Picking up where the 1987 "Bernadette" left off, the saint of Lourdes enters the convent and goes through various trials. Joys alternate with sorrows, and through it all Bernadette trusts in God and is reminded of the Virgin Mary's words to her: "I cannot promise you happiness in this life, only in the next." The movie is based on actual testimony used in her canonization process, and takes great care to stay with facts. This makes for an uneven storyline, so if you're looking for a movie to simply enjoy as an escape, this isn't it. If you want to know more about Saint Bernadette's life in the convent, this IS it. Included are some rather funny incidents. It was released in French and Italian, not English. I don't know of an English version available.
UPDATE: March, 2007. I saw the recently released version with English subtitles. I have a higher opinion of the movie because I can completely understand the dialog now. The country wit of St. Bernadette comes through and makes for a number of funny scenes. One of my favorite lines occurs when St. Bernadette is asked if she has any prophecies about the Franco-Prussian War. She says that she does not. A man asks her, "Don't you fear the Prussians?"
She replies, "I only fear bad Catholics."
UPDATE: March, 2007. I saw the recently released version with English subtitles. I have a higher opinion of the movie because I can completely understand the dialog now. The country wit of St. Bernadette comes through and makes for a number of funny scenes. One of my favorite lines occurs when St. Bernadette is asked if she has any prophecies about the Franco-Prussian War. She says that she does not. A man asks her, "Don't you fear the Prussians?"
She replies, "I only fear bad Catholics."