Popular reviews

• 

  Review by Rafael "Parker!!" Jovine ★★★½ 5

  Starring: The Wicked, Charming, Dutch Icon Rutger Hauer

  In this film, helmed by Emmanno Olmi (who also directed "Il Posto"), Rutger Hauer shows his more sympathetic and vulnerable side. Olmi's interest in the humanistic and reflective is on full display in this narrative of a homeless man who encounters a man who offers him 200 francs on the condition that he repay it to a local church when he can afford it. This, however, proves to be a difficult task, as he repeatedly sees his self wasting the money and then having to work to regain it before the story's touching ending.

  In the same vein as his countryman Giuseppe Tornatore, Olmi successfully translates the spirit of neorealism into "more…

• 

  Review by SkaneNoise ★★★★ 7

  I love stories that start off with an overt fable. It turns me on in the best ways. 

  This is a lyrical movie, and it never ever wants to be anything else. A movie you’re either going to let wash over you or one you’ll drown in from the boredom. 

  I was swept away. Hauer was amazing, this may be my favorite performance by him. The use of music (and allowing a scene to continue until a piece of music ends is something I’ll never kick a movie out of bed for) is damn near perfect.

  The version I saw did not have subtitles for anyone speaking French, I think that’s okay, I think I got it. 

  PS (Just something I noticed and wanted to say) - The bar used throughout this film looked just like the bar in Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds where Shosanna runs into Zoller while she reads and smokes.

• 

  Review by ♠ Benja ♠ ★★★★½

  Few films have embraced the atmospheric absence of sound and depicted the torment that brings alcoholism as well as "The Legend of the Holy Drinker", a contemplative morality tale with a poignant Rutger Hauer in what might be his finest performance. Amazing film.

• 

  Review by {Todd} ★★★½

  "It's God that's set you in my path I'm sure of it" - Old Man,

  - Film Club Ranked: boxd.it/3M2sq

  He sure did drink a lot.... well I guess it's to be expected.

  There is a fine line between a dull and meandering snooze-fest and a beautiful and reflective fable but I think The Legend of the Holy Drinker is just barely the latter. While occasionally bored, I mostly enjoyed Rutger Hauer's charming performance, the whimsical score, and the series of events that make it hard to pay off one's debts. The cinematography really stands out and makes me want to check out more of Olmi's stuff so let me know what I should check out next (this is my first).

  I liked it.

• 

  Review by Bruno Andrade ★★★★ 3

  A impressão que se tem com os últimos cinco anos de vida da indústria cinematográfica italiana (1984-1989) é que Deus, já prevendo o fim desse cinema, permitiu que os grandes cineastas, num último sobressalto de energia, pudessem produzir os últimos grandes espécimes daquilo que fez a glória e a graça do cinema popular italiano: o último grande épico (C'era una volta in America), o último grande melodrama (Cuore), o último grande Fellini (Ginger e Fred), o último grande filme fantástico (Opera), o último grande filme de aventura (Iguana), a última grande jornada espiritual humanista (La leggenda del santo bevitore), a última grande commedia all'italiana (Palombella rossa)...

  Rutger Hauer, que era para ter tido toda uma carreira paralela na indústria cinematográfica italiana se esta não tivesse acabado tão cedo, 1944-2019

• 

  Review by Krommedijk ★★★★ 5

  La leggenda del santo bevitore is an Italian film, directed by Ermanno Olmi. The protagonist in this film suffers from chronic alcoholism: Andreas Kartak (Rutger Hauer in a wonderful part) is impoverished and homeless. He sleeps under the bridges of the Paris of 1934. One day, a stranger gives Andreas the sum of 200 French francs, and explains to him that he has a debt he owes to the Holy St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Andreas promises to repay the money when he is able to and give it to a nearby church. Unfortunately each Sunday something else happens, from pleasant distractions to painful memories from his past. Even though the 200 francs lead to more and more money coming his…

• 

  Review by rischka

  RIP rutger. you were too pretty for the streets

• 

  Review by RAFIF ★★★★★

  this is kapupnema

  Do you believe with miracle?

  The Legend of the Holy Drinker is the ethereal dance of light and shadow paints a Melody of the human soul. With Rutger Hauer as our guide, we traverse the cobbled streets of Paris, where the city itself breathes with the rhythm of life's paradoxes. Ermanno Olmi, a maestro of visual storytelling, conjures a dreamscape that transcends the mundane, blurring the boundaries between reality and reverie. Each frame is a brushstroke on the canvas of existence, capturing the poignant essence of Joseph Roth narrative. The cityscape becomes a living, breathing entity, an intricate backdrop for the unfolding odyssey of a man named Andreas.

  As Hauer enigmatic portrayal of Andreas unfolds, we are…

• 

  Review by ItsLV ★★★★★

  European arthouse in the form of a deeply spiritual journey through the human condition ft. Rutger Hauer's finest performance.

  What feels like one last chance to reflect, repent and find some form of absolution. A hazy dream where one slowly remembers and feels that sense of purpose in this life again; Where the path to peace within ourselves and with the people in our lives is found. A chance to experience and spread love and compassion to keep humanity's head above water...

  Look forward to re-watching.

• 

  Review by Chad Hartigan

  Compelling evidence that Rutger Hauer had one of the greatest faces in the history of movies. At times slightly difficult to get into the rhythm of it at home on a laptop but I would jump at the chance to see it again on the big screen. All around elegant scene work, stunningly shot by Dante Spinotti.

• 

  Review by Wes Edwards ★★½ 2

  There’s a movie playing; there’s a concert going on. One has nothing to do with the other.

  That’s the weird experience of watching this movie: You can focus on the sound or the images, but there is no integrating the two. They are so tonally at odds in most scenes that one seems to compete with the other.

  And in many scenes the music wins, since there is so little incident onscreen to draw interest and engagement.

  Frustrating movie. There is a story in here that could have been interesting and the visuals are really strong. In fact, a lot of the shots are quite beautiful, with resonant colors and textures. Yet the problem in matching music, editing and the…

• 

  Review by 👹 Lee, or El Duderino, if, you're not into the whole brevity thing ★★★★ 3

  "Conceda Dio a tutti noi, a noi bevitori, una morte così lieve e bella!"

  Rutger Hauer in what is possibly his most underrated and subdued role—trust me I would know, over the past 2-3 months I've seen over 20 of his films—as a alcoholic gentleman tramp living under a bridge on the river Seine. A Venice Film Festival Golden Lion winner, Ermanno Olmi's The Legend of the Holy Drinker (a bit far-fetched to say) felt at times like an existential philosopher's Uncut Gems [read: a Tobi & Gavin film]. Where a man presented with myriads of ways out, just keeps digging a deeper and deeper hole, prolonging his debt. Obviously not as chaotic, more so a pensive film that rides out…