What's this? A two-hour-and-forty-one-minute long documentary on an order of monks who have taken a vow of silence - a film almost completely devoid of speech and musical accompaniment and fully devoid of narration? How audacious a concept is that?! "Into Great Silence" focuses on some Carthusian monks who reside at the Grande Chartreuse Monastery tucked away in a remote corner of the soaring French Alps. With rare exceptions, all we hear for the duration of the movie are natural sounds (birds chirping, water dripping, leaves rustling, feet shuffling, brooks babbling), the tolling of bells, and the signing of Latin hymns. We watch as the monks go through their well-oiled rituals of meditation, prayer and daily chores. With the visuals having to carry so much of the weight of the film, I'm happy to report that the imagery is often quite stunning, resembling nothing less than beautifully composed landscapes and warmly-lit still-lifes brought to sudden life. And, at times, "Into Great Silence" serves as a welcome balm to our aching ears which seem to be under almost constant assault from the cacophony of the modern world.Yet, just how "great" you'll feel the silence is may depend on whether you view cloistering itself as the ultimate act of piety, devotion and self-denial, or as an act of cowardice and selfishness, giving a person permission to retreat from the harsh realities of life and to relinquish all personal responsibility for making the world a better place in which to live. It may take a special person to be both willing and able to shun so much of the pointless jabbering that consumes our lives on a daily basis, but there's still something to be said for being a part of the one species on the planet that is able to truly engage one another through our speech and words. That seems, somehow, too precious a gift to be traded in so cheaply for a trouble-free life."Into Great Silence" is certainly not for all audiences, and it does go on way too long, no doubt about that. Some viewers will find the movie refreshing and therapeutic, while others will be driven out of their skulls with boredom. To be honest, I had a little of both reactions while watching the film. Congratulate yourself on your enlightenment and superhuman patience if you find yourself thoroughly entranced by the experience, but there's no real reason to feel like a Philistine if you don't.

I believe the director's purpose in making this documentary was for a multiplicity of reasons. One in which was to reflect on the beauty and simplicity of an exceptional culture and in the process exalt the everyday. Another reason was to know that God is by stilling the soul with silence and pondering upon his words, as demonstrated in one of the explicit scriptures shown: "Allow the stillness to enter in and know that he is." The following evidence will support both efforts made by the director.Whereas most Hollywood or even some independent films make their aim at reaching a conclusion (often called a climax, or resolution), Into Great Silence is not concerned about reaching any destination. It is simply about process and duration. It is concerned with becoming an observer—one who simply watches like a fly on the wall all of the events, activities, and services made explicit in the lives of real people. These people are not actors—they do not live anywhere near the limelight. They are ordinary yet unique individuals that live extraordinary lives. The camera work helps reflect this extraordinary realism by persisting with long and sometimes tedious shots of the monks going about their daily activities. The lighting is rather significant too. There are no stage light set-ups—simply all-natural. This choice by the director not only helps eliminate the man-made constructs of artificial lighting, but invites the viewer to become further absorbed in God's light—the only natural light there is.The simplicity of each shot sometimes seems mundane, but then again, so is real life from time to time. There is a beautiful sequence captured of rain pouring into an open puddle outside that helps the viewer appreciate the simple yet profound beauties of the earth. An editing choice of minimal ellipsis portrays the time elapsed from season to season as well. This preference helped exalt the seasons we often take for granted and gave reason to why we ought to praise God for creating such amazing sights to behold.This idea leads to the next purpose of why the filmmaker undertook this project. The idea of God being found in the silence of nature is extremely important throughout the film. In fact, about 90% of it is silent. It begins with a renowned scripture found in the book of 1Kings, which reads something to the effect like, "And the earthquake rent the mountain in twain, but God was not in the earthquake. Then came the fires but God was not in the fire. And then came the winds but God was not in the wind. And after all this came a still small voice, even the Holy Ghost." The idea of the Holy Ghost (God's voice) being represented as a still small voice gives definition to what this film is all about. Whereas the world would demand an astonishing vision or mind-blowing miracle to be converted to God's existence, the monks realized that it is in the depths of silence and solitude that God's spirit is able to commune with an open mind. The world, as is, is ridiculously noisy and hustled. The monks desire to retreat from it demonstrates their willingness to search after and discover God, as illustrated in another scripture shown: "You shall seek me with all your heart and I will allow myself to be found." An interesting symbol used in the film that brings out the idea of finding God in silence is portrayed through the use of the red candle burning brightly in the darkness. This image repeats itself multiple times to teach the viewer of the importance of being a light/influence unto a world of darkness. I believed this was to show how the silence of one's presence can strangely attract the mind of a darkened sinner. It is not through lip service that a person will be converted unto God, but through the actions one takes by being who they are—as reflected through the silence and lives of these diligent monks.

Granted this is a interesting film with visually beautiful scenery of the monastery and surrounding french alps, but the lack of sound is almost deafening. This film directed towards either the devout or the extreme documentary attendee. I lasted 2 hours before I had seen enough. It's clear I'll never be a monk.Those of you considering this film, be prepared for long, again silent, takes where scenes of the monks praying or reflecting is common.I think the film would have been more successful with me had it been 110 minutes in length.On a self-conscious note: Never was eating popcorn or sipping from a water bottle louder.

I saw "Into Great Silence" the other day. I was frustrated, in no small measure by its length. (DVT is a worrisome byproduct.) OK, to the degree that the film provoked me to think and question and puzzle about my frustration and the silent life of these monks, it succeeded. But, I'm not convinced it's an important contribution to any deeper understanding of the solitude and great silence that is the life force of Grande Chartreuse. And that, I feel, is a failing.On reflection, solitude is what this "meditation" is attempting to get at. Yes, silence is key to solitude. But the title of the film misleads. And because there is no attempt to explain the Carthusian vocation/way of life, viewers are left to learn this on their own. In the end, the film short-changes viewers … and the monks. It's way too personal to have the impact that the filmmaker apparently intended. Understanding monastic life, especially early in the 21st century, would be a welcome antidote to the barrage of messages, sounds, and images that assault us daily. But this film misses the mark. So, I'm not ungrateful … just disappointed.