Xavier: Missionary & Saint

As a young man, Francis Xavier (1506-1552) led—as did St. Augustine—a rather loose life, before later falling under the influence of Ignatius Loyola and becoming one of the first members of the fledgling Society of Jesus. After initially serving in what was effectively a secretarial post in Europe, he was chosen for missionary work in India, an assignment that eventually took him to Japan as well. Xavier's success in these areas was decidedly mixed, but his policy of adaptation—conforming to native beliefs and practices in order to earn trust and respect—would initiate a heated controversy back in Europe that would have considerable effect on Rome's later missionary efforts. Narrated by Liam Neeson, Xavier: Missionary & Saint, produced by the Jesuits, is an earnest, handsome-looking effort, visiting key locales from Xavier's life (including Rome, Spain, Paris, and China) and making solid use of artwork, interviews with scholars and students, and modest dramatic recreations. At the same time, this film—commemorating the 500th anniversary of Xavier's birth—has a reverential tone that makes it seem more a work of hagiography than of history. DVD extras include a “making-of” featurette, and a brief interview with theologian Avery Cardinal Dulles, himself a Jesuit. Recommended, overall. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)