"The naivete of a young priest"

| Tuesday November 17, 2009 00:00

El Crimen del Padre Amaro was shown at the now defunct Star Dust Cinema at the Grand Palm in 2003. It was the most popular local movie ever in Mexico, even outstripping Amores Perros and  Y tu Mama Tambien. The great Mexican actor, Gael Garca Bernal, stars in all three. He became the hottest export from Mexico.

In this movie Gael Garca Bernal plays Padre Amaro, a 24-year-old priest who is sent to a remote Mexican village of Los Reyes to work under older and more experienced priests.

On the bus to his assignment an incident occurs that allows Father Amaro to demonstrate his idealism and kindness. It is not to last. He soon finds out that Padre Benito Daz (acted by Sancho Gracia) has a long-term mistress, Augustina Sanjuanera (played by Anglica Aragn) who runs a local restaurant; that vows of celibacy mean nothing; and that abortion is condoned. He also learns that another priest, Father Natalio (Damian Alcazar), endorsing liberation theology and supports a peasant movement working to save the land. The Bishop who runs the diocese turns a blind eye to drug dealing and other criminal activities because of the support the church receives for its 'good works'. Father Benito's major project over many years has been a mix of a hospital, orphanage and rest home.

This movie is based on a novel by Jose Maria Eca de Queiroz, written in Portuguese in 1875. Though it is 134 years old, the plot is relevant to contradictions in the established churches today. Its central feature is a young priest violating his vows of celibacy. This is what excited audiences in Mexico, making it the highest grossing movie of all time there.

Father Amaro arrives at his new destination to live his vocation with a face filled with naivete. He appears so young and innocent you expect him to resist, not succumb. But to oppose the Bishop one must risk excommunication. The rotund and revolting Bishop (played by Ernesto Gmez Cruz) remains repulsive to the point of caricature.

The women in the congregation at Los Reyes seem all to swoon at the sight of Father Amaro. Under the guise of imparting religious instruction Farther Amaro meets with Sanjuanera's 16-years-old daughter, Amelia (Ana Claudia Talancn), in an unusual location next to a room occupied by a mentally retarded girl who has a way of echoing their passion. Before Father Amaro, Amelia had another friend, a journalist, Reuben (Andreas Montiel), working on an expose of church corruption. Perhaps she was not so innocent as Farther Amaro tries to make out as he clothes their affair in symbolic structures.

Later Father Amaro is made by the Bishop to retaliate against the journalist and to deliver the excommunication notice to Father Natalio who has been accused of supporting guerillas.

'El Crimen del Padre Amaro' is long, and challenging to the senses in more ways than one. It requires a strong constitution to watch the expose of corruption in the church. This is a true Latin American soap opera with some extraordinary visual juxtaposition. Some of these images have made the film extremely controversial.

Carlos Carrera directed 'El Crimen del Padre Amaro'. It is 120 minutes in colour, in Spanish with English subtitles. It is rated 16 plus because of sexual situations and images that are disturbing. The script is by Vicente Leero from the novel by Jose Maria Eca de Queiroz.

The cinematographer is Guillermo Granillo. The editor is Oscar Figueroa. The producers are Alfredo Ripstein and Daniel Birman Ripstein.
 sasa_majuma@yahoo.co.uk