EL CRIMEN DEL PADRE AMARO (THE CRIME OF FR AMARO)

Mexico, 2002, 119 minutes, Colour.
Gael Garcia Bernal, Ana Claudia Talancon, Pedro Armendariz Jr.
Directed by Carlos Carrera.

El Crimen del Padre Amaro, was nominated in the category of Best Foreign Language Film for the Academy Awards for the films of 2002.

When it was released in Mexico in mid-2002, it received a large amount of press coverage which highlighted its 'controversial' Catholic Church issues. The film was popular at the Mexican box-office. At the time a number of Mexican Bishops expressed their protest at the themes of the film. The secretary of SIGNIS Mexico, Rodolfo Guzman, wrote more positively of the film's technical qualities, of the treatment of the characters and their interactions, especially concerning money issues and clerical celibacy as well as the challenges to the church which such films offer to look again at structures and abuses.

Towards the end of 2002, the film was released commercially in the United States and received a negative review from the critic of the American Catholic Conference classifications office. The film was judged as vicious and corrosive and referred to some sequences as hurtful to Catholics. As with so many issues, regional and national sensibilities differ considerably and have to be taken into account when making recommendations or issuing condemnations.

El Crimen is based on a book dating from 1875, a reminder that problems of relationships between church and governments and the potential for corruption as well as difficulties with clerical celibacy are issues of long standing. This is particularly the case for nations which have centuries-old Hispanic tradition from Catholic countries and societies so different from those influenced by the 16th century Reformation, most of the countries of Europe as well as the United States.

It needs to be acknowledged that the style of the film is that of the telenovella so popular in recent years in Latin America. Critics from less emotional societies find the telenovella style particularly melodramatic, highly volatile and emotional with characters and situations often presented in broad and sweeping strokes. This is an accepted way of storytelling. As the critic for Variety shrewdly pointed out, the audiences for which El Crimen was geared would have no trouble in appreciating its style.

The Catholic Hispanic (and Iberian) culture also has a long history of what might be called anti-clericalism. 'The Mission' is a cinema reminder of 18th century clashes between civil authorities and the church in South America which led to pressure on the Pope in 1773 to suppress the Jesuits. During the 19th and 20th centuries there were the revolutions for independent nationhood as well as the 1930s Spanish Civil War. This is true of Mexico, so it is not unexpected to find a film that takes a critical look at the local church. By the 1940s, Graham Greene had written a classic novel of such Catholicism in The Power and the Glory.

El Crimen del Padre Amaro has been described as anticlerical. It is truer to say that the film is anti-clericalism rather than anti-clerical. It is critical of the power plays (clericalism) of some clergy, of misconduct by some priests and members of religious orders who profess to live exemplary lives. It does not say that all clergy are like this. In fact, one of the heroes of the film is a priest who tries to live the Gospel injunctions of service to the poor and oppressed but who becomes the victim of the power plays, this clericalism. The film also presents sequences of bizarre and superstitious religious practices. The broad sweep does not necessarily imply general condemnation as is sometimes felt by audiences whose sensitivity is bruised by such presentations. A film about individual or group police corruption or political corruption is not necessarily anti-police or anti-government.

With the contemporary contempt for official organisations (the misconduct of financial corporations, the lack of credibility of government action), it is not unexpected that Church organisations are targets for criticism. Since the Church has always acknowledged that it comprises both saints and sinners, that the Church continually needs reforming (the old Latin adage, Ecclesia semper reformanda), the actions of sinners, no matter how distasteful and hurtful for those strongly committed to their Church, are able to be dramatised, criticised and, where necessary, be held accountable.

These are the implications of a film like El Crimen del Padre Amaro. Documented material would indicate that the lack of commitment to vows of celibacy are not rare, that officials can be corrupted by financial ambition or greed, that drugs, dealing and export are a continual problem in many Latin American countries. These are some of the topics of El Crimen. The implication of the critique offered by the film of several of the central characters is that this is not what the Church professes and not what its members expect it to be like. So, the film offers a challenge to an examination of conscience and the need for reform.

1. The controversy about the film? Ideas on celibacy? The tradition of films about clerical celibacy?

2. The style of the movie, its Mexican origins, the popularity of telenovellas in Latin America? A way of communicating popular stories to a wide audience?

3. The location photography, the villages, the mountains? The musical score, the songs, the hymns?

4. A 19th century novel transferred to the 21st century: the issues, the structure and activity of the church, Latin American society, the priesthood, celibacy, clerical power, social conditions, drug lords, guerrilla warfare?

5. The title? Which was Fr Amaro's crime?

6. An authentic picture of the church, its language, behaviour, priests' clothes, vestments, details of church life, the bishop and the nun working in the secretariat, the discussion about studies of moral theology and canon law in Rome, the priests' meetings in the presbyteries, the drinking, the rebels, the exercise of authority and power, clerical ambition, cover-ups?

7. The picture of Fr Amaro, his age, no details of his background, in the bus, his clothes, sitting next to the old man, their discussions about his future and the shop, the robbery, Amaro giving the old man cash? Arriving in the town, encountering Amelia and the kids playing, Fr Benito, the welcome, his being the bishop's favourite, the austerity of his room, going for an apprenticeship after his ordination?

8. The picture of church buildings and art, the towers in the landscape, the church building, interiors, the baroque, the Hispanic style, the statues, the tombs, rituals and prayers? The contemporary celebration of Mass? Preaching? Devotions?

9. Mexican piety and its emotionally Hispanic tradition, baroque styles, prayers and rituals, aberrations? The old woman and her singing in the church when Amaro arrived, the statues, the Hosts, her home, giving the Host to the cat, hoping to heal it ( and later reprimanding the kids for not reverencing the Hosts)? Her house and its devotions, her spying, gossip, participating in the abortion? Amelia and her devotions, her declarations of love of God? Martin working in the sacristy? Amaro telling him about Amelia wanting to be a nun? The mayor's wife, her piety, confessions? Amelia's mother and her devotions? The issue of celibacy, behaviour? The contrast with the rebel priest and the guerrillas in the mountains and their celebrating of rituals?

10. Amaro and his age, work in the parish, the priests' meetings, the drinking, the celebration of Mass, going to the restaurant? Meeting Gethsemani, his hearing confessions, the mayor's wife, getting the money for the hospital? With Reuben and Amelia? His interactions with Benito? With the mad woman? His giving advice? Fr Natalio and his visit, the message from the bishop, going to the bishop about the newspaper articles, the money, going to the editor and blackmailing him about advertising, his sermon, his having to refute the accusations?

11. When was the transition from the devout young priest to someone with ambitions for clerical power, leading to sexual misbehaviour and rationalising his situation, his vocation, his future?

12. Benito as parish priest, Spanish background, living with Amelia's mother, her story and Benito's helping of her, going to the restaurant, her being the housekeeper? His own devotions? The issue of money, Don Chato, going to the baptism, being looked after, the photos? His relationship with the bishop, with the other priests coming for the meetings? The refutation of the charges? His collapse, change, his confronting Amaro and confessing Amaro's sins for him? Don Chato providing the plane? His return, his breaking with Amelia's mother, his presence at Amelia's funeral and his leaving, his message to Amaro?

13. The sketch of the other priests, coming for the meeting, watching the TV and the football, eating, over-drinking, relationship to the bishop? The portrait of the bishop, his favouring Amaro, seeing him as his successor and adviser, his sending him to confront Fr Natalio? His own attitude towards the laundering of the money for the hospital? The hospital money, Amaro visiting the site with Amelia, the money-laundering? The politics? The phone call about Natalio, Amaro delivering the fax, the threats that he be transferred to a convent?

14. Fr Natalio, his declaration that there were no guerrillas, his being with the people, the clash with Don Chato, liberation theology, social awareness? Inviting Amaro, Amaro going to the mountains, the funeral, Amaro asking him about the morality of abortion? His decision to defy the bishop and remain with the people?

15. Amelia's mother, the care of the priest, the story of her husband leaving, care of her daughter, being accepted as the equivalent of the priest's wife? Amelia, following the pattern of her mother, her relationship with Reuben? Reuben and his love for Amelia, wanting to marry her? His going to the city, getting a job with the paper? Getting the opportunity to investigate the photos of Benito and Don Chato (and the brutal scene of the murder of the photographer in the toilet)? Amelia and her infatuation with Amaro, the restaurant, her confession, her catechism, the discussion about the room, Gethsemani, her explaining doctrine to her, the sexual liaison? The secrecy, her pregnancy? Her still teaching the Ten Commandments and the boy's question about fornication? Her proposal to marry Reuben? Amaro and his pressure about the abortion, the money? Her finally agreeing, the old woman helping, the hospital, her bleeding and dying? The reaction of the mayor, the mayor's wife wanting to close down these hospitals? Her funeral and Amaro presiding? His hypocrisy?

16. Amaro and the bishop, the editor, preaching from the pulpit against the paper, the clashes with Reuben, the assault, his withdrawing the charges? Sacking Martin for having exposed him? The abortion, his rationalisations, asking Natalio, the issue of free will? His explaining to Amelia about his vocation, choices? His hypocrisy at the funeral?

17. Martin and Gethsemani, Martin's brutality yet love for her? The room, Martin exposing the truth, his having to leave?

18. Themes of the church, good and evil, sin, and reform, power, clerical power, celibacy, the need for authenticity and integrity in the priesthood?