ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the Bressonian characters who lend themselves to interpretation as holy fools as part of an argument that they gradually evolved from Catholic-inspired models towards non-traditional forms. Ren Predal defines Bresson's characters as either madmen of God' the religious protagonistsor tormented rebels', referring to all others. In order to explore Bresson's particular representation of the holy fool, his depiction of them in his filmography is examined. Bresson's third feature film, the Diary of a Country Priest is a faithful adaptation of the homonymous novel of Georges Bernanos, a Catholic writer whom Hans Urs von Balthasar significantly considers to be a spiritual descendant of Pascal and Kierkegaard'. It is the first of Bresson's recognizably holy fool figures. Bresson was clearly interested in exploring the relationship of domination that Balthazar experiences with his successive masters. Bresson's vision of the human condition turns bleaker after Au hasard Balthazar.
