The Shoes of the Fisherman

If you want insight to the Vatican - this movie tells that story.

...what more can I say? Buy it.

This is a "feel-good-the-good-guy-wins" movie. There's no violence, no bloodshed, no special effects, no wizardry, but it has a compelling storyline. The Cardinal who least expects to be selected is elected Pope. The scene I love the most is when he "escapes" from the Vatican and walks around Rome. He encounters a man who is dying and when he starts praying for him, he's told the man is Jewish. Without missing a beat, he starts praying in Yiddish! This is what religion is all about! I'm not Catholic, I'm strictly prostestant, but still this is a good movie to watch. Even though I'm not Catholic, a part of me is fascinated by the pageantry and ritual of the election of a Pope, the clothing, etc. I've been waiting for this movie to become available and I'm thrilled that I can finally purchase it.

ONE OF THE GREAT CLASSIC..

Difficult to add my own thoughts after the wonderful review by Mahanttan Rabbi. And like the first reviewer, this film was and continues to be an inspiration for me. Too many will see that as a 'Christian' statement, but that would be overly simplistic and flat-out wrong. Inspirational because the journey we take with Anthony Quinn's character is one of selfless devotion and unwanted authority. A man who, like his predecessor of two thousand years previous, took on the responsibility of maintaining The Church despite his own fears and acknowledged inadequacies; a simple fisherman who reluctantly carried on the message of his teacher. What amazes me, and many historians, is the uncanny prescience writer Morris West achieved by predating the rise and election of Pope John Paul II; considered by many, including myself, as one of the greatest spiritual leaders of the last century. A man whose life and times nearly mirror that of the fictional Kiril Lakota, former Metropolitan Archbishop of Lviv, Ukraine. This is a stunning and deeply felt film about sacrifice, both personal and spiritual, that gives everyone a chance to see Christ's message in a clear humbling story. At this juncture I would be remiss not to mention the wonderful presence of Laurence Olivier and Clive Revill, who stand in for the number crunching atheists of our times. And the absolutely fantastic Leo McKern - who, in my opinion, can do no wrong. And then there is the 'backstory' which many film fans I've spoken to about this film find distracting: David Janssen's character of the news anchor who flirts with marital disaster while chronicling the events that surround Pope Kiril and the impending nuclear war between China and the other world superpowers. While many find it somewhat pointless - I actually enjoyed Janssen's character and storyline. Particularly when his estranged wife and his Holiness meet unexpectedly in the rough-n-tumble streets of Rome itself. To each his own I suppose. Perhaps the most important moment, save for the film's climax, and the one that in my view best illustrates 'sacrifice' - comes when his Holiness is confronted by Cardinal Leone. The scene that reveals he would suffer greatly as Pope, that his was the loneliest path a man could choose and that his suffering had only begun. Calvary indeed. An incredible film that I recommend to anyone who wants to experience gut-wrenching sacrifice for the betterment of others, regardless of what you believe.