Fatima, a Catholic faith based film about the events that took place in Portugal is what every Faith Based film should aspire to be.
Fatima is Catholic faith based film that takes place in 1917 where three youths Lucia (Stephanie Gil), Jacitna (Alejandra Howard) and Francisco (Jorge Lamelas) see a vision of the Holy Mother who tells them that although the war rages on and there will be much or death and despair, through faith and prayer, peace will come to the people of Europe.
Word of these events spread across Portugal inspiring religious pilgrims to visit the city of Fatima and hopes of witnessing a miracle. Naturally, this angered higher officials of the Roman Catholic Church and the Portuguese government in an attempt to force the children to recant their visions, confessing it was nothing more than a hoax. The children never wavered from their faith and in that faithful remained and gathered.
Director Marco Pontecorvo truly gives a visual perspective on what only a European filmmaker could for such a powerful subject, especially in a church that people feel has become too politicized and strayed away from faith, the faithful remain and as Jesus is quotes in saying in the Gospel According to St. Matthew 18:1-3 (KJV) , “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
This film captures the spirit in what these three cousins felt in seeing visions of the Virgin Mary, what the power of prayer can do and how faith can impact people as well as inspire others.
What Fatima does that other faith based films never seem to understand is that you do not need to be preachy to get your message across, even though the trailer does depict the adults as secularists that want to run away from God. Most Western denominations don’t realize what the persecution of the Church with a capital C means and give a very American perspective on, “Hey, they were mean to me because I am a Christian!” When you’re churches get blown up regularly in the Middle East, come back and talk to me about the persecuted Church, until then, realize that films like Fatima show unwavering faith even when the persecution comes from your own denomination and how endurance through suffering is a part of Christianity.
The movie rendition of Fatima is powerful not only in its visual storytelling, but the music used, the chanting and the performances by the children in the film. Gil, looks far older than the 10-year-old Lucia, but if that’s the only complaint I have in regards to this movie then Pontecorvo did a lot right.
Fatima is available today on VOD and DVD and for those who are looking to have a bit of their faith reignited, this is a must watch for you.
Editor’s Note: The King James Version of the Bible is being quoted because it is in the public domain, not because of any textual preference.
- Overall Score
Summary
Fatima avoids the tropes of most American faith based films and shows you the struggles of three young children who endured insults, name calling and never recanting their visions of the Virgin Mother as they prayed for peace during World War I.