BLACK ROBE

REVIEWED BY SHANNON H.

Our rating: 2 out of 5

Because of: sexual content, nudity

Rated:

In every school in the United States, almost every student is taught some history about how Europeans came into contact with the Native Americans that lived in the Americas. In college universities, the subject matter is more in depth: students study certain aspects of the relations between the Europeans and the Native Americans, especially the French experience in the Northeast United States (and parts of Canada).

Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer, strikes a deal with the Jesuits working in the area of the Northern U.S. and Canada. One of them must go on an evangelizing mission to the Huron Indians in Canada, 1,500 miles away. They select Father Laforgue, a young Jesuit who is fluent in the Algonquin Indian language. An assistant to Laforgue, is Daniel, a young man who wishes to serve God by witnessing to the natives and hopefully, be ordained as a Jesuit priest afterward.  Champlain then hires a band of Algonquin Indians (who refer to Laforgue as "Black Robe" because of the black robe he wears) to escort Daniel and Laforgue to the Huron mission in Canada, a journey that could lead well into the harsh, forest winter. Still, Laforgue is not discouraged so he and his entourage head up the mountains, following the St. Lawrence River into Canada. 

Immediately, Laforgue realizes how different the natives are (to him). They worship in a different faith, wear body paint, and even make love in a different way. He tries to witness to the Indians but they laugh at his efforts and mock his faith. Laforgue's friend Daniel questions his own faith and says that the Indians are "real Christians" because they care for one another and they love one another. Daniel even has an affair with Annuka, the daughter of the Algonquin chief, Chomina.  Chomina chastises his daughter for lusting after a "stupid Frenchman." Laforgue chastises Daniel for being accepting of their belief systems and for sleeping with the chief's daughter. Along their journey, the Algonquins meet and trade with a local tribe whose "vertically-challenged" chief declares that Laforgue is a "demon" (the guy is no taller than four feet). Eventually, Laforgue, Daniel, Annuka, and Chomina are captured by a neighboring war-like Indian tribe where they are tortured and mocked by its inhabitants. Still, Laforgue manages to make it to the Huron mission, hoping not to become their next "victim."

The film is rated R for good reasons: violence, sensuality, and nudity. The violence is moderate in nature and doesn't permeate the film but it is disturbing. An Indian kills a woman by shooting an arrow into her neck. Natives are seen fighting each other with somewhat gory results.  A Jesuit's finger is nearly sliced off by a tribal chief. Native tribesmen cruelly beat men that they have captured. An Indian heartlessly kills an innocent child by slitting her throat. Daniel is seen having sex with Annuka in the woods (they are clothed except for their rear ends). Two Algonquin Indians are seen having sex through sodomy (nothing is seen except for a glimpse of a woman's breast and yes, it's between a man and a woman). A young Indian woman seduces a native guard in order to set her and the other captives free. In order to do this, she shows the guard her breasts. Annuka and Daniel are seen making out on one occasion. Father Laforgue tries to relieve himself from a moving canoe (revealing his bare behind). A group of hostile Indians strip their male captives in order to humiliate them (only their bare backsides are visible). A Frenchman makes an off-color sexual joke.

Black Robe does have some Christian content, but very little. It seems as if the filmmakers portrayed both the Christian faith and the Native American spirituality as both having equal value. This is not true. While it is interesting and significant to the culture of Native Americans, their spirituality (animism - belief in animalistic spirits) does not guarantee Heaven as Father Laforgue explains. Laforgue's evangelism techniques are rarely used today. He constantly annoys the Algonquins by trying to witness to them. The thing to do when someone doesn't accept the Gospel when it is presented is to move on (and pray) because some people are tougher than others. Plus, no one comes through Christ by force, however, there were no forceful conversions seen in the movie. Still, an Indian tribe approaches Father Laforgue and the chief ASKS the Jesuit to baptize his entire tribe because he felt that the values of monogamy (in certain tribes, a man could have more than one wife), loving one's enemies, and not resorting to violence were more important than going to war with another native clan. The chief also wanted to know more about the "Jesus" that the previous Jesuits had mentioned. 

I liked the film to a certain extent. The sexual scenes really turned me off as well as the violence. If some of the offensive content were removed, the movie would've easily been a PG13. Some of the fight scenes were quite amateurish and the acting could've been better. It isn't Oscar worthy but historically accurate to a certain extent. For a better (but less historically realistic) film, rent The Mission with Jeremy Irons and Robert DeNiro.

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