Restless Heart: The Confessions of Augustine

“Restless Heart: The Confessions of Augustine” is a full length motion picture which was released on November 15, 2013 that depicts the life of St. Augustine, namely his quest for Truth. It stars Italian actors Alessandro Preziosi, Monica Guerritore, Johannes Brandrup, Serena Rossi, Andrea Giordana, Sebastian Strobel, Katie Louise Saunders, Alexander Held, and Franco Nero. Moreover, being directed by Canadian director Christian Duguay, it was beautifully shot on location in both Europe and North Africa.

Characters

 

Augustine (Alessandro Preziosi) is an ambitious youth for education & learning who soon becomes a popular lawyer through the schooling of Macrobius. Later, being offered the position of court orator for the Emperor, his talent in speech is then put to the greatest challenge yet: combating the voice of Bishop Ambrose amidst struggling with both his family and his quest for truth. Eventually he is won over by the influence of the Bishop who had made to him an incredibly bold statement: “Man doesn’t find the truth. Man must let the truth find him.” Soon afterwards he is baptized and commissioned by Ambrose to now use his talents for the glory of God. Once a priest & bishop, he begins his new quest of defending the Truth along with shepherding the flock of Christ, most especially concerning the Vandals siege of Hippo while having grown old (Franco Nero).

Monica (Monica Guerritore) is the devout Christian mother of Augustine who tries so hard to get him to grow up while at the same time having to deal with her unfaithful & greedy husband whom she eventually wins over to Christianity. Though she sobers for him and his wasted life, she nevertheless gives up on him. Finally, to her appeasement, she lives to see her son baptized a Catholic Christian and in the end reassures him to not be afraid.

Valerius [Johannes Brandrup (on right)] is Augustine’s landlord in Carthage and master of his concubine servant Khalida. As time goes on he and Augustine began to trust one another and become friendly partners in attaining the highest position of court. Having acquired it for Augustine, his confidence for valor increases all the more until being dismissed by the Empress after Augustine’s conversion to Christianity. Having lost this chance for valor he is eventually appointed governor of Hippo (Alexander Held) where his obsession of valor is confronted with the siege of the Vandals.

 Khalida (Serena Rossi) is a servant of mistress of Valerius who has been assigned to Augustine. She ends up falling in love with him to where she bears him a son, Adeotus. Though they cannot marry due to social status, her loyalty in her relationship compels her to follow Augustine wherever he goes, much to his satisfaction of his shared feelings for her. However, her relationship with him becomes troubling as Augustine is offered the hand in marriage to an official’s daughter. Not wanting to be in the way of his probable status in the future, she then leaves him and returns to Africa while indicating a promise to be celibate for the rest of her life.

Bishop Ambrose (Andrea Giordana) is the Catholic Bishop of Milan and the number one enemy of the Empress Justina and her son who are Arian heretics. Bishop Ambrose is a powerful speaker in Milan which arouses the interest of his opponent, Augustine. He holds firm his Faith and trust in God while trying to help Augustine recognize his errors. Eventually his influence prevails and he baptizes Augustine. Yet, before leaving him, Bishop Ambrose gives him a bottle of ink telling him to use it all for what God has commissioned him to do.

 Lucilla [Katie Louise Saunders (on right)] is the niece of Bishop Augustine. She resides in Hippo with her uncle and does what she can to help him. She is anxious over the fate of Hippo and its citizens, namely the wounded in combat. Moreover, she is continually approached by the Roman centurion Fabius whom she falls in love with and later marries. Yet despite her love & anxiety she is unable to convince her uncle to leave Hippo.

 Fabius (Sebastian Strobel) is a Roman centurion who bears resentment toward Bishop Augustine in having been responsible for the death of his father. Despite his resentment, he cares for the lives of his men to where he seeks medical help in Hippo. Here he meets Lucilla, Augustine’s niece, whom he grows to like. While being ordered by Governor Valerius to attack the Vandals he is taken prisoner along with a number of others. After having been freed by a negotiation plea from Bishop Augustine, he returns to Hippo expressing his gratitude and forgiveness toward the Bishop whom he once hated. After be-wedding Lucilla, they board a papal ship leaving Hippo.

   

Story

In 430 A.D., Hippo is surrounded by the Vandals on the threat of siege at any moment. Bishop Augustine is in contemplation until he is interrupted by his niece, Lucilla who expresses concern. Meanwhile, panic has already emerged among the citizens much to the dismay of Augustine who attempts to reassure them of hope. Soon after, a small batch of Roman soldiers, led by Roman centurion Fabius, arrive with several wounded. They are then looked after by Lucilla and other Christian medics. Additionally, Augustine receives word that the Pope has ordered him to leave and bring his writings to Rome. Refusing to leave, he is then led to the inspiration of recounting the story of his conversion according to the book of his “Confessions”.

He first begins by recalling his mother, Monica, who gave birth to him and tried so hard to discipline him as a youth. Next he goes on recalling his youthful desire for learning & education where he desperately begged his parents to be sent to Carthage. Through the help of his mother he manages to go. In Carthage he resides with Valerius his landlord who is nearly the same age he is. He also is introduced to his servant mistress, Khalida, who eventually becomes his loving concubine. In Carthage, he is taught by the highly acclaimed orator, Macrobius.

Years later, as a young lawyer, Augustine’s career of speech begins to unfold by defending a man accused of attempted assault on his wife. Much to his surprise, he finds out later, after the defendant was released, that he had then proceeded to kill his wife. Here he begins to have a change of heart to where he now wants to recognize truth. After returning to his home in Thagaste with Khalida, he is encouraged to become a Manichean by an old family friend with whom he has begun to reside. Meanwhile he continues to rebuke his mother for her beliefs, especially after witnessing the baptism of his father. Soon after, Khalida bears Augustine a son named Adeotus.

However, despite all the love and warmth of his family he continues struggling with his obsession of truth & learning. Moreover, Valerius arrives and persuades Augustine to become the official court orator of the young Emperor Valentinian II. After being qualified, he is then presented to the mother Empress Justina who becomes very impressed. Not long after, during a jester celebration in court, Bishop Ambrose interrupts by confronting the Empress with the case of an accused man. The Empress then takes the opportunity to introduce him to his new opponent Augustine. Here Bishop Ambrose leaves him with the statement: “Man doesn’t find the truth. Man must let the truth find him”.

Later on he comes across his family who has come to Milan to be with him. He takes them in and begins to be odds with Khalida, who leaves him soon after for wishing not to be a hindrance to his future status. Meanwhile, as Augustine continues in attempting to speak over the voice of Bishop Ambrose in Milan, he is about torn to pieces after witnessing the siege of Milan’s basilica where innocent lives are taken. Traumatized, he muses over all these recent events to where he runs away into the night. Upon arising in the woods he hears a voice tell him “Take it and read it”, that is the Bible, where he reads a passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. He then proceeds to the basilica where he tells Bishop Ambrose how God has spoken to him. To the joy of Bishop Ambrose and the congregation, he is baptized. When the Empress is informed she immediately dismisses both Augustine and Valerius. Before departing back to Africa, Bishop Ambrose gives him a bottle of ink and tells him to use it all for what God will be commissioning him to. In addition, he talks with his mother one last time who reassures him after informing him that her life’s wish has been fulfilled and that she no longer has any need to live.

Back in Africa, while remembering to use the ink Bishop Ambrose gave him, Augustine is made bishop. As bishop he feels obliged to engage in a debate with the Donatists so as to put an end to their quarreling. The head Donatist Bishop agrees on a few conditions, one being that Augustine does not participate. In the debate Bishop Augustine is condoned for being Bishop from having once been the greatest sinner. When Bishop Augustine speaks, as a means of legally & rightfully defending himself, he acknowledges these accusations but then proceeds to tell how he discovered God and all the goodness he had received from him despite his evil life. The following day the judge rules the Catholics to be the ones in possession of the truth.

When Augustine ceases recalling his life, he is confronted by Fabius who resents him for having been responsible for the death of his father, the judge at the Donatist debate. He then proceeds to tell Augustine that he is riding off with his troops to attack the Vandals before they lay siege. Not knowing the outcome of the attack, he rides off to consult with the Vandal King, Genseric. He manages to negotiate the possibility of coming to peace while at the same time bargaining for the captured prisoners, one being Fabius. The prisoners are freed and they return with him. Upon returning Fabius expresses his gratitude and asks Bishop Augustine for Lucilla’s hand in marriage while implicitly implying his forgiveness of him. The next day he has the two of them board one of the papal ships for Rome along with many other citizens so as to be spared from the upcoming siege. Lucilla tries to persuade her uncle to come with them, but he is adamant about staying.

Upon receiving the news of the Roman fleet’s defeat, in which Governor Valerius had strongly boasted of, the remaining citizens begin to panic once again. In the end, the Vandals begin their siege in which Bishop Augustine observes before eventually turning his eyes to heaven. Interestingly enough, King Genseric tells one of his troops not to burn Bishop Augustine’s books.

Film Review

Being well directed along with the outstanding cinematography truly makes the motion picture speak to the heart of every individual. Additionally, the actors really got into their character which greatly contributed to the unfolding of this tremendous story of one man’s struggling journey to God. Moreover, throughout the film, the chanting in the background may serve as inspiration for viewers to mediate on when they, like Augustine, lift up their hearts to the voice of God who is speaking to them.  

As far as the story is concerned it really captures the primary events in St. Augustine’s life amidst the drastic display of drama & romance. For instance, his mother Monica admonished him for his lack of discipline growing up. Also his well-noted act of stealing pears as a youth with his friends is portrayed. In addition, great focus is made on his stay in Carthage: his learning, his engagement in secular pleasure, his relationship with his mistress, and his interest in the writings of Cicero which made him begin his desiring quest for wisdom amidst his immoral passions. Thus we soon behold his engagement with the Manicheans in which he himself ends up becoming. Moreover, his rise to popularity and fame is shown. Furthermore, his continuing fascination & interaction with Bishop Ambrose really portray his gradual build-up of interest in Catholicism, where, after conversion, he at last finds peace with himself. Lastly, we behold his main contributions to the Church being unfolded when he is a bishop: his wisdom, his writings, and most notably his debate against the Donatists, all of which help bring prepare the Church for the dawning of a new world to come. 

        

However, it is important to note several minor errors in regards to accurate portrayal of these events in his life. For instance, during his early life, the film doesn’t make any indication to his study in the city of Maduara; he had already been sent away at the age of 12 to Maduara for a better education. It was here, not at home, that he developed a passion for learning. Later on, due to low income, he had to return home for a year until his mother was able to coordinate financial help from a wealthy friend, Romanianus. Prior to this though, his father’s baptism and death had already taken place before his departure to Carthage, instead of upon his return from there which is what is depicted in the film. Additionally, the film may show his chief act of stealing pears as a youth, yet it does not depict for what end in which he stole them, which by the way was needlessly tossing them to pigs. Furthermore, after he & Khalida settle in with his mother upon returning from Carthage, he stubbornly insists to leave out of frustration when in reality it was the other way around: Monica would not permit him to enter her home based on his behavior and way of life. Moreover, it was Monica who would come to propose the idea of finding another woman to which Augustine could finally marry instead of a Roman official offering his daughter’s hand in marriage. Subsequently, the film portrays one major error, that being the Basilica of Milan being laid under siege with the slaughtering of innocent Christians. What really happened was that the Roman soldiers stood down having been won over by the courage of Bishop Ambrose who had stood his ground along with the many other Christians at the basilica.¹

Yet besides all these errors, it is also disappointing to note that even though there are some lines from the script that may be generally accurate to the real words uttered by these saints, they still should have been directly quoted based upon record. Moreover, the film should have included a few other noteworthy events in his life like being by his mother’s side on her deathbed. They also should have shown his ordination, namely the bringing about of it: being practically drafted to the priesthood. Lastly, though they make reference to him beginning a monastery in Africa, they still do not show how he began a new monastic way of living. ²

In summation, though some parts of the film could have been more accurate it still vividly portrays the aspect of man’s search for God until he finds rest in Him. Truly it is an inspiration for all to see how the greatest sinner can still become the greatest saint. “Man doesn’t find the truth. Man must let the truth find him.”

Bibliography

¹ St. Augustine: A Voice for All Generations. Host Mike Aquilina. Vision Video. 2008. DVD.

² “St. Augustine Biography.” CliffNotes. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016. Web. 18 Feb., 2016.

<http://www.cliffnotes.com/literature/s/st-augustines-confessions/st-augustine-biography>.