Yes, a dark, depressing film, but an amazing study of an alienated young man, who happens to be a priest, who struggles to find his voice and identity and ultimately comes to find peace and grace. One sees in Bresson's early work the beginnings of what will be his signature technical style, i.e., untrained actors, fade-ins and fade-outs that, for, encourages my own fantasy production to fill in the gaps, close-up shots that convey more than any words can convey. All is pure filmic technique without pretense, drama for drama's sake. There are other Bresson films that may surpass this one in terms of narrative strength, but this is a film to note, especially for Bresson fans.