Therese (1986) UK Region 2 compatible DVD a.k.a. Thérèse - by Alain Cavalier, starring Catherine Mouchet

I loved the whole film. It was beautiful and very touching,. Therese was depicted as a real live saint, full of joy and goodness. I loved that it was based on Scripture , especially on The Song of Songs. I look forward to watching it again and again.

An absolute delight to watch.The minimalist approach to the sets works extremely well with the subject matter, and this is a masterpiece by Alain Cavalier.

The film arrived very quickly and was in good condition and gave me great pleasure to view. Thank-you.

Pleased with purchase and the service offered for which many thanks.

a marvelous evocation of the life of a great saint.

The actress is the spit likeness of Therese. The film is quite artistic but captures her spirituality well.

Speaking as a Catholic and lifelong devotee of The Little Flower, I can state this film certainly does not belong in the bin and casts no slur on anyone. Highly recommended.

This was the film that first sparked my interest in this fascinating saint, who became a Doctor of the Church a few years ago now. I am not a Roman Catholic (though I did ponder it several years ago now), but nevertheless the film does tell the story of St. Therese, even if not in exact sequence, quite well. A simple stage and backdrop is used for all the scenes throughout, all of which are told sparingly, except for the last stage in Therese' life, that is, her illness through Tuberculosis and subsequent death.This is not a sugar-coated tale, which can befall films like this, and there is a good sense of humour portrayed here and there. I was very taken with Catherine Mouchet's portrayal of Therese, which seemed to do the part justice. Funnily enough, I only found out that I could switch to English having looked at the DVD set-up menu, and switch the subtitles off. Strange why I didn't spot that earlier. If you want a more picturesque version of Therese complete with full sets and backdrops, then the Luke Films version from the USA (which I also own and love dearly) is for you. One can forgive the American accents on that version, and also revel in the sheer beauty of the soundtrack too. But this film I will treasure because, as stated earlier, it introduced me to the life of this beautiful saint, from which I have never looked back.

Before I saw this title in the Vatican’s list of great films, I had not heard of it or its director. When I first looked at the list of 45 films, there were only 11 that I had not seen, so I decided to look for them. Most were easy enough to get a hold of, but three of these films were out of print and particularly difficult to find: _Thérèse_ (Alain Cavalier, 1986) and the two I’m still missing, _Ordet_ (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1955) and _Napoleon_ (Abel Gance, 1927). Even though it was a bit more expensive than what I’m usually willing to pay for a film, I decided to get a copy of _Thérèse_. The excellent reviews, one of them from Roger Ebert, told me that I did not want to miss the chance to see this film.The difficulties of making a film based on the life of a saint are so evident one need hardly mention them. It would seem at first sight that the audience would be composed primarily of Catholics, half of whom would probably dislike the film either because it is too liberal or because it is too conservative. And yet, the canon of aesthetically great films includes several lives of saints. Few enthusiasts of cinema will deny the power and the value of _The Passion of Joan of Arc_ (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928), _Monsieur Vincent_ (Maurice Cloche, 1947), and _The Flowers of St. Francis_ (Roberto Rossellini, 1950), to name only a few. _Thérèse_ is a brave modern attempt to follow the footsteps of these great films, and in doing so it gracefully joins their ranks._Thérèse_ is, quite simply, a series of episodes in the life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux from the moment she decides to join the Carmelites up to her death from tuberculosis at the age of 24. The film, then, covers a period of roughly ten years. We see Thérèse interacting with her father, her sisters (all of whom became Carmelites too), and the other nuns in the order. Most importantly, however, we see her treading the path to sainthood, with all the joys and struggles that it entails.The film has been praised for its objectivity. Alain Cavalier, most critics agree, does not take sides: he presents the life of Thérèse in a series of episodes and allows the viewers to form an opinion of her. I understand what is meant by this, and to a certain point I agree. The film does not look like it was made for the sanctification of souls; neither does it tarnish the image of the most popular Catholic saint after Francis of Assisi. At the same time, let’s not forget Godard’s famous axiom: “le travelling est affaire de morale.” There is an ethical implication in every aesthetic decision. _Thérèse_ is an objective film, yes, but the choice of subject, the mise en scène, the cinematic approach, and the performances point to the fact that Thérèse was an exceptional human being and a great saint.Regarding the mise en scène, the film is notorious for doing away with background. The viewer will feel that he/she is watching a play. The purpose is to emphasize the fact that what we are watching is a film. Traditionally, films seek to draws us into their fictional world to such a point that we suspend our disbelief and become part of that world. Why would a film go against this basic principle? One possible answer is that this film wants us to remain sufficiently detached from what we are viewing as to be able to appreciate it intellectually, not emotionally. In addition, the filmmakers might be reminding us that cinema and life will never be the same thing, especially when we are talking about an exceptional human being. Incidentally, María Luisa Bemberg would follow this same “theatrical” approach four years later when making _I, the Worst of All_, about the life of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.The episodic structure is truly effective. It would have been quite easy for the filmmakers to present Thérèse’s story as a seamless narrative: once again, we are talking about a time span of less than ten years in the life of a cloistered nun. As I wondered why Cavalier may have chosen this particular structure, I was reminded of stained glass windows and icons depicting the lives of saints. They usually consist of a large image of the saint surrounded by small images depicting important episodes in his/her life. _Thérèse_, then, follows the ancient tradition of Catholic iconography, adapting it to cinematic language.The performance by Catherine Mouchet is simply a tour de force. She looks like the real Thérèse, and she makes her words come alive. Above all, she conveys the saint’s simplicity, enthusiasm, and self-sacrifice. Supporting actors and actresses have obviously been carefully chosen too. _Thérèse_ strikes me as the kind of film that looks simple but in fact required much effort. Paradoxically, simplicity is one of the most difficult qualities to convey.Finally, I loved the way the film depicted ritual. A few years ago I saw _Into Great Silence_ (Philip Gröning, 2005), a three-hour documentary about life in the Grand Chartreuse. What this excellent, unforgettable documentary shows is real life in a monastery; _Thérèse_ manages to suggest much of that in less than 90 minutes. Let me emphasize this: suggestion is the key when it comes to _Thérèse_. We are used to films that do all the work for us. _Thérèse_ involves us and allows us to think and to feel for ourselves.This beautiful, understated film has drawn me closer to a saint I had not approached before. It has inspired me and awoken in me the desire to read Thérèse’s _Story of a Soul_. If you read French, you may find a free Kindle version of her works here on Amazon.Next on my list, _Napoleon_ (Abel Gance, 1927).Thanks for reading, and enjoy the film!

j'ai reçu ce DVD très rapidement, il est en très bon état. Le film est superbe malgré quelques incompréhensions. Il illustre la vie de Thérèse de Lisieux mais ne la résume pas; Je conseille de lire sa biographie et "histoire dune âme" pour vraiment essayer de la connaitre car ce film ne suffit pas. Mais pour celles et ceux qui ont déjà lu des ouvrages sur sa vie ce film est un bon complément malgré quelques détails étranges ( effectivement cette sœur Lucie qui s’éprend de tendresse pour Thérèse est un élément étonnant) . Ou est Léonie ? Absence totale d'une des soeurs Martin. Mais le film est très beau, apaisant, l'absence de musique et de fioritures rend hommage a la vie des Carmélites. Et l'actrice principale est sublime.

A beautiful film in many ways. The lighting and sounds bring you close in and the performances are outstanding. This is easily the best film on St. Therese that I've seen and I've seen them all. If you ever wished to be with her in the Carmel this ( Along with reading her written words ) is as close as you can come.A blessing !

Excellente interpretation , excellent film , un chef-d'oeuvre !dialogues , images , mise en scéne , actrices , et surtout l'actrice qui incarne Thérése .a conseiller a tous et surtout aux catholiques . C'est une catholique réalisé par un chrétien authentique !

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