Into Great Silence (Two-Disc Set) | 
 enlarge | Director: Philip Graning
Actor: The Carthusian Order
Studio: Zeitgeist Films
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $17.59
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Avg. Customer Rating:  85 reviews
Sales Rank: 820
Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Ntsc, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Latin (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 2
Running Time: 162
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 1094
UPC: 795975109437
EAN: 0795975109437
ASIN: B000OYNVOY
Theatrical Release Date: 2005
Release Date: October 23, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
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Product Description
Nestled deep in the postcard-perfect French Alps, the Grande Chartreuse is considered one of the world s most ascetic monasteries. In 1984, German filmmaker Philip Groening wrote to the Carthusian order for permission to make a documentary about them. They said they would get back to him. Sixteen years later, they were ready. Groening, sans crew or artificial lighting, lived in the monks quarters for six months filming their daily prayers, tasks, rituals and rare outdoor excursions. This transcendent, closely observed film seeks to embody a monastery, rather than simply depict one it has no score, no voiceover and no archival footage. What remains is stunningly elemental: time, space and light. One of the most mesmerizing and poetic chronicles of spirituality ever created, INTO GREAT SILENCE dissolves the border between screen and audience with a total immersion into the hush of monastic life. More meditation than documentary, it s a rare, transformative experience for all.
DISC ONE, THE FILM:
Breathtaking 16:9 anamorphic transfer, created from Hi-Def elements
U.S. theatrical trailer
Optional English subtitles
DISC TWO, THE EXTRAS:
The Making of Into Great Silence : With behind-the-scenes footage,
location photos and handwritten notes from the monks
Additional scenes, including a segment on the preparation of the
Carthusian s world-famous Chartreuse liqueur
Night Mass
The Carthusian Order : An informative guide to the rules, architecture, and
daily schedules of the monks and the monasteries
Extensive photo, poster, and press kit galleries
And more!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 80 more reviews...
 Be patient with it and it will pull you in to greater peace October 6, 2008
Being a traditional Catholic, this film appealed to me. But at first when I was watching it I was restless and found it very slow. But when I had a moment to focus on it after the children went to bed, I continued watching it and found myself staying up late to finish it. They are mostly silent, so the film is VERY quiet, but it follows their lives. It makes you realize how everything we do is to the Glory of God, and you can see that these monks do EVERYTHING slowly, neatly and well done. All is done for Christ, they do not worry about anything, they do not fear anything. They just live their lives for Christ and that is it. You walk away from it peaceful and a bit more focused, and with a
realization of how fearful we are even when we didn't realize it. This is one that I will be watching again and again. It's like reading a spiritual book, you gain so much from reading it the first time, but you desire to go back to it again and again and pull more out of it.
If you watch it, STICK WITH IT, past thinking it's boring, past the tediousness of it, and I would venture to guess you will be really pulled into it as well and learn some wonderful things from these wonderful monks.
It's appropriate for the entire family, naturally, no issues as a parent that I could think of.
A Beautiful Film September 24, 2008
For anyone who has ever wondered what life is like inside the strictest of all Catholic religious orders, this film gives the ultimate insight. No other director could have done better with the limited resources at-hand.
For those of us who are accustomed to modern life, with all its noise and contact with other people, along with the flood of information and news we are bombarded with every waking minute, this film goes into the little-known world of men who have turned their backs on all of this and gone into cloister. Rather than working to pay bills, juggling a career and raising a family, these men devote their lives to serving God. Their life's purpose upon entering the monastic life of the Carthusian Order is to seek their own salvation and to pray for the salvation of the world. What higher calling could anyone aspire to and live with?
Although I am not Catholic, I did enjoy this film. Even without modern lighting, background music or dialogue (all the things we take for granted in films today) "Into Great Silence" is still a spell-binding movie to watch and admire the singular dedication of the Carthusians.
As far as who should see this film and who should not:
Shoulds: people interested in monastic life, either seeking to enter it or are studying it. I don't think you need to be Catholic to appreciate it.
Should Nots: people used to lots of noise in their movies. Lots of music, dialogue and special effects. The inclusion of these things - indeed, the overdoing of their additions - have become so much a part of modern films that storlines are left to suffer.
The only thing that I feel is missing is something of an explanation from the monks as to why they chose to join the Carthusian Order, the strictest monastic order in the Catholic Church. With all the order the Church has - Franciscans, Dominicans, Jesuits, etc - what led them to join the Carthusians?
I guess that is one part of life within the charterhouses we will never have access to, being the innermost thoughts of the monks themselves.
 Be still and know that I am God . . . August 21, 2008
At 2 hours and 42 minutes, this film attempts to capture the experience of spending a year in the Grande Chartreuse monastery in the mountains near Grenoble in France. In true cinema verite style, there is no voice-over narration or music, and there are long, long takes to capture the rhythm of daily life. Meditative and beautiful, this film will strike some viewers as painfully slow and often less than clear about what they are watching. If that is likely to be a problem, viewers should steer clear of this one.
However, if you are open to thought-provoking images and the opportunity to immerse oneself in the daily routines of a group of men who have chosen a totally different way of life - in particular to live in silence far away from this noisy world - then there's plenty to consider and ponder as a viewer takes the time that the subject warrants. Turn up the volume on your TV and just l-i-s-t-e-n, and you will begin to hear the awesome tranquility of the world that we drown out with our usual nonstop consumption of distractions.
 Zzzzzz ...hmmm? Did Someone Say Something? July 28, 2008
8 out of 13 found this review helpful
INTO GREAT SILENCE is more a sleep aid than a documentary. I think a more appropriate title would've been Into Great Boredom. Not for the men that chose to go to the Grand Chartreuse Monastery, but for how long, how slow, and how incredibly uninteresting this film was.
The only positives are some beautiful shots of the monastery with the French Alps as a backdrop, and how completely immersed the camera gets the viewer into the life of solitude and silence that these men purposely confine themselves.
But that's it.
Running well over two-and-a-half hours, the film could've easily been cut by half and still held the same level of immersion. Too many lingering shots on monks kneeling in prayer, monks praying in the dark (with the red candle of God ever-present), monks walking through hallways, monks sitting near windows, and just an otherwise tremendous amount of overly indulgent quiet (from the production standpoint). I know that the title has the word "silence" in it, and that these men take a vow as such when they enter the monastery, but I think a bit of interaction, explanation, or some sort of definitive purpose would've made the film much more enjoyable.
Before I get plowed asunder by those that enjoyed this film, let me make it clear that I understood the nature of it. The silence. The length of the film in order to show the dedication one must have to go into the monastery. The unquestioning loyalty you must have in "the divine spirit."
I get it.
It's just that it's not that interesting on film.
Silence - the sound of one hand clapping! July 27, 2008
This is an amazing adventure into the realm of silence. Can one hear or visualize Silence or dare to become Silence? These monks have made this happen and the artist/film/director has captured their living silence in the moments of everyday experience of the celebration of life.
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