Cinema surveillance images are loading at the bottom of the page

Molokai: the story of Father Damien

Threat advisory: Guarded - General risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

In 1872 Hawaii, the British and the Americans are growing in political clout. Protestants and Catholics compete for power. With a growing epidemic of leprosy, anybody showing the slightest sign that can be mistaken for the mysterious illness is considered a national threat.

To solve the endemic, sufferers are relentlessly exiled to Molokai, a lush island in the Hawaiian chain, and abandoned by the outside world. To alleviate the lepers' fate, Father Leonor Fousnel (Derek Jacobi), Prime Minister Gibson (Sam Neill), and Bishop Maigret (Leo McKern) decide to send spiritual aid to the island. Father Damien (David Wenham) is chosen as the first priest to go to Molokai.

Although instructed not to touch anybody, and asked only to stay on Molokai for a short time, Father Damien soon makes it his life mission to ease the suffering of the islanders. Unlike the island's Chief Administrator Meyer (Kris Kristofferson), he is not afraid to touch, and his closeness brings hope and a sense of self-respect. Even Williamson (Peter O'Toole), a Protestant medical worker now in the latter stages of the disease, foregoes his cynicism but does not live to see the success of Damien's work. Damien's repeated pleas for nuns and supplies are first ignored, but his tenacity gradually pays off, even if it is at the cost of his own health.

Molokai is a story of the triumph of the human spirit. In the same way as Mother Theresa and Gandhi, father Damien dealt with life and death one practical moment at a time and in so doing, conquered where there was no hope of conquest, inspired where there seemed to be nothing but despair. Though set at the turn of the century, his story speaks to our times and to all times when men lose their way in the face of the seemingly indomitable passions of greed, fear and selfishness.

Also starring Kate Ceberano as Princess Liliukalani, Aden Young as Doctor Kalewis, Tom Wilkinson as Brother Dutton, Alice Krige as Mother Marianne and Chris Haywood as Clayton Strawn. Featuring the residents of Kalaupapa. Written by John Briley from the book by Hilde Eynikel, directed by Paul Cox.

Cinematic intelligence sources

Awards and film festivals:

Cinematic Intelligence Agency Trenchcoat Awards 2003

Studios and distributors:

Fox Searchlight

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Another candidate for sainthood.

Why are so many saints martyred by the church that they were serving? Is religion so easily swept into evil hands that good can do nothing to prevent it? Perhaps it has something to do with the way that religions are always taking money from their supporters, especially the ones who are trying to buy their way into Heaven. The Catholic Church, for instance, is one of the richest institutions in the world (how much do you think those cathedrals are worth?) And is full of lechers, gluttons, the prideful and the hateful. Coincidence? You decide (cf. Joan of Arc).

Meanwhile, Father Damien is presented with great subtlety by David Wenham. He even has that Belgian waffle accent down to a T (cf. Everybody famous!). Everyone else plays a character role and they play them with ease. It's a fortunate production that can recruit name actors (as opposed to just names) for such small parts.

As a filmic record of one man's life, Molokai records the most important details with great precision, occasionally to its detriment. Good biographies are like life, they meander from place to place and person to person which is exactly the opposite of good films. Good films should follow a strong line from beginning to middle to end, although a rare few films can play against this structure and achieve the same result (See Memento). Molokai is trapped by retaining the lack of structure in most people's lives and ends up with a wandering looseness that makes it harder to watch.

Nonetheless, Molokai: the story of Father Damien is a classic case of one person running smack up against the system and shows that one person can make a difference. Some heads are stronger than brick walls.

Some interesting points:

Many of the original inhabitants of Molokai still live there even though they have been cured of leprosy and played lepers in the film.
Father Damien's body was exhumed in 1936 and taken to Antwerp.
Father Damien was declared Venerable by Pope Paul VI in 1977 and beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1995.