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Summary: A compelling film biography of the Catholic social criitic
Review: Thomas Merton was a widely read Catholic author and social critic who lived as Father Louis as a member of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance the Trappists from 1941 till his death in Bangkok in 1968. In his book "No Man is an Island" Merton wrote: "Each one of us has some kind of vocation. We are all called by God to share in His life and in His Kingdom. Each one of us is called to a special place in the Kingdom. If we find that place we will be happy. If we do not find it, we can never be completely happy. For each one of us, there is only one thing necessary: to fulfill our own destiny, according to God's will, to be what God wants us to be." "Merton: A Film Biography" provides a look at the man who was hailed as a prophet and also censured for outspoken social criticism and anti-war views. In addition to a popular autobiography, "The Seven Storey Mountain," Merton wrote over sixty books on the pressing social issues of his time. Passages from Merton's writing and combined with scenes from significant places in his life during in this 57 minute video. There are also interviews with those who knew Merton, from the Dalai Lama and poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti to Nicaragua's Minister of Culture Ernesto Cardneal and folk singer Joan Baez. For those who have just begun to read Merton's folk, this film biography provides a solid introduction to his overall body of work.
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