it's really easy to make jokes about this, but it's so very sad.
what happened to "the village"--or is that just a shalamayan movie?
It is indeed sad. One of the reasons for the isolation that many people experience is the waning of Religion as a force in the community in many areas and the rise of Secularism (which is a religion also but without so many of the benefits of traditional Faiths).
Religion reinforces a sense of community and interpersonal congeniality that secularism does not.
Although solitude may well have been Mr. Ricardo's personal choice, it may also have been a result of an overwhelming sadness that he experienced after the death of his wife. For many, a religious involvement helps us to overcome these sad parts of life and serves as a 'safety net'. Without this, some people do just fine but some have troubles when bad things happen.