Into Great Silence

As a part of Holy Week observation, a group of us went to see the movie Into Great Silence. I had read several reviews of this film and was quite intrigued. Here is a synopsis of the film from Zeitgeist Films.

"Nestled deep in the postcard-perfect French Alps, the Grande Chartreuse is considered one of the world’s most ascetic monasteries. In 1984, German filmmaker Philip Gröning wrote to the Carthusian order for permission to make a documentary about them. They said they would get back to him. Sixteen years later, they were ready. Gröning, sans crew or artificial lighting, lived in the monks’ quarters for six months—filming their daily prayers, tasks, rituals and rare outdoor excursions. This transcendent, closely observed film seeks to embody a monastery, rather than simply depict one—it has no score, no voiceover and no archival footage. What remains is stunningly elemental: time, space and light. One of the most mesmerizing and poetic chronicles of spirituality ever created, INTO GREAT SILENCE dissolves the border between screen and audience with a total immersion into the hush of monastic life. More meditation than documentary, it’s a rare, transformative theatrical experience for all."

Into Great Silence was a wonderful meditation. I showed up about ten minutes before the published start time. The art house theatre was packed at 2:00 PM on Thursday. I was really surprised. I thought our group would have the theatre to ourselves. There were no previews of coming attractions - the movie just abruptly started. Not everyone was seated yet, the theatre was dark, people were trying to find seats and the silence was loud. Every noise in the theatre added to the distraction of the situation because there was very little sound coming from the film. I quickly realized how stressed I was because I wanted to transition from the busyness and noise of my day to the environment of peace set forth by this film. This seemed to be the experience of the whole theatre because within five minutes the audience was pulled into the tranquility of the monastery. It was a full hour and some minutes before the movie depicted the first Sunday, a day in which the monks go on a long walk in the countryside and engage in conversation. Fascinating conversation and very stimulating. The prayer times in the daily offices were beautiful and reverential, the simplicity was convicting and the devotional rhythm of life - stimulating. In a world of fast paced consumerism that neurotically drives our lives this movie was a reminder of how beautiful life with God can be at the deepest level. I found myself, during the nearly three hours of silence and the slow pace of the film, drawn to the beauty of birds singing in the background, light beams coming through a window and snow flakes falling to the earth. This film in one word - BEAUTY.