The Song Of Bernadette (1943) (Blu-ray) (UK Import)

One of the rare Hollywood studio films to address spiritual belief and religious conviction in a serious and complex fashion, the beloved classic The Song of Bernadette made a star of its leading lady Jennifer Jones, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress, in addition to taking home a Golden Globe during those awards’ very first ceremony (the film also won Globes for Best Dramatic Film and Best Director). A moving portrait of faith, the film is one of the crowning achievements of director Henry King (Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing).

Based on the best-selling historical novel by Franz Werfel, the film chronicles the life of 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous, who began seeing visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France in 1858. When news of Bernadette’s vision first spreads through the town, there are those who decry her as mentally unsound, while others wholeheartedly believe – particularly when the spring that erupts near the grotto that housed the visitations contains water that seems to have miraculous healing properties.

Extras

1080p presentation on Blu-ray
LPCM audio (original mono presentation)
Watch film with Overture [6.52]
Optional English SDH subtitles
Audio Commentary by Edward Z. Epstein ( author of Portrait of Jennifer: A Biography of Jennifer Jones), John Burlingame (biographer of Alfred Newman), and biographer-historian Donald Spoto
Original Theatrical Trailer
Limited Edition collector s booklet featuring new writing by film journalist and writer Amy Simmons, alongside rare archival imagery

Rezensionen

"Groß angelegtes historisch-religiöses Drama nach dem gleichnamigen Roman von Franz Werfel. Bei allem Kinoraffinement bestechen die schlichte Gläubigkeit und die Dezenz der Darstellung. 'Oscars' erhielten Jennifer Jones als Hauptdarstellerin, die Kamera und die Musik." (Lexikon des Int. Films)