Movie Review: Molokai - The Story of Father Damien (1999)

Molokai tells the true story of the Belgian Catholic missionary, Father Damien. As a young priest and missionary, Father Damien voluntarily agreed to go to the leper colony on Molokai and spend the rest of his life on the island caring for the forgotten victims of leprosy.

This film, directed by Paul Cox, recalls the priest's experiences in dealing with hundreds of patients who had effectively been left to die unaided. Before he arrived there was nothing in the way of law and order; the island was in a near state of anarchy, where the wealthiest and strongest got what little shelter there was. Father Damien had not only to fight against the terrible effects of leprosy but also the inaction and at times indifference of the civil and religious authorities.

However, with the meagre resources allocated to him, Father Damien was instrumental in improving the material conditions and well-being of the patients. After serving the leprosy patients for several years, Father Damien himself contracted the disease. Father Damien eventually died from leprosy, the disease that he had dedicated his life to fighting.

David Wenham plays the role of Father Damien. He gives a sympathetic if understated performance. At times he appears to be a model of forbearance, at other times his inner frustrations do come to the fore. These frustrations could have been magnified for dramatic effect, but you feel that Father Damien was fairly portrayed as a character of great dignity. There is a repeated emphasis on his Catholic zeal to save souls and win converts. Usually such an evangelical approach would hardly endear you to such a person, but with Father Damien his ideological beliefs seem of little importance compared to his self-sacrifice and devotion to the patients on the island.

More than anything, the film stands out for its beautiful photography of the island of Molakai. The film uses to great effect the contrast between the outstanding natural beauty of Molakai and the pitiful condition of the lepers. It provides a sharp reminder of the vagaries of life.

The film is genuinely inspiring without reaching the status of being a classic. Apart from Father Damien there is not much in the way of character development. In particular the lepers are given little more than cameos. It could be this was how it was for Father Damien, maybe he always felt a little bit of an outsider and wasn’t able to connect.

But whatever its faults Molokai is definitely worth seeing as a powerful reminder of man’s capacity for self sacrifice and willingness to do the right thing whatever the personal cost.

Article Author: Richard Pettinger

Richard is a keen cyclist and competes in UK time trials. He races for Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team. Richard's other interests include meditation and spirituality. He is a member of the Sri Chinmoy Meditation Centre and gives free meditation classes in …

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