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Cast
Alexander Scourby
as Narrator (voice)
Gregory Abels
as Thomas Merton (voice)
John Barber
as Self
Jim Forest
as Self - Int. Fellowship of Reconciliation
Robert Lax
as Self
John Eudes Bamberger
as Self - Scholastic under Merton
Flavian Burns
as Self - Scholastic under Merton
Robert Giroux
as Self - Publisher
Naomi Burton Stone
as Self
James Laughlin
as Self - Publisher, New Directions
Movie Info & Details
Release Year1984
Runtime0h 57m
LanguageEnglish
CertificationNR
GenresDocumentary
Votes4
DirectorPaul Wilkes
WritersPaul Wilkes
TypeFeature Film
Rating8.5 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsMerton: A Film Biography
About Merton: A Film Biography
In his lifetime, Thomas Merton was hailed as a prophet and censured for his outspoken social criticism. For nearly 27 years he was a monk of the austere Trappist order, where he became an eloquent spiritual writer and mystic as well as an anti-war advocate and witness to peace. Merton: A Film Biography provides the first comprehensive look at this remarkable 20th century religious philosopher who wrote, in addition to his immensely popular autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain, over 60 books on some of the most pressing social issues of our time, some of which are excerpted here. Merton offers an engaging profile of a man whose presence in the world touched millions of people and whose words and thoughts continue to have a profound impact and relevance today.
Directed by Paul Wilkes, Merton: A Film Biography leans on a strong ensemble — Alexander Scourby, Gregory Abels, John Barber — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1984.
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