Second viewing; first viewed on February 24, 1992.
English title: The Legend of the Holy Drinker
Based on the 1939 novella Die Legende vom heiligen Trinker, by Joseph Roth.
A bum meets a mysterious man who gives him 200 francs; he says he would like to pay the man back some day, and his benefactor tells him that, if he feels he has to, he should make a donation at the altar devoted to Thérèse de Lisieux. The bum then goes on to reencounter, by chance, several past acquaintances of his; he also makes some new ones. All this while, he tries to deliver the money he owes the saint.
I thought I should give this film a second chance, but it seemed even worse than on my previous viewing. It is incredibly slow-moving and not always clear about what it is trying to convey, either emotionally or intellectually. I can only speculate about a possible discrepancy of tone between the film and its literary source (I haven't read it). The main performance is amazing, though; I guess it justifies the movie, sort of.
Rating: 42 (down from 47)
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