We received feedback from 31 members and guests following the showing of “Beyond The Hills” on 24th October.
Here’s how you rated the film:
- ‘Excellent’: 6 votes
- ‘Very Good’: 11 votes
- ‘Good’: 4 votes
- ‘Satisfactory’: 2 votes
- ‘Poor’: 4 votes
- 4 comments received without a rating
If you didn’t leave comments on the night or, having had time to reflect, you wish to say more about the film, we would welcome any further comments here.
I found this film admirable for the way it didn’t seek to judge the main protagonists (normally in these films, the Priest is portrayed as a sadistic zealot, or the victim possessed by actual demons). The Priest, recognising that the Monastery wasn’t the best place for Alina, constantly tried to find alternative help for her, but everyone else (the Hospital, her Foster Parents) sent her away. Accepting that she needed help, the Monastery responded in the only way they knew – trying to exorcise her demons, with tragic consequences.
Yes, I agree totally with Bob’s comments. I liked the film very much and thought it was completely ‘humanistic’, seeing the characters as doing the best they could with what they’d got. Hence the length of the film was justified, letting us observe the little details of people’s lives. Even the dismissive doctors at the end seemed ‘real’ when making their personal comments on the phone. Like many really good films, the imagery will stay me with me for a long time, I feel.