Lust for Life

You are now qualified...

...for evangelical work under the auspices...

...of the Belgian Committee of the Messengers of the Faith.

May the Lord guide you and sustain you in all your ways.

Congratulations, Dr. Bosman. A very creditable group of young men.

About this other young man, Dr. Bosman.

Are you sure he's quite hopeless?

Gentlemen, I've trained a great many students in evangelical work...

...but never in my life have I come across a case quite like this.

He is completely unable to speak extemporary.

He prepares long and obscure sermons, which he's unable to memorize...

...and has to read like a stumbling and inarticulate child.

Now, can we send that kind of man out into the field to represent our society?

Dr. Peeters, I think that's conclusive.

Dr. Bosman, ask him to come in, please.

Mr. Van Gogh, we have Dr. Bosman's report on your progress here.

In view of what he's told us, you understand...

...if your teacher feels that you're unqualified...

...this committee cannot give you an appointment.

We regret it more than we can say.

Gentlemen, I think that concludes committee business for today.

Dr. Peeters.

Mr. Van Gogh?

Do you feel that the committee were unjust in their decision?

- No, sir. - We did what we had to do...

...in view of your records.

- Yes, sir. - Come here.

Your father is a minister, is he not?

I'm not trying to put myself on a level with my father.

I only hoped in-- In some way to--

- To follow in his footsteps-- - Yet, until a year ago...

...you showed no inclination or desire to follow your father's calling.

Believe me, this is something I have to do.

I wanna help the unfortunates. I wanna bring them the word of God.

Even if I'm not qualified, there must be some way I can serve.

Isn't there any place for me?

Somewhere no one else wants to go? I'll do anything. Only use me.

Use me.

Come here.

- Do you know this part of the country? - No.

It's a coal-mining region. The Borinage.

There exists no more miserable people on the face of the earth...

...than the miners who live there.

If you really mean what you said about wanting to help the unfortunates...

...here's your chance.

The heart that seeks God has more storms than any others.

Life is a struggle here below.

Yet, out of our....

Out of our sufferings, God teaches us higher things.

He wills--

He wills that man should live humbly...

...and go through life, not reaching after lofty aims...

...but fitting himself to the lowly and learning from the Gospels...

...to be meek...

...and simple of heart.

Father, we pray to thee to keep us from evil and despair.

Feed us with the bread that does not perish, which is thy word.

Oh, Lord.

Amen.

Mister.

Mister.

- I don't know what your name is but-- - Ducrucq.

-why did you leave?

Did I say something wrong?

I saw you leave. What did I say that offended you?

Just because it's Sunday, you don't expect us to listen to the pious bilge...

- ...you gave us just now. - Bilge?

Look, I worked all week on that sermon. I meant every word of it.

Listen, mister.

Every now and then, somebody comes here from the outside and tries to help us.

They mean well, so do you probably.

But that doesn't help us at all, does it?

I wanna bring you the word of God.

What can I do? Tell me?

I don't know.

Help me. Help me to understand you people.

To know you. Take me into your homes where you live.

We don't live here.

We only come here to sleep.

Down there, 2000 feet underground, that's where we live.

Can I go down? Take me. Will you take me down?

Sure. I can arrange it.

Be here in the morning when I go to work.

At 4:00.

I'm trembling inside of me just as much as you are.

And I've been going down for 33 years.

- How old is that child? Eleven.

How long has she been working here?

A year. Her father was killed in the explosion.

Listen, mister.

Every now and then, somebody comes from the outside and tries to help us.

They mean well, so do you probably.

But that doesn't help us at all, does it?

Ducrucq.

Come down. Come down. Somebody....

Why don't you come down and bring some help.

There were eight of us in this shaft.

I was the only one to get out.

What are you waiting for? Well, what are you--?

I've got a blanket in there for one of the wounded and some bread.

What about you?

Wait for me.

Van Gogh.

I see you don't remember us.

From the Committee of the Messengers of the Faith.

I'm glad you've come. Did you bring food and clothes for the families?

- Families? - Another accident?

- You didn't know? - Sorry to hear it. Were there many lost?

Six. Four men, two children. Twenty-eight injured.

Terrible. We'll see what we can do.

It's unfortunate that our visit comes at this time.

It was Rev. Peeters' particular wish.

The purpose of our coming is an inspection.

Excuse me, gentlemen. I'll be right back.

- Just what is the meaning of this? - You receive an allowance.

Why have you chosen to live in the most wretched, filthy shack in this village?

Because we've no right to spread the word of God to these people...

- ...unless we suffer as they do. - You, yourself are unclean.

Your clothes are ragged and dirty.

People here have no clothes at all.

You mean to tell us you actually-- You sleep on dirt and straw...

...like a beast of the field?

That's-- - The spiritual leader?

I gave my bed to a sick woman who needed it more.

You're new in this work. I've no doubt that you mean well.

By your behavior you've degraded the dignity of the Church...

- ...whose representative you are. - Have you no sense of decency?

Don't you understand that if the clergy is to be respected--

I don't care to be respected.

I'm trying to live like a true Christian.

I'm not going to worry about how I sleep.

Look at the fresh graves of the children in the cemetery.

Scrub floors and pick coal with the women.

Get those clothes dirty with the blood and sweat of dying miners...

...then come here and lecture me about Christianity.

Hypocrites. Hypocrites!

But you must have heard of him.

He came here about a year ago as a preacher. Vincent Van Gogh.

Oh, yes. - You'll find him in the little shack.

Why, I heard he's been....

Vincent.

Who is it?

It's Theo.

Theo. - Vincent...

- ...what have you done to yourself? - Theo.

- What's happened to you? - I was sick for a while...

- ...but I'm all right now. - But doesn't anyone look after you?

- I'd better go and get you some food. - Don't go, Theo. Stay and talk.

- Where's the nearest place where I--? - Please don't go, Theo.

It's been such a long time.

Vincent, what are we gonna do about you?

Father wrote and asked me to come and find you.

For months, he's not heard from you.

There was nothing to tell.

Well, what right have you to decide that?

Cut yourself off from everybody, even from me.

You've become a stranger. You-- You've changed.

I haven't changed, Theo.

Outwardly, perhaps. But inside me I still want the same things.

What things?

The things we talked about in the old days.

To be of use, to work, to bring something to the world.

Do you think this is the answer?

I don't know, I don't know.

We've grown apart, Theo.

Look, you found what you want in Paris and I'm glad for you.

I've found nothing, anywhere.

I've made one bad start after another. One mess after another.

I thought I was on my way here by doing God's work.

That was the worst failure of all.

But no matter how often I fail, there is something in me.

- Now I am good for something. - But this is not the way to find it.

Hiding away here, wasting your time.

You've become an idler.

An idler, yes.

But there are two kinds of idlers.

There's the man who's idle because he wants to be...

...out of laziness.

How easy that is. I envy him.

But there's the other kind...

...the man who's idle in spite of himself.

I want nothing but to work.

Only I can't.

I'm in a cage. A cage of shame and self-doubt and failure.

Somebody believe me. I'm caged.

I'm caged. I'm alone.

I'm frightened.

Vincent.

Listen to me.

When we were children...

...I used to follow you about.

If I was frightened...

...I'd run to look for you.

If I got lost...

...you'd always come to find me.

We're still brothers.

We're friends.

We can trust one another.

That's stronger than any cage.

Whatever you do, from now on...