“INTO GREAT SILENCE”
In 1984, German filmmaker Philip Gröning wrote to the Carthusian order for permission to make a documentary about them. See, they live in a monastery in the French Alps, as mythic as you could think of. Sixteen year later the monks said ok. Living with them and a camera, Gröning created an amazing document of their world, what they see and do. To call it a documentary might suggest it is a viewpoint of an outsider explaining a subject to other outsiders. But Gröning went deep, filming for six months, providing us an immersive experience without added explanation, 162 minutes of atmosphere with almost no talking. Who lives this way, this day, this year? Its a one-of-a-kind film.
A DVD of a film you feel you have to watch more than once is something great. A second DVD in that package of solid extras just sweetens the deal. Beautiful deleted scenes, a 53-minute video excerpt of the monks’ nightly rituals that begin at 12:15am (a fascinating film by itself), and a video statement by a Cardinal – how many DVDs get that?
Also an audio gallery, including “Bringing Meals to the Cells”, “Thunderstorm” and “Snow Melting off the Roofs,” and a stunning photo gallery. The Making-Of section answers many questions of how the film came to be and is as ritualistic and serious as the monks are. A section of handwritten notes from monks are only in French and Latin, unless I’m not using my remote right. But all-in-all a great film and DVD package.
released by Zeitgeist Video for $29.99.
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