i kind of feel like a genius while i feel like i be the only one who saw through this fake film . i watch it three time and once with commentary and and i find myself get annoy at all the close ups and all the time the screen just black out and and bad of all and i feel the film never really resolve anything . yes and the priest die and but he do not really seem at peace with the town that give him so much grief and or with himself . that and he be an idiot . if it weren not for the commentary by peter cowie which explain not only the movie but the book it come from and i wouldn not have be able to stomach it at all . i enjoy french movie and but this be one that be completely absurd . diary of a country priest be film in beautiful black and white photography but and that alone can not save this deadly dull tripe . scene after scene of extreme close ups where character do not say anything until the camera cut away and go to a black out do not make an interesting or relevant story . how this film ever become a classic be mind boggle represent it remind me more of the emperor new clothes . yes and claude laydu performance be heartfelt and think provoking and if you be a sadist and but this film leave me feel empty because overall it be a weak impression of the catholic priesthood and which be an ignoble and inglorious institution of corruption . the young priest triumph over the countess pride be a weak scene but 90 % of the film will drag you down with it dreary introspection and window into the young priest melancholy thought . this priest doesn not come across so much a be humble a he do just plain pitiful . be that i do not speak or understand french i be look forward to do the english subtitle thing to help understand the film . well and the english subtitle be at time impossible to view or read and the text roll by so quickly that there be much i could not read ( and i be not a particularly slow reader i just finish dostoyevsky in 3 day ) . i really want to like this film . i try out everything choose by the criterion collection and and yet can not see why in many way this one merit some sort of critical nod . however and i sit through this entire two hour film yearn to feel some sort of empathy for the main character and and it never materialize . he just seem like a victim rather than a fighter . and for that and i say it stink .