Author Topic: best catholic movies? (Read 13830 times)

Exilenomore · « **Reply #45 on:** April 08, 2011, 04:15:08 PM »

I am very reluctant of television and movies. In many 'catholic' films there can be found subtle heretical propaganda undermining the truth of catholicism. It is also ridiculous how the clergy is usually depicted as the 'big, mean authority' spoiling all the 'fun'.

If it's mainstream, avoid it. That is my conviction.

Darcy · « **Reply #46 on:** April 08, 2011, 04:34:06 PM »

I picked up a lot of modern communist style propoganda in films of the 30's.
I researched and found this.
(please google "screenwriters from the thirties" and click on search results link:
Framework: a history of screenwriting in the American film)

I think we can find minimal intrusion in movies depicitng Catholic themes made prior to the sixties.

So, what happened to our list?

Elizabeth · « **Reply #47 on:** April 08, 2011, 04:56:02 PM »

Quote from: s2srea

Has anyone seen- "The Keys to the Kingdom" ?

Yes and we LOVE it. (that is if it's the Gregory Peck film)

PartyIsOver221 · « **Reply #48 on:** April 08, 2011, 05:31:39 PM »

Quote from: Raoul76

Christ is portrayed as having the charisma of a block of wood, he just stands there and lectures in a monotone.

The problem is that it's blasphemous and heretical.

Mel Gibson's Christ film, from what I have seen, has trashy Titanic-style hard-edged lighting and THX sound effects, which are totally inappropriate for the life of Christ.

St. Francis, also, is turned pretty much into Doctor Doolittle crossed with a hippie

I don't like being a Raoul-fanboy, but wow you make it hard not to be. Mike, those are good commentaries.. LOL

PartyIsOver221 · « **Reply #49 on:** April 08, 2011, 05:34:24 PM »

Quote from: Raoul76

Literally, these films create an alternate reality where the Church is still in its heyday.

Amazing insight. I never really noticed this until you brought it up, but you are so right. The Church as depicted today in movies is like some ghost town of the West, with massive neon-lit storefronts on propped up by 2x4s and a PA system playing crowd murmurs and hustle-bustle sounds of a marketplace. Its all a farce.

Wow.

PartyIsOver221 · « **Reply #50 on:** April 08, 2011, 05:47:03 PM »

Quote from: Alex

Quote from: Darcy
I think this might be okay
"The Passion of Joan of Arc" 1928 can be watched on youtube in 8 parts.

This 1928 version has close up, full screen nudity.

Yes it does. I saw it recently and it had a full-screen breastfeeding going on. Really oddly placed and weird. Like a dash of satanism in an otherwise holy-seeming movie.

Gross.

Olive · « **Reply #51 on:** April 08, 2011, 06:11:14 PM »

"The Secret Conclave" (1952) with Henry Vidon as Pope St. Pius X

Baskerville · « **Reply #52 on:** April 09, 2011, 11:08:44 AM »

The King of Kings from 1927 directed by Cecil B Demille the same director of The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston. A beautiful film to look at. Although some people may not like it as it is a silent film.

Baskerville · « **Reply #53 on:** April 09, 2011, 11:10:14 AM »

The Gospel According to Matthew.

Just JOKING. I hate that commie crap film.

Darcy · « **Reply #54 on:** April 09, 2011, 02:34:34 PM »

Quote from: PartyIsOver221

Quote from: Alex
Quote from: Darcy
I think this might be okay
"The Passion of Joan of Arc" 1928 can be watched on youtube in 8 parts.

This 1928 version has close up, full screen nudity.

Yes it does. I saw it recently and it had a full-screen breastfeeding going on. Really oddly placed and weird. Like a dash of satanism in an otherwise holy-seeming movie.

Gross.

Oh that.
Now I remember. It was like "Whaat?" when the scene first came on but then I wondered if in 15th c. France in the villages, they did breast feed like that.
The movie was notable for facial closeups and I noticed the closeup of the baby's face as it abruptly stopped the most important activity of its life and turned towards the pyre, as if the baby was aware that a saint was being martyred.
By that time I had disregarded the b--b. :rolleyes:

But I guess it could have been a perversion.

:baby:

Alex · « **Reply #55 on:** April 09, 2011, 02:51:22 PM »

Quote from: Darcy

Quote from: Alex
Quote from: Darcy
I think this might be okay
"The Passion of Joan of Arc" 1928 can be watched on youtube in 8 parts.

This 1928 version has close up, full screen nudity.

Is it on the youtube?
I watched it on Turner Classic Movies and there wasn't that scene in it. A few weeks ago they showed four Joan of Arc movies in a row at TCM.

That's because all the nudity containing movies that are on TCM have had the nudity taken out before they air it.

Elizabeth · « **Reply #56 on:** April 09, 2011, 03:32:22 PM »

In the greater scheme of things, taking scandal from a breast-feeding episode seems a little too rigorous.

I would worry much more about being in the check-out line at the supermarket, going out in public when the weather is warm, watching television and cleavage in general.

Baskerville · « **Reply #57 on:** April 09, 2011, 07:30:07 PM »

Quote from: Daniel

G'day

Has anyone seen The Greatest Story Ever Told from 1965. I can't find any information regarding it's compliance with the Catholic Faith.

Thanks in advance for any help.

I have seen it but it was a while back. I can't remember there being anything against the faith in it. It was pretty good as far as I remember.

rowsofvoices9 · « **Reply #58 on:** June 02, 2013, 03:48:02 PM »

Quote from: s2srea

Has anyone seen- "The Keys to the Kingdom" ?

The movie starring Gregory Peck about a Catholic priest sent to China as a missionary? What a wonderful film and so spiritually uplifting. No profanity or any other objectionable material at all It's one of my favorites.

Another film I've always liked on a somewhat similar theme but technically not a Catholic movie is "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" starring Ingrid Bergman. It's the story of an Englishwoman who longs for nothing more than to go to China and work as a missionary but due to her lack of education she's unqualified. She manages to save up enough money and eventually makes her way to China where she operates an Inn. She becomes so successful that she ends up becoming the foot inspector (even after the practice was outlawed, many little girls were still subject to foot binding) and and advisor to the local Mandarin.

I would also highly recommend "The Prisoner" starring Alec Guiness. This film is loosely based on the ordeal suffered by Cardinal Mindszenty.

Another great film is the "The Scarlett and the Black" starring Gregory Peck. Some of you might not like it because it's based on a true story about and Irish priest who saved thousands of Jews and Allied POW's from the Germans in occupied Rome during WWII.

If you like foreign films you might like "Diary of a Country Priest (1950), and Au Revoir, Les Enfants (1987), Rome, Open City (1945). I a huge fan of foreign films and one that has been rated the one of the best ever is Babette's Feast (1987). I realize that the whole theme of this movie is based on the eucharistic celebration but I found it to be insufferably boring. If you like watching a bunch of people sitting around a dining table partaking in a sumptuous feast, this film is for you.

Unless I missed it, I'm surprised no one mentioned "Becket" based on the martydom of St. Thomas a' Beckett.

IllyricumSacrum · « **Reply #59 on:** June 02, 2013, 04:17:21 PM »

Quote from: Darcy

I think this might be okay
"The Passion of J
oan of Arc" 1928 can be watched on youtube in 8 parts.

"Joan of Arc" 1958 with Ingrind Bergman

I am curious if the made for TV movie about Joan of Arc is appropriate.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0178145/

"The Robe" 1953

"The Trouble With Angels" 1966 with Hayley Mills

"The Passion..." was directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer, arguably one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. A high Lutheran he directed many religious themes films. "Ordet" and "Day of Wrath" are two other in his canon. He was working on a life of Our Lord to be shot in the Mideast when he died in 1968. I believe he was one of many non-Catholic intellectuals to sign a petition asking Montini and the Vaticanistas not to throw away the Church's (and the West's) patrimony by altering her liturgy. We know how well that turned out (sigh).