Die Erscheinung

The Apparition is considerably better than its scores on IMDB and MetaCritic would suggest. Comments posted by some viewers reflect their unhappiness about the film's length and about it's failure to put forward rigid conclusions. Maybe they've been watching too much simplistic TV.

This story demands that each viewer must make his or her own decision about what to believe. This is not a religious film, although it can be viewed that way. It is about the human belief mechanism and how it is influenced by what we want to believe and what we choose to doubt. There are scenes in this film that leave the viewer wondering what he or she should conclude, which is exactly what the characters in the film are experiencing.

At its core, this is the story of two people. We meet first an adult male journalist, somewhat cynical, who has just lost a close friend. He is troubled by what he regards as his failure to protect his friend. He agrees to help the Vatican investigate claims of a miracle. The other primary character is an attractive teen-aged girl who says she witnessed an appearance of the Virgin Mary. The girl was an orphan who grew up in foster homes and orphanages and has pledged herself to a life as a nun. Those two characters form an unexpected bond as the story progresses. We are left with a question: what qualities of human behavior are "saintly"? This is a thoughtful work, no easy answers, just like life.