The Company: Inigo & His Jesuits
Picture:
C+ Sound: C Extras: B- Film: B-
Although
not a religious person, I find the history of religion extremely fascinating.
One cannot tell the story of a people, culture, or nation without recognizing
the ubiquitous influence of religion.
But what has always intrigued me about religion is how the same doctrine
can be interpreted in completely different manners to justify completely
distinct ends. This is no more apparent
than in the different orders of Catholicism.
Oftentimes, these orders develop from particular individuals unsatisfied
with the direction of the Church; while they may be viewed as revolutionaries
today, they were often considered threats by their contemporaries. One such individual, Ignatius Loyola,
championed education as an essential element to faith, founding the Company of
Jesus and the Jesuit Order. This
documentary, The Company: Inigo and His
Jesuits produced and directed by Joseph D. Fenton, S.M., provides
meaningful insight into the history of the Jesuit order and their lasting
impact on the Catholic faith.
The Company begins with a rather pensive
Cyril Cusack, who narrates the film, walking through Stonyhurst College, first
Jesuit school, discussing the legacy of the Jesuits on religious and
educational teachings. The narrative of
the Jesuit order begins with Inigo de Lopez, born in 1491, in the midst of the
Reformation, to a wealthy and religious Spanish family. Although morally grounded, Lopez was a bit
of a tempestuous philanderer, with a penchant for chivalry. His fighting spirit took him to the Spanish
army, where he was injured by cannon fire during the battle over the Citadel in
Pamplona in 1521. Bed-ridden, Lopez
turned to reading and self-education as a method of recovery. During that time, Lopez solidified his
faith, changed he name to Ignatius Loyola, and began spreading the gospel and
the importance of education and social justice. He formed the Company of Jesus, now the Society of Jesus, a
disciplined order of rather urbane and sophisticated Catholics who actively
assisted the poor and downtrodden and protected the Church against Protestant
assaults. Loyola believed the best
defense was education, thus he promoted the integration of arts and sciences
with a strong theological foundation-a practice still championed at today’s
Jesuit universities.
The
documentary does a solid of putting the Jesuit order into the larger context of
the Catholic Church and illustrating their struggle for papal validation (and
their struggle against persecution).
However, these historical documentaries are limited in the lack of
actual footage. Most of the footage is
either interviews or pictures of architecture and paintings. Consequently, the film lacks sustained
visual excitement. Unlike your standard PBS historical documentaries, which do
a great deal of recreation, this documentary relies on the charisma of the
narrator and the insight of the interviewees to hold one’s interest. What I found most interesting is historian
Paul Johnson’s rather scathing critique of the present day Jesuit order. He is rather critical of the Jesuits
adopting too many “left-wing” causes under the veneer of their historical
commitment to social justice; as a result, he believes they have lost their
way. While I am not a religious
scholar, it seems that makes them even more relevant.
The film
is presented in 1.33 Full Frame, with Dolby 2.0 Stereo sound. The image and the sound are acceptable,
especially for a documentary that in very focused on content. However, the images of various churches and
landmarks will heighten one’s desire to visit Europe. The only special feature is an interview with author Thomas Berry;
an interview which is longer than the main feature. There is little direct synergy between the extra and the feature,
except that Berry is an educated Catholic priest, committed to social justice
and environmental protection. The
interview does drag a bit, and the questions become increasingly mundane
without building a cohesive understanding of the person and/or his work. Although, it is to be said that Berry does
provide some notable insights on philosophy, religion, and environmental
activism.
As an
academic, it is impossible not to appreciate the legacy of the Jesuits; and this
documentary does of fine job of articulating their importance. Now, if I could just get a job at one of
their fine institutions.
- Ron Von Burg
