The first Golden Globe awards ceremony was held in 1944 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which is a group of journalists who cover Hollywood movies for magazines in Europe, Asia, Australia, and Latin America. As I write this, I am watching the 69th Golden Globe ceremony, celebrating the films that came out in 2011.
Back in 1944, the winner was a black and white movie with a simple (true) story about a girl from a poor family. The film was called The Song of Bernadette, about Saint Bernadette Soubirous, and Our Lady of Lourdes. Based on the novel by Franz Werfel, and starring Jennifer Jones and Bernadette.
Bernadette and her family live in Lourdes, France her father François is forced to take a job dumping contaminated sheets from the hospital, into the local dump. Bernadette, being the least brightest of all her sisters, suffers from health problems which prevent her from attending school on a regular basis.
One afternoon, Bernadette, her sister, and a school friend go on an errand to collect wood. Bernadette is left behind after she insists on wading through the cold water, which her family claims will make her sick again. On her own, she wanders into a cave, where she has her first vision of the Blessed Mary. This is to start a long dramatic uprising in the town, attracting believers and non-believers alike. The local government, and even Bernadette’s own family doesn’t believe her, that is until a spring appears outside of the cave, and people are being healed and cured from the water.
Bernadette befriends the Bishop, who believe she is lying, and making up these visions at first, but grows to see that Bernadette is indeed telling the truth. The Bishop persuades Bernadette to join the convent, believing that this is her true calling, and that she would be better off there then in the real world.
It is there where Bernadette dies of tuberculosis at a very young age. The result of this illness leaves her in great pain, but no one in the convent knew she was suffering, becasue she kept this to herself, even quietly scrubbing floors despite the pain.
Okay… now for my thoughts. As a recovering Catholic, and someone who grew up with the church in his life, I found this movie to be fascinating, and inspiring. The faith and humility that Bernadette had, was remarkable. Jennifer Jones’ portrayal of her was outstanding and powerful, and this portrayal would lead Jennifer Jones to recieve the Oscar, and Golden Globe for Best Actress.
The other great performer in this movie, is that of the always amazing Vincent Price, who portrayed the town prosecutor, a very evil and dispicable man, a character in which Vincent Price is used to playing.
Out of all the movies I’ve seen so far for best picture, I don’t believe there has been any that was so overwhelmingly religious, nor do I think that there will be again, the film was very much dripping with the church, however it did not come across as heavy handed. I believe that anyone, religious or not would enjoy this movie for the simple and inspiring story, and the wonderful performances.
I honestly don’t have much to say from a critical perspective, this was very much a surprising winner for the first Golden Globe. In contrast, the winner for the Academy Award’s Best Picture was Going My Way, a film that is much more whimsical and entertaining for entertainment’s sake.
