As the most famous apparition of Our Lady in the twentieth century the appearances of Our Lady to the shepherd children of Fatima, Portugal have been profiled in various forms, including the books "Our Lady of Fatima" by William Thomas Walsh and "Fatima in Lucia's Own Words" written by the longest surviving seer. However, though the story of Fatima has been told through film various times including documentaries, only two films have been distributed through Hollywood, the 1952 classic "The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima", starring Susan Whitney as Lucia Santos, and this years "Fatima", recently released October 27th on DVD.
Written by Valerio D'Annunzio, Barbara Nicolosi (whose original screenplay was reportedly butchered of most of it's Catholic material) and by Marco Pontecorvo, who also directs, "Fatima" stars Stephanie Gil as Lucia, who in the films prologue is visited by the Angel of Portugal, played by Ivone Fernandes-Jesus, while drawing on a cave wall. The Angel shows Lucia a vision of the ongoing World War including Lucia's own brother, Manuel, in battle. To quell Lucia's fears after seeing the vision, the Angel teaches Lucia a brief prayer: "I believe. I have hope. And I love God." The Angel departs instructing Lucia to pray for peace.
It is after this prologue that the film's proper begins as the framing device for the story of Fatima to be told is introduced, one almost alike to that used in 2000's "Padre Pio: Miracle Man". It is 1989 and the fictional Professor Nichols, played by Harvey Keitel, is on his way to visit Sr. Lucia, played as an adult by Sonia Braga, in order to interview her for a book he is writing. Just as the Inquisitor in "Padre Pio: Miracle Man", who comes to interrogate Padre Pio, Keitel's character is skeptical of the story he has heard associated with Sr. Lucia, believing in essence that visionaries are mentally ill. When Professor Nichols asks Sr. Lucia whether she has any regrets regarding her life, Sr. Lucia's answer that she hasn't done enough to please her mother, launches the central conflict of the film: how is Lucia to please her earthly mother, Maria Rosa and the heavenly mother, played by Joana Ribeiro.
From here, the film tells the story of Lucia's memories, of the appearances of Our Lady to Lucia and her cousins, Jacinta and Francisco, and how the apparitions affected them and their families hitting the familiar plot points. However, it is the films telling of the story, particularly its omissions from the official history of Fatima, as recorded in Sr. Lucia's memoirs and various books, as well as additions for the sake of artistic license that cause the film to suffer as a faithful adaption of this story and message. One of the changes involves Lucia's brother fighting in the Great War (historically Lucia's brother was not in the war, rather it was the older brother of Jacinta and Francisco who was), which results in Lucia and her mother, Maria Rosa, going to the town of Fatima on the 13th of every month (the children lived in the village of Aljustrel in Fatima's vicinity) to hear the names of the soldiers who are listed as missing-in-action or dead, praying that Manuel's name won't be among them. Another change is the lack of involvement of Jacinta and Francisco in the story overall. Though they are present at the interrogations and the apparitions most of the film focuses on Lucia and her family rather than on the relationship between the three children.
However, changes such as these pale in comparison to one of the major omissions of the film as well as the choices made in depicting the Mayor of Ourem who kidnaps the children and the change regarding the request of Our Lady of Fatima for penance. Amongst various omissions made regarding the message of Fatima and what the children were shown (Our Lady walks on the ground rather than standing on the tree, as reported by the children, the Angel of Portugal appears to Lucia alone and does not give her Holy Communion etc.) is the crucial omission of the mention of Russia and the spreading of its errors around the world, which Our Lady warned the children of during the third apparition on July 13th, 1917. The elimination of Russia and the evils of Communism from the third apparition (they do depict the vision of Hell and the vision of a Pope being assassinated) are especially damaging in light of recent world events that are driving the Western World toward socialism and forward to Communist ideology. This direction of the western world is caused by years of millennials being made ignorant about the crimes of communism due to lack of education on the history of the Communist era in schools, both High School and Universities. By eliminating mention of Russia and the spread of its errors, the film becomes part of the problem.
There are also two major changes made in translation of the story to this film that also result in problems for the film. One of these changes is in the depiction of the Mayor of Ourem. As told in Sr. Lucia's memoirs and previous versions of the Fatima story, the Mayor of Ourem, Artur de Olivera Santos, was an evil man who not only abducted the children, as depicted in the film, but also locked them in prison with real prisoners (in the film Lucia is placed in solitary confinement) and threatened them with death via boiling oil (this part of their suffering was allegedly removed as to not scare child viewers). Fatima however depicts the Mayor and his wife in a fashion similar to the depiction of Pontius Pilate and his wife, Claudia Procles in The Passion of the Christ. In addition, Artur Santos was a Freemason, an organization strongly condemned by the Catholic Church, but this is not made mention of. The film's failure to portray the suffering the children underwent as a result of the Mayor not only undermines their heroism but undercuts the real dramatic tension found in the stories official history.
A final change made in the translation of the official history of Fatima to this film which has severe effects on the story is the elimination and undercutting of the penances the children undertook freely in reparation for sins. Lucia writes in her memoirs of how she and her cousins would go days without water, whip themselves with nettles, and eat acorns rather than eat the lunches their mothers gave them, all to save sinners from hell. Lucia also writes of how the children would wear ropes around their waists as penance. In the film we do see Lucia, in an act of emotional desperation, tie a rope around her waist, however in a subsequent apparition, the film's Blessed Mother tells the children not to hurt themselves with ropes, which not only contradicts the official history but also results in the children being depicted as if they are self-mutilators. This change also downplays the sometimes-difficult spirituality of Fatima.
These omissions and changes, though serious and damaging to the film, do not result in the film having nothing positive to be said for it. The film does note numerous times the request of Our Lady to say the Rosary daily as well, as previously noted, including the vision of hell and even a depiction of Our Lady's immaculate heart pierced with thorns due the sins committed against it. The music, by Paolo Buonvino, who also scored 2000's "Padre Pio: Miracle Man", is great as well as the costumes and cinematography. The songs sung by Andrea Bocelli are also a great asset to the film's soundtrack. The acting in the film is fairly solid as well. Admittedly, the film is engaging and does work as a film on its own merits. However, as an adaption of the Fatima story to the screen, the film suffers severely.
In an era where well-made Catholic (or Christian) films are difficult to find (Both Pureflix and most Italian Saint films sold by Ignatius Press fail as these) Fatima succeeds as a well-made film. Unfortunately however, the omissions and artistic licence taken with the official story of Fatima result in an unfaithful adaption of an important story to the big screen. I would encourage anyone watching this film to seek out both the memoirs written by Sr. Lucia as well as the books "Our Lady of Fatima" by William Thomas Walsh and "The Immaculate Heart: The True Story of Fatima" by Fr. John deMarchi. In addition, the films "Apparitions at Fatima", directed by Daniel Costelle and sold by the International Secretariat of Fatima as well as the documentary "Fatima: A Message of Hope", viewable on Amazon Prime are also great resources to learn the truth about this important story!
Written by Valerio D'Annunzio, Barbara Nicolosi (whose original screenplay was reportedly butchered of most of it's Catholic material) and by Marco Pontecorvo, who also directs, "Fatima" stars Stephanie Gil as Lucia, who in the films prologue is visited by the Angel of Portugal, played by Ivone Fernandes-Jesus, while drawing on a cave wall. The Angel shows Lucia a vision of the ongoing World War including Lucia's own brother, Manuel, in battle. To quell Lucia's fears after seeing the vision, the Angel teaches Lucia a brief prayer: "I believe. I have hope. And I love God." The Angel departs instructing Lucia to pray for peace.
It is after this prologue that the film's proper begins as the framing device for the story of Fatima to be told is introduced, one almost alike to that used in 2000's "Padre Pio: Miracle Man". It is 1989 and the fictional Professor Nichols, played by Harvey Keitel, is on his way to visit Sr. Lucia, played as an adult by Sonia Braga, in order to interview her for a book he is writing. Just as the Inquisitor in "Padre Pio: Miracle Man", who comes to interrogate Padre Pio, Keitel's character is skeptical of the story he has heard associated with Sr. Lucia, believing in essence that visionaries are mentally ill. When Professor Nichols asks Sr. Lucia whether she has any regrets regarding her life, Sr. Lucia's answer that she hasn't done enough to please her mother, launches the central conflict of the film: how is Lucia to please her earthly mother, Maria Rosa and the heavenly mother, played by Joana Ribeiro.
From here, the film tells the story of Lucia's memories, of the appearances of Our Lady to Lucia and her cousins, Jacinta and Francisco, and how the apparitions affected them and their families hitting the familiar plot points. However, it is the films telling of the story, particularly its omissions from the official history of Fatima, as recorded in Sr. Lucia's memoirs and various books, as well as additions for the sake of artistic license that cause the film to suffer as a faithful adaption of this story and message. One of the changes involves Lucia's brother fighting in the Great War (historically Lucia's brother was not in the war, rather it was the older brother of Jacinta and Francisco who was), which results in Lucia and her mother, Maria Rosa, going to the town of Fatima on the 13th of every month (the children lived in the village of Aljustrel in Fatima's vicinity) to hear the names of the soldiers who are listed as missing-in-action or dead, praying that Manuel's name won't be among them. Another change is the lack of involvement of Jacinta and Francisco in the story overall. Though they are present at the interrogations and the apparitions most of the film focuses on Lucia and her family rather than on the relationship between the three children.
However, changes such as these pale in comparison to one of the major omissions of the film as well as the choices made in depicting the Mayor of Ourem who kidnaps the children and the change regarding the request of Our Lady of Fatima for penance. Amongst various omissions made regarding the message of Fatima and what the children were shown (Our Lady walks on the ground rather than standing on the tree, as reported by the children, the Angel of Portugal appears to Lucia alone and does not give her Holy Communion etc.) is the crucial omission of the mention of Russia and the spreading of its errors around the world, which Our Lady warned the children of during the third apparition on July 13th, 1917. The elimination of Russia and the evils of Communism from the third apparition (they do depict the vision of Hell and the vision of a Pope being assassinated) are especially damaging in light of recent world events that are driving the Western World toward socialism and forward to Communist ideology. This direction of the western world is caused by years of millennials being made ignorant about the crimes of communism due to lack of education on the history of the Communist era in schools, both High School and Universities. By eliminating mention of Russia and the spread of its errors, the film becomes part of the problem.
There are also two major changes made in translation of the story to this film that also result in problems for the film. One of these changes is in the depiction of the Mayor of Ourem. As told in Sr. Lucia's memoirs and previous versions of the Fatima story, the Mayor of Ourem, Artur de Olivera Santos, was an evil man who not only abducted the children, as depicted in the film, but also locked them in prison with real prisoners (in the film Lucia is placed in solitary confinement) and threatened them with death via boiling oil (this part of their suffering was allegedly removed as to not scare child viewers). Fatima however depicts the Mayor and his wife in a fashion similar to the depiction of Pontius Pilate and his wife, Claudia Procles in The Passion of the Christ. In addition, Artur Santos was a Freemason, an organization strongly condemned by the Catholic Church, but this is not made mention of. The film's failure to portray the suffering the children underwent as a result of the Mayor not only undermines their heroism but undercuts the real dramatic tension found in the stories official history.
A final change made in the translation of the official history of Fatima to this film which has severe effects on the story is the elimination and undercutting of the penances the children undertook freely in reparation for sins. Lucia writes in her memoirs of how she and her cousins would go days without water, whip themselves with nettles, and eat acorns rather than eat the lunches their mothers gave them, all to save sinners from hell. Lucia also writes of how the children would wear ropes around their waists as penance. In the film we do see Lucia, in an act of emotional desperation, tie a rope around her waist, however in a subsequent apparition, the film's Blessed Mother tells the children not to hurt themselves with ropes, which not only contradicts the official history but also results in the children being depicted as if they are self-mutilators. This change also downplays the sometimes-difficult spirituality of Fatima.
These omissions and changes, though serious and damaging to the film, do not result in the film having nothing positive to be said for it. The film does note numerous times the request of Our Lady to say the Rosary daily as well, as previously noted, including the vision of hell and even a depiction of Our Lady's immaculate heart pierced with thorns due the sins committed against it. The music, by Paolo Buonvino, who also scored 2000's "Padre Pio: Miracle Man", is great as well as the costumes and cinematography. The songs sung by Andrea Bocelli are also a great asset to the film's soundtrack. The acting in the film is fairly solid as well. Admittedly, the film is engaging and does work as a film on its own merits. However, as an adaption of the Fatima story to the screen, the film suffers severely.
In an era where well-made Catholic (or Christian) films are difficult to find (Both Pureflix and most Italian Saint films sold by Ignatius Press fail as these) Fatima succeeds as a well-made film. Unfortunately however, the omissions and artistic licence taken with the official story of Fatima result in an unfaithful adaption of an important story to the big screen. I would encourage anyone watching this film to seek out both the memoirs written by Sr. Lucia as well as the books "Our Lady of Fatima" by William Thomas Walsh and "The Immaculate Heart: The True Story of Fatima" by Fr. John deMarchi. In addition, the films "Apparitions at Fatima", directed by Daniel Costelle and sold by the International Secretariat of Fatima as well as the documentary "Fatima: A Message of Hope", viewable on Amazon Prime are also great resources to learn the truth about this important story!