The Song of Bernadette (1943)

Director:

Henry King

Writers:

George Seaton (screenplay)
Franz Werfel (novel)

Release Date:

April 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

Here is greatness . . . wonder . . . and majesty . . . no human words can describe!

Plot:

In 1858 France, Bernadette, an adolescent peasant girl, has a vision of "a beautiful lady" in the city dump...

Plot Keywords:

Church | France | Virgin Mary | Dump | Prayer

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

William Eythe	...	Antoine Nicolau
Charles Bickford	...	Father Peyramale
Vincent Price	...	Prosecutor Vital Dutour
Lee J. Cobb	...	Dr. Dozous
Gladys Cooper	...	Sister Marie Therese Vauzous
Anne Revere	...	Louise Soubirous
Roman Bohnen	...	François Soubirous
Mary Anderson	...	Jeanne Abadie
Patricia Morison	...	Empress Eugenie
Aubrey Mather	...	Mayor Lacade
Charles Dingle	...	Jacomet
Edith Barrett	...	Croisine Bouhouhorts
Sig Ruman	...	Louis Bouriette
Blanche Yurka	...	Aunt Bernarde Casterot
Ermadean Walters	...	Marie Soubirous

Also Known As:

Franz Werfel's The Song of Bernadette (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

156 min | 158 min (copyright length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #9317) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Netherlands:AL (2008) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S | Germany:12 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Father Peyramale actually died in 1877, two years before Bernadette's death, and thus was not present at her deathbed.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Lady asks Bernadette to wash herself in the spring, Bernadette digs a hole and smears her face and hands with dark black mud. Moments later as the onlookers mock her, her aunt and mother take her away and the mud is gone from both her hands, while only slight fingermarks of mud remain on her cheeks.

Quotes:

Bernadette: Your Reverence, I DID see her.
Peyramale: Yes, my child, you did. And you will see her again.
Bernadette: Perhaps I haven't suffered enough.
Peyramale: You've suffered enough, my child, for the Heaven of Heavens.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fedora (1978)

From doubt into faith! The movie, like the whole story, strengthened my faith!

This is one of very few movies that I not only watched but EXPERIENCED! Therefore, my comments will not refer to the film itself but rather to the whole story, its content, one of the most beautiful stories that can be told to today's world lost in materialism and nihilism. The events that took place in Lourdes (southwestern France) in 1858 have proved that God cares and is with all of us.

3 years ago I was in France and aimed at staying in Nice and Cannes. However, some of my friends wanted to see Lourdes. They were more religious than me and tried to encourage me to go there with them. Although I believe in God and I go to church quite often, I was not very keen on it. Faith in Christ was quite shallow in me. But finally I made up my mind and departed. Now I must admit that two days spent there meant for me more than at least two years of my life and search for God. I could not believe what I saw. People there are like angels! Nobody hurries, nobody swears! Ill people suffering with a smile on their faces! Young volunteers taking care for the old on wheelchairs! I told them "You must have courage!" They answered "The Holy Lady of Lourdes brings us to Christ who teaches how to LOVE!" This touched me! I thought to myself "I must find out what really happened in this place!" I read Werfel's novel and watched this movie. This strengthened my faith.

The movie cannot be analyzed as the film only. It is in such a great harmony with the story that we would do a harm to it by analyzing it only as a film art. Of course, the cast are quite good (not the best), the photography is of a good value. However, for a person who does not believe, it is only a nice fairy tale of a girl who lives in dreams and has visions of a Beautiful Lady.

Whenever you go to Lourdes, life will never be the same for you. Like it was not the same for a simple girl Bernadette Soubirous. Her story proves one fact: The Mother of God wants to bring all people to her Son so that all can be saved. That is the gist of these events, that's why the Song of Bernadette will be sung loudly as long as pilgrims come to Lourdes and find out the truth that the world will never tell you:

EVEN IF YOU SUFFER, THERE CAN BE A SMILE ON YOUR FACE AND JOY IN YOUR HEART.

And such a smile was also visible on pope's face when he came to Lourdes as his 104th trip abroad.

REALLY A WONDERFUL STORY! Unforgettable experience for all who are open and capable of recognizing the reflection of suffering Christ in these ill people.