Faith, values, courage - Gods and Men is a strong, unusual movie

"Of Gods and Men" (the actual title is better translated as Of Men and Gods - why do they do that?) is a very unusual movie, quiet, slow paced (reminded me of some of the great Japanese movies, Ozu perhaps), serious, beautiful, maybe a bit long but interesting start to finish - about 8 monks in a remote monastery, seemingly in the Atlas Mountains in Algeria, though the film very carefully never names a country, ca. 1995?, as a fundamentalist Muslim terror group begins attacking foreigners. Threatened, the monks - most of them elderly - wrestle with the decision of whether to leave the monastery, to accept protection from the government universally believed to be corrupt, or to stand their ground and continue their life of self-sufficiency, prayer, and running a pathetically under-resourced health clinic for the small village, where they are much admired even loved. A lot of the movie involves the monks in debate with one another about these issues - but also some beautiful scenes of interaction with the villagers, including a terrific scene in which they're invited to some kind of religious induction ceremony, much like a first communion or bar mitzvah. The landscapes are painterly (especially the closing sequence of a walk through a mountain snowstorm), the monastery life perfectly conveyed in its order and simplicity - maybe too many Gregorian-type chants, but still - and the personalities of the monks, especially the leader, gradually emerge (though not all 8 become distinct) - and a few dramatic highlights, particular the encounters with the fundamentalist militants. Based on some true events, apparently - a movie about faith and values and courage. Jews, blacks, Americans - not the victims, for once!