Molokai: The Story of Father Damien poster & wallpaper

David Wenham, Derek Jacobi, Kate Ceberano

This biography of Father Damien, the Catholic priest who in 1873 volunteered for service on the eponymous Hawaiian leper colony, doesn't hesitate to idolize its subject, and why should it? For 15 year...( read more  read more... )s Damien ministered almost single-handedly to the quarantined community, supplying what medication he could procure while struggling against the red tape from organizations (religious and governmental) that would rather have forgotten all about the hundreds of people slowly dying in primitive conditions. He won some battles and lost others, finally succumbing to the disease himself in 1888. The film can't overcome the inherent weaknesses of projects such as this: high officials given to improbable speeches recapping the relevant historical events for us, a certain formlessness generated by skipping through the years and only hitting the high points, stock bureaucratic villains whose motives are never fairly explored. On the other hand, screenwriter John Briley has an Oscar on his shelf for Gandhi, so he knows how to string the lessons together and make them go down smoothly.

The earnestness of the project no doubt led to the who's-who supporting cast (Sam Neill, Derek Jacobi, Peter O'Toole, Leo McKern) (oh yes, and Kris Kristofferson), but it is David Wenham who must carry the film as Damien, which he does well enough--not spectacularly but with a touching humility not above a tetchy self-righteousness. Director Paul Cox was an inspired choice, however, bringing to the project his patient fascination with emotions at their most subtle and restrained; as a result, Molokai's low-key sense of conflict, often a fatal flaw in similar movies, becomes the film's saving grace, a manifestation of its subject's quiet, persistent faith. --Bruce Reid

Flixster Users

75% liked it

884 ratings

PG, 112 min.

Directed by: Paul Cox

Release Date: June 1, 1999

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: September 26, 2000

Stats: 43 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites
report incorrect info

Photos

None yet... Got one?

Your Rating


clear rating
Share on: Facebook Twitter

Flixster Reviews (43)

  • smith44
    November 8, 2008
    smith44
    Deeply disturbing, depressing and yet full of beauty and redemption. After watching Molokai I need to watch Clueless.
  • habitualdamnation
    January 17, 2008
    habitualdamnation
    No, this isn't a prequel to Omen, if you're fixated on the name Father Damien like I was. What a good surprise to have found this in a 4-in-1 DVD for a quid! Simple, gentle and very well contained. Leper stories always seem to make a certain standard. Recommended for famil...( read more)y viewin and also for a lazy afternoon watch.
  • mijmark
    July 1, 2007
    mijmark
    He's got a beard and takes up a pipe. What more do you want in a movie?
  • iwalani28
    May 21, 2007
    iwalani28
    i have not seen this movie but i have heard people talking about it its a true story
  • brianpark08
    December 10, 2006
    brianpark08
    Extremely boring. Do not bother watching, absolute waste of time.
  • jis87
    November 4, 2006
    jis87
    Nice movie about the life & death of the amazing chosen 'Greatest Belgian'!

View All Molokai: The Story of Father Damien Reviews

Critic Reviews

No recent reviews.

Comments

This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "Molokai: The Story of Father Damien" !

Post A Comment | View All Comments

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.

Official Trailer

View Larger Molokai: The Story of Father Damien Trailer

Cast

More Like This

This list looks lonely.
Add a suggestion!

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Molokai: The Stor... : Watch Free on TV

Molokai: The Story of Father Damien Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Molokai: The Story of Father Damien. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Molokai: The Story of Father Damien to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?