Sunday, October 13, 2013

Pgm 17: IN THE NAME OF

A controversial and provocative film about the sexual angst of a gay priest, In the Name Of tackles familiar content from new angles, examining the complexities surrounding love, sexuality, and organized religion. Filled with riveting and true-to-life performances, this is a thoughtful and powerful film that’s not to be missed.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Exquisitely beautiful film; I thought that this was a superb choice. I'm thrilled to see films that are not completely "spoon-fed" narrative stories. I don't think that the subject matter was really very controversial, but I could see how the manner in which the story is told would cause ripples with the USA audiences. You have to piece the story together yourself and it leaves you thinking about the characters and wondering what happens to them after the credits roll. Keep the artsy films coming! For me, this is what ImageOut is (and always has been) about.

Dan Larkin said...

I enjoyed this thoroughly. It was decidedly homoerotic with stunning cinematography and beautiful art direction in a variety of unassuming locations in rural Poland. The almost matter of fact way they dealt with the priest's sexuality and his attraction to the boy was so well written and acted. All of the performances were subtle, nuanced and very human. In The Name Of treated the realities of the Catholic Church's biggest embarrassment in a genuine yet artistic manner.

Unknown said...

You mentioned that American audiences might be disturbed by this film. It was actually quite positive since the priest tried to help the boys in many ways and devoted his life to them. I thought the final scene was a tribute to him and his work. It's always flattering when someone wants to follow in your footsteps. I think it was a very positive film, and I'm more disturbed with the backwardness of the established church procedures than the main character's actions.

Patrick Rivers said...

No denying the homoerotic aspects in this film…I’m sure to create a palpable tension that the director wants us to feel alongside the main character (Father Adam). An extraordinarily well produced film with stunning cinematography. Not over loaded with dialogue, the images tell the story here- and exquisitely so.
The use of sound was also notable in this film- from the crunching of food at the dinner table, to the locusts buzzing in the summer breeze- to no sound at all, especially during the love making scene at the end- creating an experience so intense, that you could hear a pin drop- even on the newly carpeted floor of the Dryden.