Films of Faith Collection

In the Films of Faith Collection, Warner collects three fine movies—also sold separately—with religious themes. The Miracle of Our Lady at Fatima (1952) thoughtfully dramatizes the account of three children who claimed in 1917 to have seen the Virgin Mary in their tiny Portuguese village. Intelligently written and acted with great sincerity by a largely unknown but talented cast, the film was hugely successful and garnered an Oscar nomination for Max Steiner's score. Equally sincere but somewhat more controversial was The Nun's Story (1959), which starred Audrey Hepburn as a troubled nun who eventually leaves the convent after serving with missionaries in the Belgian Congo. Nominated for a total of eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, the film is distinguished by director Fred Zinnemann's tasteful handling of provocative material and the inspired performances of Hepburn and supporting players Peter Finch, Edith Evans, Peggy Ashcroft, and Colleen Dewhurst. The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), a lavish adaptation of Morris West's bestseller, cast Anthony Quinn as a Russian-born Pope who steers the Vatican into a secret pact with Russia and China at the height of the Cold War. Not nearly as reverent as the previous two—but considerably more melodramatic—Michael Anderson's The Shoes of the Fisherman (also nominated for two Oscars) nonetheless warrants inclusion in this boxed set for its portrait of a pontiff whose faith is sorely challenged by secular concerns. DVD extras include a vintage featurette. Recommended. (E. Hulse)