IMDb RATING
7.5/10
5.8K
YOUR RATING
Set during occupied France, a faithless woman finds herself falling in love with a young priest.Set during occupied France, a faithless woman finds herself falling in love with a young priest.Set during occupied France, a faithless woman finds herself falling in love with a young priest.
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 1 win & 1 nomination total
Emmanuelle Riva
- Barny
- (as Emmanuele Riva)
Marco Behar
- Edelman
- (as Marco Béhar de la Comédie Française)
Marc Eyraud
- Anton
- (as Marc Heyraud)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe film won the Award of the City of Venice at the 22nd Venice International Film Festival. Jean-Paul Belmondo was also nominated for the Best Foreign Actor Award at the 16th British Academy Film Awards.
- GoofsAt 1:33:20, when the two elderly ladies are visiting Barny, the background behind the window is clearly fake, revealing it was a studio set.
- Quotes
Léon Morin: The invisible church. It extends far beyond the visible church.
Barny: What is the invisible church?
Léon Morin: All human beings of goodwill.
- Alternate versionsThe theatrical release version is 111-minute long, which is the version used for the 2011 Criterion DVD and Blu-Ray release. The remastered 4K version, used for the 2019 Kino Lorber Blu-Ray release, is the longer director's cut, at 128 minutes.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Le fils de Gascogne (1995)
Featured review
Barny, the war, and a certain priest
My thoughts about this film don't seem to follow any precise structural pattern. I will just note the things that struck me and leave it at that. This movie affected me as no other story set in an occupied country ever has. It has a dreamlike pace and texture.
Barny sees young Italian soldiers appearing in her town, their hats have plumes--are they with a circus?... She forms a passionate friendship with Sabine, her boss: there will be a scene in which Sabine's breasts are pressed against Barny's neck and shoulders... later we find that Sabine's brother has been deported to a concentration camp... Barny and two other women have their children (who are half-Jewish) baptised. They figure that the church will legitimize their kids in the eyes of the enemy... Barny and Léon start to debate the meaning of faith. Léon makes it clear to her that he is not available, but her yearnings know no bounds. Reading Papini as a substitute for sex... Barny is involved with the Resistance, will hide Jews if required to, but her emotional life must take precedence over these activities.
There is much more, but I will just say that Riva and Belmondo are superb. After seeing her in Hiroshima, mon amour--in which she played well, but not memorably so--I was startled with her accomplished acting here. Belmondo is tough and moving; Léon is no Don Camillo.
Barny sees young Italian soldiers appearing in her town, their hats have plumes--are they with a circus?... She forms a passionate friendship with Sabine, her boss: there will be a scene in which Sabine's breasts are pressed against Barny's neck and shoulders... later we find that Sabine's brother has been deported to a concentration camp... Barny and two other women have their children (who are half-Jewish) baptised. They figure that the church will legitimize their kids in the eyes of the enemy... Barny and Léon start to debate the meaning of faith. Léon makes it clear to her that he is not available, but her yearnings know no bounds. Reading Papini as a substitute for sex... Barny is involved with the Resistance, will hide Jews if required to, but her emotional life must take precedence over these activities.
There is much more, but I will just say that Riva and Belmondo are superb. After seeing her in Hiroshima, mon amour--in which she played well, but not memorably so--I was startled with her accomplished acting here. Belmondo is tough and moving; Léon is no Don Camillo.
- How long is Léon Morin, Priest?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- The Forgiven Sinner
- Filming locations
- Montfort-l'Amaury, Yvelines, France(street scenes)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $72,078
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $9,515
- Apr 19, 2009
- Gross worldwide
- $72,908
- Runtime1 hour 57 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
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