Review: Of Gods and Men (15) *****

Of Gods and Men (aka Des hommes and des dieux) is based on a true account of a group of Cistercian monks murdered in Algeria in 1993. Their bodies were never found and the killers escaped justice.

Director Xavier Beauvois (with screenwriter Etienne Comar) deliberately sets his drama in an unidentified land where the shared foe is fundamentalism. He is careful to present the war as a far-off struggle but brings it home to this tiny, isolated community via rumour and one brief, powerfully-delivered moment of utter terror.

Yet his focus is always the monks and the primary message of the movie is the men's conflict: should they stay or go?

Thus begins a magnificently realised struggle in which Beauvois presents each man as an individual with very human frailties and emotions. Christian (Lambert Wilson) is attacked for his obstinacy – "Your stubbornness is getting dangerous" says a fellow cleric. It's a running, constant argument that underpins the entire picture.

Such a fascinating premise could easily have become laboured, cringe-making and worthy. Instead, Of Gods and Men eloquently lays out the arguments for self-preservation over duty to God, allowing each man a moment of reflection as he contemplates his fate.

Beauvois builds to a beautiful yet simply executed finale as the monks sit down for a minimal dinner during which tears flow freely as they bask in shared companionship.

It is a symbolic last supper, and they know it. Both heart-breaking and jubilant, it effortlessly sums up this inspiring and unforgettable portrait of the bliss of faith.

On limited release.