Vision: From the Life of Hildegard von Bingen
This German import is a beautifully filmed and performed epic of the soul. It follows the life of 12th Century nun Hildegard von Bingen (played with dramatic strength and wisdom by Barbara Sukowa) as she is taken to a German cloister at a young age and eventually becomes a magistra there. Along the way, she begins to have visions sent by God. At least that’s what she thinks, although she has many doubters. Her visions are not the most interesting part of the film, however. Like any good story, it’s more the human drama at the film’s heart: the sisterly tensions between Hildegard and Little Jutta (Lena Stolze), whose jealousy over Hildegard being favored by the previous magistra has simmered since their childhood; the political dramas with which Hildegard is forced to struggle when her beliefs are contrary to those of the cloister’s Abbot Kuno (Alexander Held); and finally, Hildegard’s affectionate mentoring of an overjoyed young woman (Richardis, played by the luminous Hannah Herzsprung), who at first seems unsuited to the life but learns her lessons well. The film is primarily a visual and aural pleasure to take in (one hopes for Oscar’s consideration for the film’s cinematography, art direction, and costumes), but the story (though sometimes told haltingly by writer/director Margarethe von Trotta) draws you in with intelligence and emotion.
