The Crime of Father Amaro Movie Review 2002

Eca de Queiroz's 1875 Portuguese novel is transplanted to modern-day Mexico, confronting a number of controversies surrounding the Catholic Church, including abortion, celibacy, and corruption. Young cleric Padre Amaro (Bernal) is the protege of Bishop Ernesto (Gomez Cruz) who sends him to the provinces to learn church politics from the seasoned Padre Benito (Gracia). Benito has had a longtime affair with Sanjuanera (Aragon) whose beautiful young daughter Amelia (Talancon) becomes infatuated with the handsome young priest. Amaro is soon learning to justify his less than priestly behavior with Amelia, which leads him down increasingly precarious moral paths. Spanish with subtitles.

Distribution

Sony Pictures Home Video, Sony Pictures Plz., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Phone: (310)244-7306, Fax: (310)280-2485, URL: http://www.spe.sony.com, Remarks: Formerly Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 120 minutes.
Originally from Mexican.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Nuns & Priests, Sex & Sexuality, Pregnant Pauses, Abortion, Mexico, The First Time

Screenplay

Vicente Lenero

Cast

Gael Garcia Bernal, Sancho Gracia, Ana Claudia Talancon, Damian Alcazar, Angelica Aragon, Pedro Armendariz, Luisa Huertas, Ernesto Gomez Cruz

Cinematography

Guillermo Granillo

Director

Carlos Carrera

Music

Rosino Serrano

Other

Nerio Barberis, Oscar Figueroa, Mariestela Fernandez, Carmen Ginmenez Cacho

Producer

Alfredo Ripstein, David Birman Ripstein, Alameda, BluFilms, Foprocino, Samuel Goldwyn Films