Lilies of the Field (1963 film)

  • Sidney Poitier: Homer Smith
  • Lilia Skala: Mother Superior Maria
  • Lisa Mann: Sister Gertrude
  • Isa Crino: Sister Agnes
  • Francesca Jarvis: Sister Albertine
  • Pamela Branch: Sister Elizabeth
  • Dan Frazer: Father Murphy

Lilies of the Field (Original Title: Lilies of the Field) is a film by American director Ralph Nelson 's 1963 The comedy was produced with Sidney Poitier by the movie studio Rainbow Productions Inc.. . It is based on the novel by William E. Barrett.

Action

The U.S., in 1962: Homer Smith, a charming black casual workers, travels with his car through Arizona. One day he stops asking for cooling water on a small farm. Homer where it meets five nuns who fled from East Germany a few months ago to now to create a new life in Arizona.

Mother Superior Maria sees him as the man to whom she has asked God and instructed him to repair the roof. The next day he wants to continue, but the Mother Superior does not give him his wages, causing him once again to stay. On Sunday, they take the car to the service, which takes place in the Arizona desert on a campsite. Smith is a staunch Baptist and therefore is not to worship but to the store " Juan's Trading Post ". There he ordered fully cravings at the owner Juan, after more than pitiful meal with the nuns, a full breakfast with eggs, beans, and countless extras.

Mother Superior Maria suggests to him to build a chapel, but Smith refuses. The next day he leaves the nuns to have received any money. Smith takes the Mother Superior up to the next bigger town. There he sees a bulldozer that arouses his interest. He meets Mr. Ashton, the owner of the construction company and receives from him the offer to work two days a week with him. After some hesitation, he accepted the offer and decides also to build the chapel.

Smith slowly accustomed to his new daily routine. At noon, he builds on the foundations of the chapel and evening helps Smith, and Schmidt, as he is called the nuns them in English classes. The construction is slow because the nuns have virtually no money and it is therefore a lack of building materials. One day there will be a conflict between the superior and Mary Smith. " They act like a megalomaniac dictator ," Smith says to Mother Superior.

Homer Smith runs on the same day still continues. Mother Superior Maria shows over the nuns no insight into her imperious demeanor against Smith. A few weeks go by and the site is still. On the way back from the church, the nuns now have to walk again, they come against Smith with his car and brings it the rest of the way home.

Smith has changed her mind and wants to build the chapel to an end. The people in the area feel so inspired that they voluntarily bring him the necessary building materials passing through his return. After a few days also appear in a number of Mexican-born neighbors and help without being asked. This, however, like Smith did not because he wanted to build the chapel alone.

Smith lays down on a tree trunk and watches when working. As the Mother Superior Maria finds that the construction goes wrong more and more, she tries to clarify the situation. The Mexican workers do not understand their language and are about to throw the work. After some hesitation, and the skillful intervention of the assisting shopkeeper Juan he takes over the management of the work.

The night before the completion of the impressive become Kapellenbaues succeeds Smith, the only God to thank committed sentient Superior elicit a grudging "thank you". He waits neither the announced place of honor at the opening service, and certainly not the planned construction of a school and to a hospital from, but leaves during the singing of the common American gospel Amen the room, packed up his things and drives away.

Genesis

The film's title was from the New Testament ( Matthew, 6:28 ) were removed and the Bible says as follows: "And why do you worry about clothes the lilies of the field, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin. " The film was shot over 14 days in Tucson, Arizona.

The composer Jester Hairston wrote the song for the film Amen. This song is sung by Sidney Poitier. At the end of the film the word " Amen " appears. Normally, a film of the Golden Age of Hollywood ended with the words "The End".

In June 1963, the film was presented at the International Film Festival for the first time the audience. On 1 October 1963, the film was released in the U.S. cinemas. As a lender acted the film studio United Artists. The film had a budget of $ 250,000. Within a few months the film could import $ 3 million in the USA. Sidney Poitier won a Golden Globe Award, the Silver Bear and an Oscar for best actor. Thus he was the first African American to win the Oscar in this category.

Awards

The film was nominated in 1964 in six categories for the Oscar. Sidney Poitier became the first black actor Oscar as best actor.

In the following categories, the film was nominated for an Oscar:

Furthermore, the film still won the following awards:

The Film Review Board Wiesbaden gave the production the predicate particularly valuable.

Reviews

  • "This comedy from director Ralph Nelson ( ... ) lives mainly by the brilliant play of the leading actor Sidney Poitier. " - Prisma ( online movie database )
  • " Joyous comedy which, although recorded their religious subject matter only on the surface, but can be felt thanks to the good protagonist tolerance and openness to fellow human beings problems. " - Lexicon of international film
  • " A silent film of light-hearted gaiety (...). " ( Rating: 2 ½ out of 4 stars = above average ) - Adolf Meier Heinzl and Berndt Schulz: Encyclopedia " Movies on TV "
1963 in film William Edmund Barrett Film score 36th Academy Awards Writers Guild of America
512930
de