father Yvonne seems to have a filter inside him, which completely cuts off all negative things. He is kind, naive, poor, funny. In fact, it sometimes resembles a fool. And as it turns out closer to the end, he has every reason for it.
The second main character of this Italian-Austrian picture is an elderly already gloomy big man (played by Claudio Amendola). Shaven naked, tattooed skin. Member of the neo-Nazi criminal community. It's like a giant boar. He was sent to the community of Padre Yvon for final correction after serving his prison term. Of course, this type is not going to be corrected in principle. His task is simply to serve the required months of rehabilitation. At the same time, clashes are inevitable with both an overly optimistic priest and fellow community members.
Which is curious. Some of these people are just “things.” But in the movie, even a radical Islamist terrorist and robber who came to Europe is shown as cute and funny.
But the point is different. Suddenly, this movie turns out to be a parable. It’s about finding faith and finding meaning. Start small. Take care of the tree. Cook. Sit still during mass. Further, it is not for nothing that the Bible with the open chapter of the Book of Job will be repeatedly shown here. This is one of those plot "guns" that will shoot closer to the very end of the story. Because it’s also an Italian movie... It is full of not only wonderful types of nature, but also references to works of classical art. Let us remember here the suffering of the unfortunate Job, and the removal from the cross. Art is closely intertwined with faith. And there will be a lot of different symbols – an apple, a garden, the suffering of the heroes. And even (and especially!) their names. Yvonne and Adam (a fascist thug). And Italians don't forget to joke. Even near death.
And then you realize that we have at the same time a great drama, and a truly Christian movie, and even quite funny comedy. And even Italian songs will sound here.
Good movie. Some of it's heavy, yeah. But very, very good. With the right ending.