Last night I saw "Incendies" by Denis Villeneuve and "Of Gods and Men" by Xavier Beauvois. There's a link between the two that I'll get to in a moment, so I'll combine in a single entry.
The former had its genesis in a critically-acclaimed play by Wajdi Mouawad, also called "Incendies" in its original French version and "Scorched" in an English translation. The English version had two very successful runs at Tarragon here in Toronto.
Without giving away too much of the plot, the story opens the reading of the last will and testament of a mother of twins. In it, she directs the twins to find the brother and father they never knew.
The bulk of the story is set in Lebanon, both in the present and during the war of the 1970's..
It's a powerful story of uncovering and confronting the past. I had never seen the play, so the reveal at the end was a complete surprise.
As an adaptation, the director was given free reign to develop the story and he did a masterful job, aided by a strong cast. It didn't have the feel of a play that was adapted for film by adding a few exterior scenes; it was a film that used the medium to full effect.
"Of Gods and Men" won the Grand Prix and Ecumenical prizes at Cannes this year. It's about a monastery of French monks in Algeria who serve a small community. When Islamic extremists arrive, they are faced with a decision to either remain and face the potential of death at the hands of the extremists or flee. The film is based on actual events -- they chose the former and most were killed.
This is a film of small details. Each of the eight monks is allowed the space to establish themselves as people, through their words and actions. It's a good film that rewards the viewer, if you give the story time.
At the same time though, I felt that it would have been stronger as a play. The constraints of the stage would have heightened the isolation of the men and would have provided a stronger focus to their debates and characters. In some respects, the approach would have been similar to what David Young did with his play "Inexpressible Island", about the Shackleton expedition.
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