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THE SONG OF BERNADETTE (1943)
The Song of Bernadette poster

CAST
JENNIFER JONES
MARY ANDERSON
CHARLES BICKFORD
ROMAN BOHNEN
LEE J. COBB
GLADYS COOPER
JEROME COWAN
WILLIAM EYTHE
AUBREY MATHER
PATRICIA MORISON
VINCENT PRICE
ANNE REVERE

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY
FRANZ WERFEL

SCREENPLAY BY
GEORGE SEATON

CINEMATOGRAPHY BY
ARTHUR C. MILLER

EDITED BY
BARARA McLEAN

MUSIC BY
ALFRED NEWMAN

PRODUCED BY
WILLIAM PERLBERG

DIRECTED BY
HENRY KING

GENRE
BIOGRAPHY
DRAMA

RATED
AUS:G
UK:NA
USA:G

RUNTIME
156 MIN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The Song of Bernadette iamge

An incredibly moving portrayal of the Saint Bernadette sighting in 19th century Lourdes, The Song of Bernadette speaks to the heavy cost of miracles in an increasingly secular world, and the quiet suffering of those chosen to spread God’s word.

Many wish that God would speak to them, but history dictates that such an event would lead to a lifetime of suffering. First would come the ridicule, then the accusations, and then the hordes of believers vying to be in the presence of God’s chosen one. The infamy of such an event would be unbearable.

Saint Bernadette Soubirous was 14 years old when she first saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary on the outskirts of Lourdes, a small village in the south of France that was of little thought before it became a holy place of pilgrimage. Bernadette suffered from asthma (which caused her to miss school) and came from a very poor family. Despite this, she had a pleasant, happy disposition on life, which some labelled as ignorant.

Director Henry King (Wilson) presents Bernadette’s story as one of faith surviving all matter of trial, be it by the city authorities who want her locked away, the media who lambast her as a backwards peasant, or even the Church who look upon her with suspicion. That she will go on to win the trust of her detractor’s not through anger or malice, but by turning the other cheek and reflecting goodness towards the negativity, is inspiring to witness.

Jennifer Jones plays the role of Bernadette with an optimism that is in no way grating, personifying the inherent goodness and sly intelligence of the girl behind the saint, the human being behind the miracle. Other fine performances are also delivered by Charles Bickford as the at first cynical, yet ultimately supportive Father Peyramale; Gladys Cooper as the hard as nails Sister Marie Therese Vauzous; and a young Vincent Price as the highly sceptical prosecutor Vital Dutour.

Beautifully shot black and white photography by Arthur C. Miller (How Green Was My Valley) captures a true sense of time and place, yet The Song of Bernadette is still as powerful now as it was some 70 years ago. It’s a story of a miracle, and how the impact of such a miracle can have on a community, a nation, and a religion. Just like the healing spring fountain in Lourdes, The Song of Bernadette is the remedy to heal all kinds of wounds and bring peace to the most restless of souls.

 

****

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