Diary of a Country Priest (1951)

Based on the 1936 novel of the same name by Georges Bernanos, Diary of a Country Priest tells the story of a sickly young priest on his first assignment, a small parish in the north of France. The Priest (Claude Laydu, then little more then an amateur) is never given a name beyond his title, he is sickly (a chronic stomach aliment which limits his diet) but sincere, he doesn't really know what he's doing and is not free from doubt, but he tries, and though he makes a lot of mistakes, and his effect on his parish is limited, he improves with time.

The plot, from Wikipeida:

"A young priest arrives at Ambricourt, his new parish. He is not welcome. The girls of the catechism class laugh at him in a prank, whereby only one of them pretends to know the Scriptural basis of the Eucharist so that the rest of them can laugh at their private conversation. His colleagues criticize his diet of bread and wine, and his ascetic lifestyle. Concerned about Chantal, the daughter of the Countess, the priest visits the Countess at the family chateau, and appears to help her resume communion with God after a period of doubt. The Countess dies during the following night, and her daughter spreads false rumors that the priest's harsh words had tormented her to death. Refusing confession, Chantal had previously spoken to the priest about her hatred of her parents.

The older priest from Torcy talks to his younger colleague about his poor diet and lack of prayer, but the younger man seems unable to make changes. After his health worsens, the young priest goes to the city to visit a doctor ....& a... former colleague, who has lapsed and now works as an apothecary, while living with a woman outside wedlock."

A poignant, beautiful film it helped to establish the careers of both its star Laydu, and its director Robert Bresson. A thoughtful, reflective piece of cinema, that I can highly recommend. ***1/2