The 13th Day
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Movie Reviews of The 13th Day
Movie Review: God Proves HIs Existence
Summary: 5 Stars
In 1917, 3 uneducated children said said that the Mother of Jesus had appeared to them, and had told them God would work a great miracle on October 13th. On that day, 70,000 rain-soaked people saw the sun burst throught the clouds and start to spin, throwing a kaleidscope of colors over the ground. Then, to their wonder and terror, the sun appeared to jump and dance in the sky, and finally to fall towards the earth. After several minutes the downward spiral stopped, and the sun returned to its normal position and appearance. As the crowd recovered from this scare, they began to notice that their clothing was now bone dry. Skeptical journalists who had come to report on nothing more than the anger of disappointed wonder-seekers instead published accounts of a miracle that can still be found on microfilm in city libraries.
There have been several films made on the events of Fatima. One is a 1950s Hollywood spectacle done in the tradition of The Song of Bernadette. Not bad, but a tad too Hollywood, with a made up starring character to provide (I guess) comic relief. In 1992, a documentary-type re-enactment titled "Apparitions At Fatima" was produced in Europe. Very accurate, but lacking decent special effects, and, as Steve Greydnaus has said, not compelling as cinematic art.
The 13th Day leaves surpasses these earlier efforts. Directors Ian and Dominic Higgins were illustrators before the were film makers, and it shows. Evert shot of The13th Day could be framed and hang on a wall. Most of the movie is done in black and white--color only blooms across the screen during each apparition. The absence of color makes the more primal light and darkness jump out at the viewer. The miracle of the sun scenes match eyewitness descriptions more accurately than any other movie version. And here's a first: the vision of the "third secret"(that involved Pope John Paul II) is depicted on film for the first time.
Now, keep in mind this is NOT a documentary. To keep the film a manageable length, the Angel apparitions of 1916 were not dealt with, and only four of the six apparitions are depicted. In the scenes where an older (Sister) Lucia is writing her memoirs, the voiceover narration is not word for word quotes from her writing, but rather the script writer's way of introducing each set of events in the film. Another criticism: the character of Lucia as protrayed in the film is a more introverted, taciturn person than the Lucia of history. But The 13th day is overall very true to the events, the spirit, and above all the message of Fatima. And the film is a thing of beauty.
Movie Review: Artistically rendered and well-acted
Summary: 5 Stars
This was an appealing, artistic re-telling of the story of Fatima from the viewpoint of Lucia--the oldest of the 3 children who saw the apparitions of Mary. The film opens with Lucia, now an elderly cloistered nun, writing her memoirs as an act of obedience to her superiors.
Black and white filming captures both the historical context (the end of WWI and the rise of communism in Russia) and the dark political landscape when the Church was being persecuted in Portugal. It was also reminiscent of the old black and white photos of the event. The use of color film to highlight the apparitions was a bright contrast to the otherwise dour events swirling around the three seers at that time.
The movie also portrays the simple faith of the children against the background of jaundiced skepticism. The fact that only they can see the visions only stiffens the necks of the unbelievers. Finally, Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco are vindicated when over 70,000 people--both pilgrims and scoffers alike--witness the miracle of the sun on Oct. 13th, 1917.
Overall, The 13th Day was a great film: artistically rendered and well-acted. The only issue I had with it is that it presumed that the viewer would already be familiar with the story of Fatima. To the un-initiated, it might seem disjointed and confusing. In some ways, the 1952 Warner Bros. movie told a more cohesive story--in spite of its poetic license. For those unfamiliar with Fatima, it might be well to see the older movie first or do some reading on the subject before viewing The 13th Day. For the rest of us, it was a GREAT film.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Movie Review: The Best Fatima Movie Ever
Summary: 5 Stars
I set this movie up for a Parish Movie Event at our church and only expected 20 or 30 people to show up. I was really surprised when 80 people showed up. I think that The 13th Day opens up a spirituality that people crave. The movie is well acted, well written and the music adds a lot to the emotional event. The move is spoken in english, but in our parish hall, the accents of the actors made it a little difficult for the older people to understand what was being said, so I turned on the subtitles. The apparition at Fatima is well explained. The movie is narrated by Lucia, the oldest seer. If you are not a catholic and you have any question about the legitimacy of Mary, you need to see this movie. If you are catholic, your faith will be renewed in the the greatest apparition of Mary. The miracle of the sun is worth the cost of the movie, the special effects are first class.Movie Review: Truth is a wonderful thing
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is very well done according to historic facts. I was disappointed that it didn't mention the Angel of Fatima who proceeded the Blessed Virgin Mary's visit, also the cinematography was a little hard to handle. The facts of the movie itself is excellent, you do not have to be a Catholic to appreciate it's message, it is for the whole world, one in which needs to be repeated everyday. Repent for our sins and ask for God's Mercy. Even if you do not believe in the Apparitions of Fatima, it's hard to deny the Miracle that happen there, it was eye witnessed and documented by thousands of people!
God Bless this movie and anyone who sees it and takes the message of the movie (Our Lady's Request) to heart.
Movie Review: Great movie!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this movie for my family as a Christmas gift and all of us were very impressed. I had heared about this movie while listening to my local Catholic radio station a few months ago and everyone was really excited about it.
The directors did a great job and I can't wait to watch other movies that they've filmed. They really captured the times and events surrounding this miricle of Our Blessed Mother. There is also a bonus feature were a Catholic Priest explains the full meaning of the miricle of Fatima.
I can't wait to see where Jesus sends His mother next!
You can go to ignatius press website and find similar movies.
God Bless and hope you enjoy this movie.