Faith in Film: My Top Ten Catholic Movies

When evaluating the art of the twentieth century, more than Picasso or brutalist concrete structures, we should think about film. Its use of technology and its popularity makes it more representative of modern culture than any other medium. Great art has always spoken to the common person and interpreted the ideals of the time. Much of modern art fails to do either, while film has captured the imagination and shaped contemporary culture in significant ways, even becoming a primary interpreter of reality for the average person.

On the other hand, it is true that the average film fails to impress on an artistic level. Despite that, film is a comprehensive medium, involving writing, drama, capturing of images, sounds and music. Although I often hear people dismiss its influence on them as “just watching a movie,” Pope Pius XI wrote an encyclical on the moral and spiritual impact of film. In Vigilanti Cura, Pius pointed to “the very great importance which the motion picture has acquired in our days and its vast influence alike in the promotion of good and in the insinuation of evil, and … it is necessary to apply to the cinema the supreme rule which must direct and regulate the great gift of art in order that it may not find itself in continual conflict with Christian morality or even with simple human morality based upon the natural law. The essential purpose of art, its raison d’être, is to assist in the perfection of the moral personality, which is man, and for this reason it must itself be moral.” Film, he argues, makes us passive recipients, filling our minds, imaginations, and affections with images, ideas, and desires without our own awareness. He, therefore, urges us to use its power and influence for good.

We can see this positive influence through a tradition of Catholic film, either made by Catholics or by non-Catholics engaging themes of faith. To celebrate a 100 Years of Film, the Vatican’s Commission for Social Communications released a list of “some important films,” generally known as the “Vatican Film List.” It offers 45 significant films in the categories of religion, values, and art. As with most things out of the Vatican, some of the list is compelling while others choices are puzzling.

Having taught courses on Faith and Film, and continuing to watching faith-based films regularly, here is my own list here of my top ten film choices. My criteria are high artistic quality, good screenplay that tells a compelling story related to faith, accurate depiction of spiritual realities, and enjoyable to watch. Some of them overlap with the Vatican list, but I offer them in suggested watching order.

My Top 10 Catholic Films

1. Fred Zinnemann, A Man for All Seasons, 1966.

The saints are the stars of Catholic film. I generally recommend starting here, when people ask me for an initial recommendation. A Man for All Seasons is truly is a must-watch, telling the story of St. Thomas More by faithfully drawing upon the records of his trials, last conversations, and letters. Robert Bolt wrote the screenplay, adapting his own play of the same title, and the film rightfully won Best Picture. And Paul Scofield is a great Thomas More, manifesting his principled courage and unbreakable faith.

2. Gabriel Axel, Babette’s Feast, 1987.

This film, faithfully adapted from a short story by Isak Dinesen, captures a sacramental vision of reality better than any other film that I’ve seen. In a very anti-sacramental culture in Denmark, a French cook, Babette, finds a way into the hearts of the community. Beautifully filmed, with a moving story, it is a masterpiece. I would even offer it as a interpretive lens for great Catholic film as a whole, drawing together the power of narrative, art (as singing and cooking provide a figure for the power of art more broadly), and powerful cinematography.

3. Roberto Rossellini, The Flowers of St. Francis, 1950.

Rossellini, while not a believer, effectively captures the spirit of the early Franciscans: their innocence, joy, humility, and boldness. It’s a delightful movie offering vignettes based upon the medieval account of Francis’s first followers. Artistic films often lack the obvious narrative and action that characterize popular American movies. The vignette style of this film provides a good introduction to breaking out of this mold and beginning to appreciate film for its artistic and spiritual qualities.

4. Josefina Molina, Teresa de Jesus, 1984.

This Spanish miniseries presents a realistic and well acted recreation of the life of St. Teresa of Avila. Its a powerful and inspiring portrayal of her life, showing her many trials and struggles to follow the inner promptings of God. It is hard to capture the spiritual life on film, but the miniseries does make the dynamics of Teresa’s interiority come to life (despite the moments of ecstasies falling short; how could they not?). In my opinion, this is the best film portrayal of a saint. You can find it at Formed.org.

5. Maurice Cloche, Monsieur Vincent, 1947.

So many saint movies present saccharine caricatures of their subjects, making them simply unwatchable, in my opinion at least. St. Vicent de Paul shines forth plausibly and powerfully in Cloche’s portrayal. The black and white film does not offer a simple narrative of the saint’s life but still gives access to the core of his spirituality and charitable impact. Like Teresa de Jesus, it provides a glimpse of how film and the spiritual life can combine powerfully.

6. Roland Joffé, The Mission, 1986.

Another great screenplay from Robert Bolt and another nomination for Best Picture (but this one only won best cinematography). Like Bolt’s story of St. Thomas, this film also captures a crisis of conscience as Jesuit Missionaries in Paraguay must choose between serving their faithful converts in the mission or abandoning them to Portuguese soldiers at the command of the Church. Enjoy its wonderful acting, but, be warned if you haven’t seen it, it is intense and violent.

7. Carl Theodor Dreyer, The Passion of Joan of Arc, 1928.

This film often tops secular lists of the greatest historical films. A silent film rediscovered after being lost for decades, it focuses on the faces of the characters and offers genuine dialogue from the trial of Joan of Arc. Renée Jeanne Falconetti dramatically expresses the faith and strength of Joan in contrast to the grotesque faces of her executioners. Because it is silent, you are drawn into the acting and the expressions much more than through an ordinary film.

8. Robert Bresson, Diary of a Country Priest, 1951.

Devotees of books almost always complain about film adaptations. Bresson offers a masterly portrayal of Georges Bernanos’s great novel a priest who just can’t seem to do anything right. Because of it’s lack of action and reliance on a journal, it would seem to present insurmountable challenges for a film, but Bresson pulls it off convincingly and captures the essence of the “little way” of this simple country curate. Black and white, though not silent, it still reflects the power of simple gestures and expressions to convey psychological and spiritual states, unafraid of silence or the slow development necessary to get inside the hidden drama of the priest.

9. Xavier Beauvois, Of Gods and Men, 2010.

In 1996, seven monks were kidnapped and martyred during the Algerian Civil War. This powerful French film enters into their deliberation and prayer surrounding the choice whether to flee or endure the conflict, knowing it may entail sacrificing their lives. Though in extreme fashion, their drama does speak to the struggle of faith in the modern life to overcome deadly obstacles. I am continually drawn back to the last supper scene which so effectively employs Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake to characterize the spiritual drama of the impending martyrdom.

10. Terrence Malick, A Hidden Life, 2019.

Another story of a martyr, this recent film tells the story of the Austrian farmer who defied the Nazis, Bl. Franz Jägerstätter. A truly beautiful film, and, unlike many stories of saints, it speaks to a central problem in modern life: how do ordinary people stay true to the faith without compromising to anti-Christian ideologies. We may not face a challenge as clear cut as Nazi military service, but the film humanizes the sacrifice of following one’s conscience without compromise, showing both the joys and terrors of their offering. The film is an artistic and spiritual masterpiece.

A Couple Honorable Mentions

My favorite documentary: For a contemplative experience, spend a few hours in silence at the Grand Chartreuse with Philip Gröning’s Into Great Silence, 2005. The film can be hard to watch, entering into the silent simplicity of the monastic life, but, for that reason, it may be just what we need.

Top Lenten movie: It may seem odd not have included Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ (2004) in my top ten list. I do consider it a must watch film for Passiontide and Holy Week in the tradition of the Passion Play. It certainly helps our meditation but does border on the grotesque in the intensity of its violence. Many people claim that Bl. Anne Catherine Emerich’s revelations inspired the film, but I find St. Bridget of Sweden’s revelations to follow the details of the film much more closely.