There aren't many situations in which it's good to be called a fool —  except in one little-known category of the Christian spiritual tradition: The fool for Christ.

This sort of social-misfit-turned-holy-man hearkens back to a 10th century Constantinoplitan saint named Andrew the Fool-for-Christ, who lived most of his life in poverty as a beggar. Although a long-time target of abuse because of his extreme behavior — which Andrew adopted as a means to drive away those who would follow him as a spiritual guide — he eventually became recognized for his Christ-like humility and, ultimately, his many spiritual gifts.

This is exactly the sort of strange — yet thoroughly Orthodox — figure that inspired the producers of Ostrov (The Island), an award-winning Russian film from 2006 that continues to captivate Western audiences with its unusual subject matter, moody ethos and excellent cinematography.

The film takes place during the later years of the Soviet Union in a remote Russian monastery — a setting that encapsulates the film's prophetic strength. It is completely foreign, a world so unlike the one we see on an average sitcom. But, at the same time, it is not completely other. The medieval fool, so easy to dismiss as a phantom of different times, is reborn in a world that is, in fact, quite modern.

The message is obvious: This man's spiritual journey is ours as well.

I highly recommend watching the whole film — it's available from Amazon — but I'll post this clip of the first 10 minutes to pique your interest. In it, you see the reason why Fr. Anatoli, eventual fool for Christ, becomes who he is: While serving in World War II, he commits a grevious sin, for which he spends the rest of his life in sincere repentance.

The rest of the film shows Fr. Anatoli's unusual, austere — sometimes comical — life as a monk who doesn't play by the rules. It moves more methodically in the first half, as various scenes lay the ground work for what becomes a very powerful conclusion.