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Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
Molokai is the true story of a priest who followed and fulfilled God’s calling on his life… even to the point of death. A truly wonderful and inspiring film about a largely forgotten hero in Christian history, “Molokai” is largely an unsung classic that is truly challenging yet greatly rewarding.
The movie begins with the arrest of a young girl who has leprosy and her subsequent expulsion to the leper colony on the island of Molokai. Shortly after, young Father Damien volunteers to go to Molokai to take the message of Christ to a virtually lawless and inhumane society where young girls are used as sex slaves or forced into prostitution, and alcohol is used to drown out the pain of being cast away by society.
What follows is truly remarkable as Father Damien, filled with a Holy fire, sets about establishing a church and caring for those who are suffering. Some scenes that stand out include the following: In one scene Damien cuddles up to a young girl who is lying in “the shed,” a place where they take the dying, and whispers gently to her. Another scene stealer is the one where Damien kneels before a large crucifix and says “Lord, you ended your life at 33 and at 33 I begin mine.”
David Wenham (Lord of the Rings) plays Damien with such conviction and emotion that I was amazed when I discovered that this was his first film. The rest of the cast play their parts with equal passion including Kris Kristofferson as the Administrator of Molokai, Peter O’Toole as an Englishman who had been sent to Molokai years before and is now dying of leprosy, Derek Jacobi as a “practice not what you preach” priest, and Sam Neill as the Prime Minister of Hawaii, a role he plays as coldly as Damien Thorne in The Omen III.
“Molokai” is not a Christian film (meaning made by Christian film-makers) but it never shies away from the gospel message and holds Jesus in high regard, something not done often in Hollywood movies. The best part of “Molokai” was the fact that they played down the whole religion aspect instead focusing more on the Christian sacrifice aspect (do as Jesus did) part of the story.
I had never heard of Damien before watching this film but am inspired to find out more about this true follower of Jesus Christ, a man who was willing to give his all, including his life, for others.
Overall, this is a brilliant piece of independent film making and I am so glad that I got to see this movie. Very few movies ever make me think past the end credits and make me thankful for what I have but, as with the movies Life is Beautiful and Hotel Rwanda, this movie made me so thankful that I will probably never have to go through what these brave men and women had to. And I pray none of you reading this will ever have to either.
Christian St John
May, 2009