[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by ElliesDad

So, after the Odyssean adventure of trying to secure Léon Morin from Amazon after it was declared out-of-print, and then available, and then out-of-print again it did arrive pristine and unsullied and I did have the pleasure of seeing it for the first time last week.

And what an absolute treat! Watched it with my wife, who was, incidently, a serving nun for some eight years, until her late twenties, and who has served as my expert par excellence in all things canonical since our marriage a few years after that, and we both enjoyed it immensely. My only previous experience, in my limited classical film experience overall, with Jean-Paul Belmondo, was in Breathless and I was never very fond of him in that role. As Léon though he is absolutely mesmorizing. It's impossible to take your eyes from him. And the lovely Emmanuelle Riva serves as a perfect counterfoil to his detached and disciplined personna. I'm not sure if I could imagine another actess who could play her role with such wonderful subtlety, or if I would want to. The two of them provide a superb example of the ability of two fine actors to compel and fascinate with only body language, facial expression, and a wonderfully crafted, smart, thought-provoking script.

Have spent some time in small stone parochial French eglises as well as in the great cathedrals~ it's wonderful to take a few minutes out of the day, and out of the hot sun, during travels, just to sit in the cool, subdued, rarifed light and reflect quietly. The church scenes in Léon took me back to that and for that alone I loved this picture.

Oh dear! So hard to avoid hyperbole! and apologies to all of you to whom this is all old hat! Anyway, thank you again Fellini for giving me that last little push.

No problem, I am glad your wife and you enjoyed the film. I agree with your comment.

My main reason that I believe the movie was stellar is

[Show spoiler]it does not go down the beaten path of the fallen priest cliché story. I believe Melville knew that the audience was expecting a romance to occur, and Leon to break his vows- he did not give in. Many movies from Europe in the 60s ponder the loss of faith. Melville puts this concept on it's head, and makes an atheist communist regain her faith.

Melville has a tendency to challenge stereotypes and clichés, such as the good German in Le Silence de la Mer. He might be challenging Bergman's ideas with Leon, an antithesis of Winter Light.

In the end, I really love this film.