Black Robe by Brian Moore - 9.6 out of 10

Black Robe by Brian Moore
9.6 out of 10


You can find Black Robe on the New York Times' Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list.


This is a wonderful motion picture, with a fascinating, tragic, compelling story of valor, dedication, faith, violence, superstition, proselytizing, self sacrifice.
Lothaire Bluteau is excellent in the leading role of Black Robe.

This is the nickname used by natives for Laforgue, a Jesuit missionary who wants to reach the Huron tribe and is supposed to be helped in his quest by the Iroquois.
If favorable in the beginning, the Native Americans become ever more hostile.

One of their leaders, Chomina, has a dream in which Black Rock appears.
The omen of the dream or nightmare is not good.

Increasingly, others see Black Robe as a demon that they feel they should kill.
There are some interesting discussion over dogmatic matters.

Laforgue is evidently extremely religious and convinced that his faith is the right one, although his companion, Daniel, tries to argue at one point that the Natives have their own after world and they believe that the spirits of the dead haunt the forest and hunt the spirits of the animals.

Daniel is infatuated with Annuka, daughter of Chomina, and when the Jesuit sees them having sex, he uses flagella to atone for his sin...the sin of coveting, feeling desire.
He has no ropes or whip, so he uses branches from a tree.

There are quite a few instances wherein Black Robe is almost killed.
All of them are caught by a rival, vicious tribe, led by Kiotseaton and one child has her throat slit in front of them.

Black Robe is a fabulous, thought provoking movie, educational and inspirational.