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A young, weary priest (Claude Laydu) arrives at the rectory of his new parish in Ambricourt on the French countryside, and catches the averted, suspecting gaze of the Count (Jean Riveyre) and his mistress. Frail and weak from a debilitating, undiagnosed stomach ailment, he is resigned to a spartan subsistence of bread, sugar, and wine: an ascetic diet that, he believes, sharpens his resolve and dedication to his spiritual vocation. The young priest is received with polite indifference by the townspeople. A brusque, wealthy man named Fabragars (Leon Arnel), exploits the young priest's naiveté to strike a bargain on the funeral arrangements for his wife. His friend and mentor, the Priest of Torcy (Andre Guibert), cautions that the role of a priest is to maintain discipline and spiritual order, and not to seek to be loved by his parishioners. His idealistic hope for reaching the souls of young people through catechism classes for First Communion is deflated when his favored student, Seraphita Dumouchel (Martine Lemaire), seemingly mocks his attentive interest by remarking that he has beautiful eyes. He performs his daily order of mass to a lone congregation: the tutor, Miss Louise (Nicole Maurey), who asks him to intercede in a conflict involving her pupil, the Count's daughter, Chantal (Nicole Ladmiral). One day, when the troubled and manipulative Chantal tests the priest's compassion by threatening to commit suicide, he is drawn into ministering the Countess (Marie-Monique Arkell), a resigned and tormented woman who continues to grieve for the loss of her young son, and succeeds in helping her find inner peace. Unable to comprehend her mother's spiritual transformation, Chantal misinterprets his actions as cruel and interfering, and instigates a denunciation of the idealistic priest.

Robert Bresson creates a visually spare and deeply moving film on faith, alienation, and perseverance in Diary of a Country Priest. Using minimal dialogue, introspective journal entries, and isolated long and medium shots, Bresson presents the harsh reality and inherently misunderstood existence of a man of faith in a secular world, where altruism and unyielding devotion are viewed with cynicism and distrust. Metaphorically, the physical malady of the priest is a manifestation of his spiritual health and eroding idealism, as his affliction evolves from a passing discomfort that is ameliorated by abstinence and self-denial, to a degenerative illness that slowly consumes him. But inevitably, the final image of an isolated cross encapsulates the life of the nameless priest: a symbol of profound suffering, alienation, and human cruelty - yet ultimately, transcendent.

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Film & Animation

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• FILM