1917 Portugal, it stars Inés Orsini becoming a star as the peasant girl who had a vision of the Virgin Mary and thereby gave birth to the tourists industry at Fátima. Some of the political and religious shenanigans momentarily conceal the mush at the heart of the movie, which starts with a glorious prologue that says if you believe you are ok. As the little girl Lucia along with her two cousins watch Virgen Maria that will heal those who believe in her powers , much to the astonishment and concern of the towspeople.
Directed by Rafael Gil with tenderness and carefully cast , and appealing to sentimental and religious susceptibilities. Although , it is some tiring and cries out for a more colorful treatment, thus reverendy made tale of the simple Portuguese girl who saw vision at Fátima is at times very moving and stirring .It has an anticommunist penchant , developing a strong criticism against the nasty communists , pro-Stalin and Lenin .The picture is highly influenced by the Hollywood film 1943 Song of Bernardotte by Henry King with Jennifer Jones , Lee J Cobb, Vicente Price and by the Italian movie 1949 Cielo Sulla palude or Cielo sobre pantano also starred Inés Orsini as Maria Goretti. La señora de Fátima is played by a great Spanish cast as Fernando Rey, José Maria Lado , Félix Fernández, Julia Caba Alba , Rafael Bardem ,Juan EspantaLeón , Antonio Riquelme , Milagros Leal and Fernando Sancho.
It displays an atmospheric and evocative cinematography in black and white by Michel Kelber . Sensitive and religious-style musical score by Ernest Halffter.The motion picture was professionally directed by Rafael Gil and well produced by Vicente Escriva who financed him a lot of films. It won prize to best film conceded by the National Syndicate of spectacle . Rafael Gil directed a great number of Spanish classic movies such as El Clavo, Aventuras de Juan Lucas, El gran Galeoto, La Fe, Reina Santa, Mare Nostrum, La calle sin sol, El beso de Judas , Murio hace 15 años, La prodiga, among others.
