‘The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima’ still inspires

By John Soltes

There have been many great Christian movies throughout years. From the epic (The Ten Commandments) to the powerful (The Passion of the Christ) to the creative (The Prince of Egypt), Christianity has afforded cinema a great genre for touching tales about saints and sinners.

One often overlooked masterpiece is The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima, a 1952 film chronicling the amazing visions of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children in rural Portugal. The film serves as both an interesting cinematic portrait, with lush scenery and fine acting, and an inspiring message film about peace on earth and the intricacies of faith.

Susan Whitney plays Lúcia, a young girl who enjoys the pastoral setting of Fatima with her two cousins, Jacinta (Sherry Jackson) and Francisco (Sammy Ogg). One day, the three find themselves playing on Lúcia’s father’s plot of land when a vision of a lady in the clouds appears in the sky. They are immediately taken aback and begin to wonder whether the vision is that of the Blessed Mother.

When word spreads around town (and eventually all of Portugal), pilgrims begin heading to Fatima to see the children and possibly catch a sight of a similar vision.

Amid this religious fervor is a harsh political landscape where the Portuguese government cracks down on Catholics. The unbelievable story of these children is met with great concern and opposition from the authorities. At one point, they are even jailed for their supposed blasphemy. But despite the difficulties, the three children continue to speak the words of the Blessed Mother.

The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima is an accessible movie to learn about the great story of the three shepherd children. It certainly takes liberties with its historical footnotes, and there is a tad too much melodrama worked into the dialogue, but, for the most part, the movie stands the test of time (the ultimate test is that it still inspires the faithful).

Director John Brahm stages several impressive shots throughout the story, including one portrait of thousands of pilgrims on a hillside, awaiting the next vision of the Virgin Mary. It’s a curiosity why he didn’t stick with more film projects throughout his career. The filmmaker moved on to direct many episodes of The Twilight Zone and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., but never returned to this epic style of storytelling.

One of my favorite roles in the movie is Gilbert Roland’s portrayal of Hugo da Silva. He serves as a vagabond commentator of sorts, always popping up in scenes to usher the story along and help the children with their predicament. Roland also supplies the movie with some much-needed comic relief.

The actual vision in the sky is staged respectfully and with great care. The Blessed Mother’s appearance is not overly dramatized or a special-effects wonder. It’s simply an occurence, albeit one with paramount consequences.

During these days of Lent and Easter, The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima would be a superb addition to any film lovers collection (whether you’re Christian or not).

The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima

1952

Directed by John Brahm

Starring Gilbert Roland, Angela Clarke, Susan Whitney and Frank Silvera

Running time: 102 minutes

Bubble score: 3.5 out of 4

Click here to purchase The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima on DVD.