Jennifer Jones won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her screen debut
in this true story. Jones plays young French peasant girl Bernadette
Soubirous, who sees a vision of a 'beautiful lady' near her home in
Lourdes in 1858. Based on the novel of the same name by Franz
Werfel, THE SONG OF BERNADETTE explores Bernadette's trials and
tribulations from her impoverished family to her difficulties at
school to the derision her visions bring upon her and at last to her
affliction with bone-marrow cancer. Under the incisive eye of
director Henry King, the film is seen through Bernadette's
perspective but at the same time focuses upon the effect that
Bernadette has upon her family, her champions, and her detractors.
The acting is excellent, and no detail has gone untouched in the art
direction, costumes, and cinematography. Best of all, THE SONG OF
BERNADETTE stands among a rare group of Hollywood films in which
visual integrity is matched step for step with thematic zeal.
"'Taylor's excellent biography
offers a fascinating look at Bernadette's short and in many ways
tragic life. The book thus offers not only a vivid portrait of a
remarkable young woman, but fascinating insights into the
interactions between official and popular religion. Taylor does not
take a stand on the veracity of Bernadette's visions, and her tone
is balance enough to appeal to sceptics and believers alike. The
book is well researched and written in elegant prose refreshingly
free of scholarly jargon. This must-read for scholars' of French
religious history and/or the history of women is accessible for
undergraduates and general readers as well. Essential. All
libraries/levels' -- Choice"
This is the first ever scholarly biography of Bernadette
Soubirous, either in French or in English. It draws upon many
testimonies and archival sources that have never previously been
published. "Bernadette of Lourdes: Her Life, Death and Visions" is
the first ever scholarly biography of Bernadette Soubirous, either
in French or in English. It draws upon many testimonies and archival
sources that have never previously been published. Therese Taylor
explains who Bernadette was, and how she lived and died but takes no
position on whether or not her visions were genuine. This story
begins in Bernadette's native country of the Pyrenees, a mountain
region haunted by tales of fairies, witches and miraculous groves
and springs. It follows Bernadette's astonishing life story, from
her family circle, through her years of fame, to her retirement at
the convent of St Gildard at Nevers. Her difficult relationships
with the historians of Lourdes and her lengthy terminal illness are
also considered. This biography places Bernadette in the context of
her time. She was born into a volatile family and her parent's lives
were blighted by economic failure and alcoholism. At the age of
fourteen Bernadette was an illiterate child-servant, who suddenly
experienced a series of visions of a White Lady in the Grotto of
Massabielle. Townspeople, government officials, clergy and
journalists were all drawn in and sought out Bernadette in order to
assess her story. A chain of events was set off which made her one
of the most famous women in France. Bernadette has to be understood
not only in religious terms, but also with reference to themes such
as tourism, commercialism, mass-representation and the exploitation
of female celebrities.
Lourdes is the most famous
of all shrines to the Virgin Mary. Every year it attracts thousands
of pilgrims. But Lourdes is not only about miracles it is a place of
inner healing, a place of inner peace. People who visit Lourdes are
inevitably touched by its unique spiritual power. This DVD echoes
and amplifies the biblical and spiritual meaning of pilgrimage while
creating an opportunity for deeper understanding of the apparitions.
Synopsis:
Thousands of pilgrims journey to Lourdes every year to visit one of
the most beloved and sacred shrines to the Virgin Mary. This film
shows the famous procession with the Blessed Sacrament, the Way of
the Cross, and the torchlight procession. More importantly, it
explores the profound significance of prayer to physical and
spiritual healing.
