Die Grosse Stille, a film by German director Philip Groning, looks at life in a monastery, the Grande Chartreuse which is the mother house of the legendary Carthusian Order, based in the French Alps. It’s been shot over a period of 4 months and again over a period of seasons. The monks within the abbey have all taken a vow of silence as a means of serving their god. As such we never really get to know any of the converts in an intimate way as Groning himself takes the view of a silent observer.
During the course of this rather long film, clocking in at about 2 hours 46 minutes, we see the monks engaged in a cycle of silence, repetition and rhythm. Silence leads to a new heightened level of hearing in new ways, repetition creates insight, the monks create their own sense of rhythm on a daily basis through these repetitive actions. What is the concept of time like for someone who will never see the outside world again once they enter the walls of the abbey?
What we do get to see and experience though is a very stark and austere monastic lifestyle, one that most people will never really see or experience in their own lives.
The monk's lives are filled with long hours of prayers and contemplation, mostly in solitude in their cells where the sacred chant is repeated 7 times throughout the course of the day or working in various functions in order to maintain the day-to-day running of the abbey. After all, Food has to be cooked, clothes and shoes need to be mended or made, garden need to be tended.
Everything is dictated by the sound of a bell. The monks do not sleep a full night either. Instead they are allowed to sleep for a period of three hours, then spend two hours chanting or in turn reading the holy scriptures in the great hall of the abbey, and then are allowed to sleep again for three hours.
When you view the monks at work or at prayer you realize that everything is done with great care and dedication. Here nothing is wasted. When the monks die, clothes are recycled, pulled apart and reconstructed over and over for the new converts.
Groning approached the abbey 16 years ago with an idea about a film, but was only granted permission to go ahead with the 4 years ago. One wonders why? Is it possibly that the numbers are falling and this might be seen as a way to maybe boost the numbers? Who knows as we never really find out. Considering the order has been in existence for over a thousand years I doubt it. With this film, the only conditions imposed on Groning by the Grand Priory were that no artificial light, no music and no commentaries were to be offered.
The order recoginises that a life of solitude and silence can take its toll on the convert's state of mental wellbeing, so once a week on Sundays allows all a period of time to get together and speak only amongst themselves. What emerged for me was that these monks had a good sense of humor and a deep dedication to their cause.
This film is not going to be for everyone. It is slow and clocks in at 2 hours 46 minutes. This is not Baraka or Koyanisqatsi, there is no soundtrack by Phillip Glass. Patience and an open mind and heart are required with this project. Personally I found it very engaging though not life changing. This is a unique look at the lives of men who have in ways rejected modern society and gone back to a simpler monastic lifestyle in order to find themselves. Groning in a recent interview in the NY Times said that he “didn’t want to shoot a film that informs people about a monastery, but a film that transforms into a monastery. The film should become a monastery.” We may never again see into this unique way of life such.
