St Edith Stein Movie

[MarysLittleFlower]

Hello,

 

I recently watched the movie "Edith Stein: the Seventh Chamber" from Ignatius Press. I was wondering if anyone had seen it also :)

 

If you have, what were your thoughts on it?

 

I was thinking about how, near the end of the movie she was apologizing for hurting others, even though her decision to follow God into the cloister was a good decision. I'm not asking about the real St Edith Stein - but about her in the movie. Why do you think the film-makers included this, was it to show her humility? (I'm asking the question in VS cause it deals with her being in a religious order).

 

Also, related question, why did she take off her veil while saying all this to Heller? (I think that's his name)

 

I thought that it was a very powerful movie, I really liked the performance by Maia Morgenstern and it got me more interested in St Edith Stein - she was so courageous! I also liked how the movie included St Teresa of Avila's 7 Mansions.

Edited July 17, 2013 by MarysLittleFlower

[Chiquitunga]

I have only seen clips of it but I heard it was not very true to the real Edith Stein. There was a lot of artistic liberty taken in it. Still, I would like to see it at some point anyway. I think they chose a wonderful actress to play her! 

 

The one I have seen however, that I think was really good (although of course not without some mistakes) was this docu-drama dubbed in English (I believe German made) http://www.amazon.com/Edith-Stein-VHS-Vision-Video/dp/1557941874/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373953579&sr=8-1&keywords=edith+stein+vhs  It switches between scenes of a dramatic portrayal of her story and interviews with Carmelite nuns and others, I think even some who knew her.... I forget. It's been a while since I saw it.

 

It is out of print I believe.. EWTN used to sell it, but I do not see it in their online religious catalog anymore. They air it every now and then. I bought the VHS used from amazon. Very much worth it!

[ACS67]

I saw the movie.  I did not like it at all.  I bought the movie because I think Maia Morgenstern is a terrific actress having seen her in the Passion of the Christ.  But the movie was way too "avant-garde" and I hate "avant-garde".  I say this having spent over 20 years in theatre.  They depicted Edith naked in her cell (which did not even resemble a Carmelte cell), hovering in the corner, like she was in an insane asylum.  Bizarre. 

 

However, to be fair the director/producers did state from the outset that the movie was their interpretation of Edith Stein and was by no means a biography of her life.  In any case, I did not like it.

 

It is still available through Ignatius Press. 

[MarysLittleFlower]

I have only seen clips of it but I heard it was not very true to the real Edith Stein. There was a lot of artistic liberty taken in it. Still, I would like to see it at some point anyway. I think they chose a wonderful actress to play her! 

 

The one I have seen however, that I think was really good (although of course not without some mistakes) was this docu-drama dubbed in English (I believe German made) http://www.amazon.com/Edith-Stein-VHS-Vision-Video/dp/1557941874/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373953579&sr=8-1&keywords=edith+stein+vhs  It switches between scenes of a dramatic portrayal of her story and interviews with Carmelite nuns and others, I think even some who knew her.... I forget. It's been a while since I saw it.

 

It is out of print I believe.. EWTN used to sell it, but I do not see it in their online religious catalog anymore. They air it every now and then. I bought the VHS used from amazon. Very much worth it!

 

Thanks! Maybe it would be offered again in the future :)

 

I also think that Maia Morgenstern is a great actress, and that the movie did take some liberty with the life of St Edith Stein. Even though I don't know too much about her life, you can tell it's sort of a symbolic portrayal sometimes. I liked certain parts and wasn't too sure about others, to be honest. I liked how they showed her courage in telling her mother and family about her conversion and vocation.

I saw the movie.  I did not like it at all.  I bought the movie because I think Maia Morgenstern is a terrific actress having seen her in the Passion of the Christ.  But the movie was way too "avant-garde" and I hate "avant-garde".  I say this having spent over 20 years in theatre.  They depicted Edith naked in her cell (which did not even resemble a Carmelte cell), hovering in the corner, like she was in an insane asylum.  Bizarre. 

 

However, to be fair the director/producers did state from the outset that the movie was their interpretation of Edith Stein and was by no means a biography of her life.  In any case, I did not like it.

 

It is still available through Ignatius Press. 

I see what you mean about "avant-garde"... I also didn't really like the scene in the cell - I think it could have been the cell in the concentration camp though? I think the film makers probably tried to show the suffering that she went through - and sometimes this worked for me, and sometimes I didn't really understand it.

 

I just hope they didn't mean to criticize her vocation - I don't think so, but with all the movies today you never know... how this one is from Ignatius Press. So I assume that they were just trying to show her suffering or humility in those parts that I was confused about.

Edited July 17, 2013 by MarysLittleFlower

[ACS67]

No the scene I am talking about shows her after she entered Carmel.  She is naked in her cell, huddled in a corner as if she is questioning why she entered.  It was bizarre.  The scene in the concentration camp was the final scene.  I wish there had been more on this aspect of her life but there was literally nothing other than that last scene showing her putting her life in place of that little girl more or less. The little girl dropped her doll and Edith Stein crawled through the mud to retrieve it.  That scene was quite beautiful but the rest of the movie...just too overly piece-meal for me and almost 1920s silent movie type acting.  Very overly dramatic.  I don't know if that makes sense or not but I was disappointed that the movie did not utilize the talents of Maia Morgenstern more.  However, I read that it was that movie that inspired Mel Gibson to hire her to play Our Lady in the Passion of the Christ.  Mel actually duplicated the scene where she trips and has her ear to the ground listening.  The movie then cuts to another scene.  This was replicated in the Passion of the Christ when Mary places her ear to the ground to listen for Jesus after he had been captured and was chained below ground. 

 

No doubt some of the cinematography was fantastic in the movie The Seventh Chamber (and I actually quite like the title seeing that it is a take off of the Interior Castle) but the content was quite shallow I thought. 

[Chiquitunga]

However, I read that it was that movie that inspired Mel Gibson to hire her to play Our Lady in the Passion of the Christ.  Mel actually duplicated the scene where she trips and has her ear to the ground listening.  The movie then cuts to another scene.  This was replicated in the Passion of the Christ when Mary places her ear to the ground to listen for Jesus after he had been captured and was chained below ground. 

 

I read that somewhere too, very interesting.

 

I just hope they didn't mean to criticize her vocation - I don't think so, but with all the movies today you never know... how this one is from Ignatius Press. So I assume that they were just trying to show her suffering or humility in those parts that I was confused about.

 

Ignatius Press re-released it, but it was done by some Italian film company in 1996. I think you might be saying though, since it came from them/they decided to re-release it hopefully isn't that offensive to her. Probably that is true. But yeah, they just apparently took a lot of artistic license, as AC describes.

[Pia Jesu]

Hello MarysLittle Flower!  I know you are not asking about the "real" Edith Stein...but after the movie description,

it would be shameful (for me) not to recommend the following books:

 

Edith Stein:  The Untold Story of the Philospher and Mystic Who Lost Her Life in the Death Camps of Auschwitz.

by Waltraud Herbstrith (paperback costs $10.42 at Amazon...with free shipping).

 

Edith Stein:  St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.  by Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda (paperback costs $9.72 also available

through Amazon).

 

Then...I'd recommend her "Essential Writings" and "The Science of the Cross (Collected Works).

 

Her life story is incredible (though the philosophy background of Phenomenology can be a bit "heady"!) and much

better understood and appreciated than the symbolic dramatic abstractions of the film.

 

St. Edith Stein intercede for us!

[Gabriela]

I recommend "Vision", about the life of St. Hildegard of Bingen. It's on Netflix instant play. I thought it was good. Though it was "complex" (in its depiction of the characters, I mean). From what I understand, it is quite reverent and faithful to fact, but I don't know enough about the life of St. Hildegard to confirm that.

 

I also recommend "Into Great Silence", also on Netflix instant play. It's a real-life documentary about Carthusians. It might bore you to death after an hour or so, but stick with it. Just so you can say you did. ;-)

[MarysLittleFlower]

Oh I've seen Into Great Silence! It's a whole experience just watching that movie. :)

 

thanks for the recommendations! :)

[Gabriela]

Oh I've seen Into Great Silence! It's a whole experience just watching that movie. :)

 

Tell me about it. After an hour I kept constantly thinking, "Living this life has GOT to be way more interesting than simply watching it!"

 

:hehe2: