God's Country
Encyclopedia
God's Country is a 1985
documentary film
about Glencoe, Minnesota
, by French
filmmaker Louis Malle
. It is in two parts: in the first, filmed in 1979, we meet various people in the town; in the second, filmed six years later, we find out what has become of many of them.
The film is occasionally shown on Turner Classic Movies
, and is available on DVD
from the Criterion Collection.
The name of the film comes from the widespread belief in American folklore
that the United States of America has a special status in the world as God
's Country because it is metaphorically God's shining city upon a hill
.
1985 in film
-Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out Of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.* Bliss wins AFI Award for best Movie...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about Glencoe, Minnesota
Glencoe, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,453 people, 2,103 households, and 1,446 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,045.6 people per square mile . There were 2,169 housing units at an average density of 813.7 per square mile...
, by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
filmmaker Louis Malle
Louis Malle
Louis Malle was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer. He worked in both French cinema and Hollywood. His films include Ascenseur pour l'échafaud , Atlantic City , and Au revoir, les enfants .- Early years in France :Malle was born into a wealthy industrialist family in Thumeries,...
. It is in two parts: in the first, filmed in 1979, we meet various people in the town; in the second, filmed six years later, we find out what has become of many of them.
The film is occasionally shown on Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
, and is available on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
from the Criterion Collection.
The name of the film comes from the widespread belief in American folklore
Folklore of the United States
The folklore of the United States, or American folklore, is one of the folk traditions which has evolved on the North American continent since Europeans arrived in the 16th century. While it contains much in the way of Native American tradition, it should not be confused with the tribal beliefs of...
that the United States of America has a special status in the world as God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
's Country because it is metaphorically God's shining city upon a hill
City upon a Hill
A City Upon A Hill is a phrase from the parable of Salt and Light in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:14, he tells his listeners, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."-American usage:...
.