ROMERO

US, 1989, 105 minutes, Colour.
Raul Julia, Richard Jordan, Harold Gould, Tony Plana.
Directed by John Duigan.

Romero is a sincere film about Archbishop Oscar Romero, social troubles in El Salvador, his stances and his assassination in 1980. (This material had been included in Oliver Stone's Salvador as well as Choices of the Heart, the telemovie story of Jean Donovan and the American sisters murdered in El Salvador in 1980.)

The film was produced by Father Elwood (Bud) Kaiser, the Paulist priest who had been responsible for many decades for the popular television Insight series. He also produced the telemovie about Ethiopia, We Are The Children. After this screenplay, by John Sacret Young (originator and writer of the television series China Beach), Father Kaiser decided to make a feature film and employed Australian director John Duigan (Winter of Our Dreams, Far East, The Year My Voice Broke, Flirting and the portrait of Catholic war photographer, Damian Parer, The Legend of Damian Parer).

Raoul Julia is excellent as Archbishop Romero. The supporting cast includes Richard Jordan (with a Spanish- American accent) as Father Grande, the friend of the archbishop.

The film is fairly straightforward in its style, a popular biography of a clergyman whose bookish ways are challenged by the social unrest and atrocities in El Salvador and who realises that Providence has marked him out as a martyr.

The film could be criticised in some ways for its presentation of the landed aristocracy as stereotypes as well as the persecuted people. However, there is an earnestness about the narrative, an invitation for audiences to appreciate the challenge to a man like Romero and realise some of the social injustice in Latin America, especially El Salvador.

1. The portrait of a clergyman? A man who discovers a mission? A portrait of the Catholic church in the '70s and '80s in Central America? A portrait of social unrest and injustice in Central America?

2. The Mexican locations for El Salvador, the countryside, the villages, the city? Poverty, prison? Wealthy aristocracy and their homes? The church? The musical score?

3. The background of the production, Catholic church production - for mainstream audiences?

4. Audience knowledge of Archbishop Romero, of the plight of El Salvador, of conflicts within the Catholic church, of liberation theology?

5. The three-year period, the portrait of El Salvador, Romero and his transformation?

6. The setting: the speeches, the question of free elections, the photographs, Salvadoran history, oppression, the role of the military, the government?

7. Romero as a quiet clergyman, dressed in his cassock? His friendship with Grande, their talks, ideas? The question of the communists? Revolutionaries, the portrait of Jesus Christ the Revolutionary? Liberation theology background? The bus, the elections, the people, guns? The bus shot at? The walk, Romero in the car? Back in his quiet room, the scholarly man with his books? Troubled?

8. Nominated as Archbishop of San Salvador, the hostility of the priests? His episcopal ordination? The greetings, the clergy, Grande, the government, the family? His friendship with the family? The role of the bishops' conference, the meetings, the sinister whisperings of the bishops? Factions? Grande and his intrusion into the banquet with the story of the massacre and the challenge to Romero?

9. The portrait of Father Grande, his ideas, his friendship with Romero? The village? The National Guard, Lieutenant Columa? Trying to explain situations to Romero? The deaths, his grief? The episcopal conference? The car, his own death?

10. Romero changing, the radio broadcasts? The decision about the celebration of Mass? The interdict? The Galedo family? The ransom, his wanting to intercede, waiting for the president? The president and the lies? The transformation of Romero? The interdict, going to get the Blessed Sacrament from the altar, the shooting of the altar, his going into the church? The hostages, betrayal, arrest, the experience of the cell, listening to the torture, the deaths? His wandering in agony? Stripped?

11. The inner change, his prayer, being alone, understanding the government, his stances, questioning his friendships, convictions, growing disgust, going into action, a sense of Providence for his call, defying the authorities, the celebration of the Eucharist, the martyr?

12. The bishops, their stances, military chaplains, the conferences, the veto of presence at the inauguration, working for consensus, the funeral of the murdered, the interdict, episcopal clashes and theological stances? Questions of justice?

13. The clergy, divided, mocking Romero, fighting for the people, in the village, change, the priest coming to confession and the impact on Romero, his arrest, decision about his priesthood, torture and death? The reaction and the clergy wanting to take to arms, the argument about fighting?

14. The Galedo family, their status, landowning, present at the consecration, role in government, the wedding? The daughter, the baptism - and the Indian and the extreme race prejudice? The Minister of Agriculture, the kidnapping, Romero willing to negotiate? His death, the reaction of the family? The families and their wealth, their style and the contrast with the people?

15. The civil authorities, the president, the lies about no political prisoners, the lieutenant, the meetings, the decision concerning Romero's death?

16. The military types (caricatures of themselves with their authoritarian arrogance, dark glasses etc.)? The National Guard, cruelty, opening fire and massacring people, village, bus? At the church? Torture and assassinations?

17. The picture of the Salvadoran people, their suffering, the girl, her work, arrested, raped, tortured, her tongue cut out? The burial ground? The impact of such suffering?

18. The use of Christ symbolism? Christ as sufferer, saviour, liberator?

19. The film as a portrait, a tribute, a message film?