“Centennial Fatima”
A Review of Fatima by Nick Olszyk
Streaming Service: Theatrical
Year: 2020
MPAA Rating, PG-13
USCCB Rating, NR
Reel Rating, Three Reels
There have already been several film
adaptations of the Fatima apparitions, the last being 2009’s The 13th Day – a bizarre, experimental version made by
devout Catholics that felt like it was filmed entirely in front of a green
screen. 2020’s Fatima is more traditional narrative
produced by Picturehouse, a secular distributer of independent films. This is a
bit of a double-edged sword. The film is more approachable for those with no
knowledge of Sister Lucia, Portugal, or the Third Secret but as a story is not well
executed.
The
film is framed as a contemporary interview between Sr. Lucia Santos (Sônia Braga),
now in her 80s, and skeptical journalist Porf. Nicols (Harvey Keitel). The
story occurs in a series of long flashbacks where Lucia recounts her experience
of the apparition as a young girl, performed by newcomer Stephanie Gil. I won’t
bore the CWR audience with the details the Fatima apparition, as its facts are
well known. Fatima hits all the major points: Mary appears each month,
word spreads, the authorities and Lucia’s mother don’t believe them, and
eventually it ends with the Miracle of the Sun. The narrative is straight
forward and not well embellished, and the “interview,” even though it was
spread throughout the entire film, only last a few minutes.
The
big advantage that Fatima has over its predecessors is the acting.
Nearly every performance is stellar. I was especially impressed with Joana Ribeiro’s
performance as Mary. She was stunningly beautiful but not in an alluring way.
She was firm in her instructions to the children but also gentle in her
encouragement. It’s the best portrayal of Mary I’ve seen since Passion of
the Christ. Also amazing was Lucia Moniz as Lucia’s mother. She doesn’t
believe her daughter’s visions, but it isn’t out of hatred of the faith but
genuine love. She wants her daughter to avoid offending God and keep her from
the potential harm of being a seer. The only actor American audiences will recognize
is Harvey Keitel, a regular for directors Martin Scorsese and Quintin Tarantino.
He does a fine job as a nonbeliever foil
to Lucia but has so little screen time that I doubt he was on set longer than a
day.
The
message that Mary brings to the children is peace, but what kind of peace? Yes,
there is mention of the rosary and even a brief vision of Hell, but there are
also noticeable omissions such as the call for Russia’s consecration. In Fatima,
Catholicism is the atmosphere for a miracle rather than the center. It happens
to Catholic girl regarding a Catholic saint, but the filmmakers are more
interested in creating a universal message of peace as absence of war
rather than trusting in the Lord. Faith is not simply believing in the
unseen but believing in God. The film ends with quote from Thomas Edison, of
all people, encouraging people to have faith, but faith in what? The Miracle of
the Sun did not occur to demonstrate the supernatural but to prove this
supernatural event was true, and mankind ought to do what Our Mother says.
I’m
harder on this film than it probably deserves because I’ve been immersed in Fatima
lore since I was a child. It gives a good introduction to someone who may be
unfamiliar with the topic but does not go beyond that. When Nichols is done
interviewing Lucia, he simply gets up and leaves. We do not find out about his
book, if he converted, or anything else. In the age of streaming, simply
advancing information without compelling reflection is not enough.
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