jbe@sri-unix (11/05/82)
This movie gives the viewer a terrific insite to that massive religious
machine, the Vatican in Rome. While I cannot vouch for the authenticity
of the detail, the director went to great lengths to convince you that
these were not actors but real religious leaders.
Christopher Reeves proves he can stand without special effects , but the
realism of the setting and population of the movie make him dstand uout
a bit as a hHolllywood lywood actor in the Vatican.
The movie tells the story of a young Italian financial wizard becoming
a priesteistiest and immediatlyiattlyllygoing off to the war (WW 2) to become a hero (bum) by
taking out a Ruskie division. He ends up in the Vatican as an aid-
to an aid to an aid to a Cardinal and works his way up to the side
of the Cardinal by getting the Vatican involved in the black market
to cure a cash flow problem caused by the war. It could be any
major business in trouble, except the "executives" are all lawful-neutral
clerics with an image to protect.
To make a logng storiey short, Reeve's cardinal eventually becomes Pope and
the Reeves is a full Cardinal with graying hair. You leave the theater convinced.
Jeff Erwin
Intel, Oregon
...!intelqa!omsvax!jbedoug (11/10/82)
This is one of the worst movies I have seen in quite a while. Christopher Reeve doesn't even fall under the category of "subsistence level" acting. It's really embarrassing to watch him. Even in "exposing" the hypocrisy of the church, the movie comes out as being shallow. For a good movie that exposes the hypocrisy of the church, but at the same time revels in life, see the movie version of "The Decameron".