AlFabrizio This film is very well produced and acted. It's quite easy in fact to forget that these are actors and feel that you've been invited into the confines of the monastery and the experience of these cloistered monks. This is accomplished, in part, because of the heavy emphasis on the liturgical life of the monks. A deeply spiritual film, it is uncompromising in it's depiction of the life of a cloistered monk, putting the life of Catholic prayer and it's spiritual dimensions at center screen. The process that the monks go through as they deliberate the threat that they face is deeply informed by Christ and his passion. And while there is no way to really capture the inner reality of a group of eight men devoted entirely to God as they go through this traumatic time, I think the film does a great service to what happened (it is based on actual events). Despite having different motives, different levels of religious fervor and sometimes conflicting desires towards self-preservation, the focus on perseverance in service to the community (despite being cloistered Trappists, who take an oath of silence, and generally do not make an active ministry)is deeply humanizing. This is the kinds of film, I think that Western society needs and helps remind us, even as we slide ever more deeply into pointless self-interest, that our highest values and finest aspirations coalesce when we are centered in service to the one who made us.

avik-basu1889 'Of Gods and Men' is a low-key, understated film about a group of French priests living in a monastery in Algeria. They are noble, kindhearted individuals who genuinely have an affection for the local native people, but their lives get threatened by the growing violence during the Algerian Civil war in the mid-1990s.This film works for the most part due to the characters involved. All the priests in the monastery are normal, relatable individuals. They have uneventful, mundane lives with nothing much to look forward to except praying to God and being kind and helpful to others. They make an active effort to mingle with the local Muslim people. They join in during the local rituals, fairs and religious ceremonies. Some of the priests also make an effort to learn about the Koran and not stay restricted to their own religious teachings. They help the poor with clothes and shoes and also with medical treatment and medicines. So clearly the viewer can't help but like and adore these kind,elderly righteous group of priests. It is because of this very fondness for them, we also feel the horror of the situation that they get to face in the film. With the gradual spread of Civil War throughout the Algerian country during the mid 1990s, there seemed to be a rise of intolerance towards foreigners and followers of other faiths among native extremists and the priests also fail to escape this volatile and dangerous predicament. After getting attacked on one occasion by a group of terrorists, they find themselves stranded and helpless. They face the dilemma of having to choose their lives' safety and leave the country or stay and continue to help the poor and beaten down by putting their own lives at risk.The style of storytelling is fantastic. The director makes us really feel for the characters involved. The debates and conversations that the priests have during their meetings reminded me very much of '12 Angry Men'. The director also makes an effort to show that violence existed on both sides. The manner in which the Algerian Army searched and investigated the monastery on suspicion that the priests were helping the terrorists was eerily similar to the way the terrorists had attacked the monastery earlier. The director shows that the priests were caught in the middle of two sides who were intent on destroying each other through violence. The look of the film is also very realistic. The director with the production designer succeeds in recreating the feel of the relevant period. There are also a few visually meaningful, but quiet scenes involving sceneries that I loved.The only problem that I had with the film was that I thought the screenplay gets a bit bogged down in the middle with repetitive scenes and it gets a bit too preachy and melodramatic in an otherwise very well written screenplay. The acting is solid form everyone, with a special mention for Michael Lonsdale.So although I think the film is not perfect, it is still a rewarding watch with great acting, directing and a good screenplay and I also loved the scene with which the film ends. It is a quiet scene with no dialogue, but it is a scene which says everything about acceptance, embracing others and religious equality.

paul2001sw-1 'Of Gods and Men', inspired by a true story, tells of a group of Christian monks living in Algeria and trying to come to terms with the rise in Islamic terrorism, which threatens their way of life and indeed, their chances of even staying alive. But the film is very slow. The beginning is almost impossible to enjoy; once one comes to share a sense of the monks' dilemma, it becomes more interesting, but the pace is still glacial: there are a few visually powerful scenes which overstay their welcome simply by over-extending themselves. The depiction of the monks, and even (in brief glimpses) of the terrorists, is humane, but there's only so many scenes of men signing hymns that a film needs, and this one has too many of them.

Desertman84 "Of Gods And Men" a.k.a "Des hommes et des dieux" is a French film that centers on the monastery of Tibhirine.During the civil war in Algeria in 1996,nine Trappist monks lived in harmony with a largely Muslim population until seven of them were kidnapped and died to unknown circumstances.It features a cast led Lambert Wilson and Michael Lonsdale.The title of the movie was taken from Psalm 82:6–7 that states, "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes."It was also loosely based on the experiences of the Cistercian monks of Tibhirine in Algeria from 1993 until their kidnapping in 1996.This is a touching movie about a group of monks who live ordinary lives that goes through a tough test when the civil war in Algeria happened.Their faith was tested when they were kidnapped by religious extremists and they have shown they are willing to give their life for God and for self-sacrifice when religious violence occurred.It was also a good spiritual film that is compelling as it will allow the viewer to undergo self-introspection especially when it comes to their spiritual life and how much as they willing to sacrifice when it comes to God and this aspect of this life. It also deals very well with the negative effects of the hate that people have for each other due to differences in spiritual beliefs.Overall,we are treated to a good film about spirituality and religious hatred.