The idea of the folly of converting to Catholicism natives of other cultures and backgrounds is the basis of this French film that presents a different view of the church's desire to spread the word of their religion around the world. In its arrogance, the white men, feeling superior to other races, took it upon himself to conquer innocent souls that lived happily in the only way they knew. Imposing a new code on the primitive islanders was a misguided attempt to bring shame into what they had known and taken for granted all their lives.
Father Vincent Fortune, a French priest, is asked the thankless task of going to a remote island in Polynesia to bring God to the natives. Although his intentions were good, the priest came to realize the foolishness of his mission. After all, the primitive inhabitants of the island where he landed, were content in their habitat. As much as he tried, he only was successful with one young man, Metahi, took his message to heart with horrible consequences. In the end Father Fortune realized how wrong he was all along.
Directed by Philippe Veneault, a man that has worked extensively on television, this film surprised by the points it raises as to how wrong the experiment has been when religion is forced into a race and a culture who had their own set of rules and lived their in their own carefree way within their own society. The film is based on a novel by Sylvia Warner Townsend titled "Mr. Fortune's Maggot", in which she rejected organized religion in general for what she perceived was wrong in attempting to force one's faith on people that did not ask for it.
Father Vincent Fortune, a French priest, is asked the thankless task of going to a remote island in Polynesia to bring God to the natives. Although his intentions were good, the priest came to realize the foolishness of his mission. After all, the primitive inhabitants of the island where he landed, were content in their habitat. As much as he tried, he only was successful with one young man, Metahi, took his message to heart with horrible consequences. In the end Father Fortune realized how wrong he was all along.
Directed by Philippe Veneault, a man that has worked extensively on television, this film surprised by the points it raises as to how wrong the experiment has been when religion is forced into a race and a culture who had their own set of rules and lived their in their own carefree way within their own society. The film is based on a novel by Sylvia Warner Townsend titled "Mr. Fortune's Maggot", in which she rejected organized religion in general for what she perceived was wrong in attempting to force one's faith on people that did not ask for it.
