--- title: "Of Gods and Men" year: 2010 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/of-gods-and-men" fi1m_score: 84 critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 16 published: "2026-09-17T12:13:02.944704+00:00" updated: "2026-09-17T12:13:15.016798+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Of Gods and Men (2010) Directed by Xavier Beauvois · 2h 00m · MPA PG-13 · Drama, History **Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 80 from 16 reviews *In a sentence:* Men who have taken vows of poverty, and the one possession everyone wants them to give up is the address > Xavier Beauvois’s account of Trappist monks in Algeria deciding whether to stay as the killing comes closer is slow, plain and quietly devastating. It lingers a little too lovingly on its own stillness, but Michael Lonsdale alone is worth the evening. ## Synopsis Algeria, the 1990s. Eight French Trappist monks live in a monastery in the hills above a Muslim village. Their prior, Christian (Lambert Wilson), leads the prayers and does the talking when anyone from outside comes to the gate; Brother Luc (Michael Lonsdale) sees a queue of villagers every morning; the youngest, Christophe (Olivier Rabourdin), works the garden and sings in the chapel. Then the violence in the surrounding countryside reaches the village. The army offers protection, which Christian refuses, and the local official Nouredine (Abdelhafid Metalsi) tells the monks to leave the country. Christian says they will stay, without asking the others, and the brothers gather round the chapter table to decide whether he was right to speak for them. ## Review The monks of *Of Gods and Men* keep bees, grow vegetables, sell honey at the market and go to chapel a great deal. Xavier Beauvois spends the first half hour on this. Brother Luc (Michael Lonsdale) hands out tablets and second-hand shoes to a queue of villagers. The prior, Christian (Lambert Wilson), does the talking when anyone from outside comes to the gate. The film is based on the true story of a Trappist community in Algeria in the 1990s, and Beauvois wants us to know what is at risk before anyone picks up a gun. It is a good film, better than good in stretches, and we would put it in front of anyone who can sit still for two hours. Beauvois, who wrote the script with Étienne Comar, has built the whole thing on one question, stay or go. It arrives when the killings by militants in the countryside come close to the village. The army offers to post soldiers at the monastery and Christian turns them down. The local official, Nouredine (Abdelhafid Metalsi), tells him to take his brothers home to France. Christian says they will stay, and he says it without asking anyone. The argument around the chapter table is the spine of the film, and Marie-Julie Maille cuts it the way the monks live, without haste. The camera goes round one face at a time and each man gets the whole of his sentence. Paul (Jean-Marie Frin) wants to go. Célestin (Philippe Laudenbach) is frightened and says so. Amédée (Jacques Herlin), the oldest, came here to live and sees no reason to change that. Christophe (Olivier Rabourdin), the youngest, does not know. It is one of the few scenes of men deciding something where we believed the decision was still open. Later there is a confrontation at the monastery gate, and we will not say who arrives or what they want. Christian handles it in the courtyard, on his own. Caroline Champetier shoots it in the flat blue of a winter afternoon with nothing on the soundtrack but boots on gravel, and our hands were cold by the end of it though nobody had been touched. Wilson plays Christian as a man braver than he is likeable, and this is the scene where that pays. Michel Barthélémy’s monastery is whitewash, worn wood and one bare bulb to a room, and Marielle Robaut’s habits are the only white in a landscape of ochre and dust, so that in the wide shots the brothers look like chalk marks on a hillside. Mike Kourtzer is credited with the music, but most of what we hear is the men themselves singing plainchant, and Beauvois lets each hymn run its full length. The first two times this is beautiful. By the fourth we were wondering how much of the office was left. Lonsdale is the reason to see it. Luc is old, heavy, short of breath and entirely unafraid, and Lonsdale plays him as a man who did his worrying decades ago. A village girl, Rabbia (Sabrina Ouazani), asks him what it is like to be in love, and he tells her, from experience. It moved us more than anything in the chapel did. A late supper, scored to Tchaikovsky and singled out in most reviews, has Champetier’s camera going slowly from face to face and holding each one a beat past comfortable. We wept, and slightly resented being made to. Christophe’s night of doubt, on his knees in the dark shouting at a God who does not answer, is the other scene where the film pushes instead of waiting. And the militants stay at the gate throughout, seen only as the monks see them, which is honest about where the camera stands but leaves the politics thin. Most critics have forgiven both, and on balance so have we. The history is on the record and the film assumes you know it. We will say only that the last reel keeps its nerve and does not reach for the strings it could so easily have had. Watch it in one sitting with the phone in another room. It will not survive being paused. *Fi1m score 84, published 17 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics admire the film, and the praise gathers around the same things. Beauvois’s restraint comes first: the reviews repeatedly note that he refuses sensation and lets the monks’ routines, prayers and arguments carry the drama. The performances come next, with Lambert Wilson as the prior and Michael Lonsdale the names most often mentioned. Several reviewers single out the dinner scene set to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake as the moment the quiet approach pays off, and more than one says the film does not need shared belief to work. The reservations are about pace and solemnity. A minority find it slow and thin, with Paste struggling to locate a plot for much of the runtime. Sight and Sound, otherwise approving, wonders whether it escapes Catholic mythologising. The sharpest dissent is The AV Club, which reads the Swan Lake scene as a failure rather than a triumph. The spread is narrow: nobody is hostile, and the doubters are outnumbered. ### Reviews we read (16) - **Evening Standard** (90/100, inferred): The critic highlights the film's quiet resonance and humanity, noting its exploration of faith through strong performances and its moving depiction of decency amid threat, predicting it will feature in year-end lists. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/brothers-under-siege-in-of-gods-and-men-7422825.html) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (90/100, inferred): The film is a stunningly passionate and deeply moving modern tragedy that does not require shared belief to appreciate. It is singled out for praise for its overwhelming Last Supper sequence with the monks and Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/dec/02/of-gods-and-men-review) - **The Independent** (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as a mature, complex meditation on faith, courage and post-colonial issues, calling it commanding and immensely satisfying grown-up cinema with superb performances and a gripping yet low-key approach. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/miral-julian-schnabel-112-mins-12a-of-gods-and-men-xavier-beauvois-120-mins-15-2151400.html) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (90/100, inferred): The review highlights the film's beauty and its rare success in dramatizing faith and interfaith harmony without sentimentality. It singles out the monks' debate on duty and a moving scene with Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake as they face their fate. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/02/28/brothers-anthony-lane) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (Critic's Pick): The critic praises the film as a beautiful, somber and rigorously intelligent drama based on the true story of Trappist monks in 1990s Algeria. It singles out the film's historical authenticity and its focus on spiritual and temporal concerns amid violence. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/25/movies/25gods.html) - **Variety**, Jordan Mintzer (90/100, inferred): The review describes the film as a consummate, transfixing meditation on religious conviction and post-colonial strife. It singles out the performances, especially by Lambert Wilson and Michael Lonsdale, and the atmospheric depiction of monastic life. [Read](https://variety.com/2010/film/markets-festivals/of-gods-and-men-1117942804/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a thrilling adventure of the spirit that trusts rigor and restraint. It singles out the complex moral decisions faced by the monks and the standout performances, especially Lambert Wilson as the prior. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-feb-25-la-et-gods-and-men-20110225-story.html) - **Screen Daily** (85/100, inferred): The review commends Beauvois for maturing into a masterly director with tight control, balancing theological and political dimensions in a thoughtful, non-sensationalist portrayal of monastic life and religious vocation amid violence. It singles out the restrained, life-affirming approach and the cast's subtle performances, especially in building the rhythms of the monks' routines. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/of-gods-and-men-des-hommes-et-des-dieux/5014095.article) - **Slant Magazine**, Andrew Schenker (80/100, inferred): Beauvois’s film is a morally committed work that comes down on the side of progressivism and Christian humanism in the face of geopolitical tensions. It singles out the monks’ spiritual crises and their dedication to duty amid threats from Islamist militants for particular focus. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/of-gods-and-men/) - **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (4/5): The critic praises the film's nuanced, humane study of the monks' deliberations and communal life amid threats, highlighting its serene mood and focus on piety over peril. The standout element is the monks' journey toward unity in facing their fate, shown through powerful emotional scenes like their reaction to music. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/of-gods-and-men) - **Sight and Sound**, Nick James (75/100, inferred): The piece describes the film as a superbly crafted and exalting portrait of the monks' lifestyle in harmony with the local community, noting its forgiving and even-handed approach to their martyrdom. It singles out the gentle, serene mood as suiting the subject, though noting it doesn't fully escape Catholic mythologising. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/news/brotherly-love-gods-men-first-look) - **The AV Club**, Sam Adams (C+): The film combines lite formalism and tendentious topicality but mistakes volume for weight in its long scenes and offers little insight into either the monks or the militants. It singles out the Swan Lake dinner scene and the monks’ fatalist hymns as examples of its shortcomings in conveying spirituality or complexity. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/of-gods-and-men-1798167442) - **HeyUGuys**, Craig Skinner (75/100, inferred): The sombre, measured tone effectively draws viewers into the monks' world and highlights the chilling beauty of key sequences like the last supper, though it risks overly venerating its subjects. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/lff-2010-of-gods-and-men-review/) - **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (3.5/5): The film offers a poetic tribute to the monks through its story of faith and principle amid encroaching violence, but its deliberate pace will be too slow for many viewers. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/of-gods-and-men-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) - **The Playlist**, Kevin Jagernauth (60/100, inferred): The film provides an insightful look at faith and tolerance in dangerous times but is overly solemn and heavy-handed, lacking deeper exploration of the characters' doubts. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/cannes-2010-review-xavier-beauvois-of_19-20100519/) - **Paste**, Paste Staff (50/100, inferred): The film moves at a glacial pace with a threadbare story, making it hard to discern a plot for much of its runtime. While the depiction of the monks is non-exploitative and their sacrifice admirable, the austere minimalism equates to a lack of emotional depth or complexity. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/xavier-beauvois/of-gods-and-men) ## Details - **Director:** Xavier Beauvois - **Director:** Xavier Beauvois - **Writer:** Xavier Beauvois, Étienne Comar - **Cinematography:** Caroline Champetier - **Editor:** Marie-Julie Maille - **Music:** Mike Kourtzer - **Production design:** Michel Barthélémy - **Costume design:** Marielle Robaut - **Producer:** Pascal Caucheteux, Étienne Comar, Grégoire Sorlat - **Cast:** Lambert Wilson as Christian; Michael Lonsdale as Luc; Olivier Rabourdin as Christophe; Philippe Laudenbach as Célestin; Jacques Herlin as Amédée; Loïc Pichon as Jean-Pierre; Xavier Maly as Michel; Jean-Marie Frin as Paul - **Runtime:** 2h 00m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 25 March 2011 - **Genres:** Drama, History - **Budget:** $4 million - **Box office:** $41 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhQzn2gVGjQ ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $12.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-17.* Also available in: AR, AU, CL, CO, ES, NZ, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - BAFTA Film Awards 2011: Best Film Not in the English Language (nominated) - César Award for Best Actor 2011: César Award for Best Actor (nominated) - César Award for Best Cinematography 2011: César Award for Best Cinematography (won) - César Award for Best Costume Design 2011: César Award for Best Costume Design (nominated) - César Award for Best Director 2011: César Award for Best Director (nominated) - César Award for Best Editing 2011: César Award for Best Editing (nominated) - César Award for Best Film 2011: César Award for Best Film (won) - César Award for Best Original Screenplay 2011: César Award for Best Original Screenplay (nominated) - César Award for Best Production Design 2011: César Award for Best Production Design (nominated) - César Award for Best Sound 2011: César Award for Best Sound (nominated) - César Award for Best Supporting Actor 2011: César Award for Best Supporting Actor (won) - David di Donatello for Best European Film 2011: David di Donatello for Best European Film (nominated) - Independent Spirit Awards 2011: Best Foreign Film (nominated) - International Submission to the Academy Awards 2011: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated) - Cannes Film Festival 2010: Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix (won) - European Film Award for Best Cinematographer 2010: European Film Award for Best Cinematographer (nominated) - European Film Award for Best Film 2010: European Film Award for Best Film (nominated) - National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film 2010: National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film (won) ## If you liked this - *Into Great Silence* (2005): Six months inside a Carthusian monastery, no narration, and it will slow your pulse. - *Diary of a Country Priest* (1951): Bresson’s sickly young curé; the film every serious portrait of faith has to answer. - *Timbuktu* (2014), Fi1m 88: Sissako’s town under militant rule, told from the other side of the gate. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/timbuktu.md) - *Ida* (2013), Fi1m 85: A Polish novice leaves the convent for a week and finds out what she is made of. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ida.md) - *Calvary* (2014), Fi1m 81: An Irish priest given seven days to live by a parishioner; funnier and just as unflinching. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/calvary.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/of-gods-and-men