MONSIGNOR

US, 1982, 121 minutes, Colour.
Christopher Reeve, Genevieve Bujold, Fernando Rey, Jason Miller, Adolfo Celi, Tomas Milian, Joe Pantoliano, Robert Prosky.
Directed by Frank Perry.

A Vatican priest succumbs to the temptations of the root of all evil. For one, it also meant his eventual succumbing to sexual temptations. He was Christopher Reeve in Frank Perry’s Monsignor (1992). Much of Monsignor is the visual equivalent of a novel’s ‘purple passages’ of prose. This is Vatican melodrama, founded in fact, but heightened for touches of sensationalism, touches of prurience, touches of speculation, ‘what if…?’.

The monsignor was trained in the strict seminary of the 1930s and then asked to be a military chaplain in the war. The war took its toll, especially in moral issues concerning wounded and dying soldiers and how they should die. He then starts his Vatican career at the same time that de Niro was working in LA. He is a whiz at developing schemes to stabilise the Vatican finances after World War II. These include working with Mafia connections and by association with the rackets that the Mafia developed in those decades. This is the story of the man who loses his vocation to holiness in the priesthood as he becomes more and more ambitious, being relied on as a fix-it expert, wanting more and more power and recognition. It is the perennial temptation for the career priest (which should actually be a contradiction in terms), for priests in chanceries or curial offices, who are caught up in business day by day sometimes at the expense of any ministry outreach. The Radio Times Guide was of the opinion that it was somewhere ‘between schlock and solemnity’.

The 1980s saw the alleged suicide of Roberto Calvi under London Bridge because of Vatican bank links with crime syndicates. (His story was filmed in 2001 as God’s Banker; it was made clear in 2003 that he did not kill himself but was murdered.)

It is no surprise, given the nature of Monsignor, that Reeve’s character has an affair with a nun, Genevieve Bujold, compounding his infidelity to his vocation.

Frank Perry often worked with his then wife for some fine films of the 60s: David and Lisa, The Swimmer, Diary of a Mad Housewife. His films by himself were a touch ‘heightened’. His film before Monsignor was the biography of Joan Crawford, Mommie dearest.

1. Popular ingredients for soap opera and drama: religion, romance, finance? The world of the popular bestseller? The background of soap operas and melodramas? A satisfying entertainment blend?

2. The use of America in the '40s, Rome and Italy, the Vatican? Locations and authenticity? The splendour of the Vatican? Ritual and ceremonies? The contrast with the United States? Period atmosphere? A hot-house atmosphere about religion? The musical score? The use of religious style music and hymns?

3. The choice of Christopher Reeve for the central role? The Superman background? Audience curiosity? The critics commenting on Reeve as Superpriest? The international supporting cast and its quality?

4. The plausibility of the plot: John Flaherty as emerging from a seminary of the '30s, involvement as war chaplain in World War Two, American attitudes towards the Vatican and influence, progressives and conservatives in the Vatican, the Vatican lifestyle, finances and the war and the need for mafia connections? The world scene and headlines of Vatican bank scandals in the early '80s? The plot as plausible ? but exploitive?

5. How plausible the behaviour of the characters: John Flaherty as a newly ordained priest, his sense of vocation or lack of it? The war experience and his helping the dying man, his danger of being tried for war crime? Financial background and its use in the Vatican? His continuing as a priest? His allowing himself to become involved with Clara? Friendship with Lodo and the possibilities for Mafia connections with the Vatican? His dealings with Don Appolini? Career? Cardinalate? Exposure and scandal, repentance? The screenplay's point of view about the hero? Audiences identifying with him? His behaviour? Was he likable or not?

6. The character of John: the opening with the ordination and audiences presuming on his sincerity and vocation? The wedding reception and the comparison of marriage with ordination? His friendship with Lodo? Discussions about fidelity and their both being unfaithful? The credibility of his boogie woogie dance in the 1940s (Roman collar and all)? His eagerness to become a war chaplain? His being commended by the Bishop? The realities of war? His rashness and bravery in helping the dying man? The reasons for his shooting the enemy and the vengeance motive? His being removed from war chaplaincy? The American Bishop and his influence in the Vatican? Speeches about American representation? Flaherty's background knowledge of finance and interest in it? The meeting with Cardinal Santoni and the dispute about kissing his ring, expecting the Cardinal to face him? The conservative Cardinal and his entourage and the continual clashes? Francisco spying on him? His work for Santoni and the gift of the cross? His later becoming Monsignor and his status in the Vatican? His efficient work? Meeting Lodo in the Vatican gardens, discovering the warehouse, the black market goods, the deals with American military hierarchy? His shrewd plans? The discussions with Appolini and his cover? Using the sacraments to communicate with Appolini? The buildup of cash? No questions asked at the Vatican? His decision to change respectability after the war? The deal with Appolini about clean money? The building up of an empire, of his bank? The possibility of exposure, of being robbed, scandal? The American executive in the older Cardinal? The reaction of the Curia? The crisis and his handling of it? The rejection by the Curia, the discussions with the Pope? Hearing the confession of Appolini, trying

7. Flaherty as a man: ambitions, worldliness, the chance encounter with Clara, the various rendezvous, the Forum, the shop? Taking her to the storehouse? The champagne and the bed? The affair? His confession, yet going back to Clara? Decisions and her saying she would not pry into his secret? His not revealing the truth to her? The effect on him? His perceiving the effect on her and not perceiving it? The audience with the Pope and her seeing him? The tense sequence of the recognition, his embarrassment? His praying in the church for forgiveness and her angrily turning on him and refusing forgiveness? His not seeing the effect on her?

8. The portrait of Clara: the postulant, the study situation and the rain the rendezvous in the Forum, at the bookshop? Her going to the house? Her strength? Explanation about her vocation and her disappointment in love, needing to trust? Her leading him in the affair? The quality of the love between them? Her being disappointed about his secret? Her discovery of the truth, the embarrassing stopping and watching him in the papal audience? The intense emotion in her condemnation of him and refusal to forgive him?

9. The image of the Church: religion, tradition, ceremonies, rings and authority, blessings, the work of the chaplain? The Vatican and politics, intrigue and factions? obedience and the sequence with Santoni and John picking olives? The Pope and his august presence, the kissing of his feet? His presence in the Curia? Discussions with John? His emphasis that the Church was not to be of the world while in it? Themes of repentance and forgiveness? The focus on the Pope as the centre of obedience and authority? The relative absence of Christ? his image on a crucifix which was used to communicate with Appolini, his presence on crucifixes, on the roofs of chapels?

10. The portrait of Santoni as a churchman: in himself, the olive-picking sequence and his explanations, authority and the kissing of the ring, the need for money, the war situation, contacts, giving his cross to John, naming him Monsignor? The $50,000? Supporting John against the other factions? His not wanting to be Pope? His plea for John in the Curia? His becoming Pope?

11. The frail Pope, august presence, the thanks to those who supported him during the war, his presence in the Curia? His discussions with John about repentance? His death and his knowledge of it? Fair choices?

12. Cardinals and rival factions? Conservatives? Ambitions? Francisco and his spying on John? His becoming a Cardinal and enmity in later decades?

13. The sketch of the American Bishop and his recruiting John, his political vision, loyalty to the Pope? The parallelling of recruitment to the Vatican as to the C.I.A. or the Public Service?

14. Lodo and his marriage, his ineffective wife, his powerful father-in-law? Involvement in the war? Seeing John in the Vatican gardens, revealing the stores, the deals, the black market, the link with Appolini? His becoming a front for the operations? The sequence with the whores and John's involvement? Appolini's disgust, slapping him? The repercussions with Lodo? His stealing the money, causing the scandal? Going to New York, John's discussion and his seeming to comply, the confrontation with Appolini and his death?

15. Don Appolini and the portrait of a mafia chief, his power, explanations of the set-ups, using Lodo? His respect for John? The Communion sequence? The cleaning up the place after the whores? illness. confession, swearing on the cross ? and murdering Lodo in revenge?

16. The incidental characters and their credibility: in Rome, in the Vatican, in the United States?

17. The effect of the film as bestseller melodrama? As a curiosity item? The serious themes that it tackled ? and its ability to do justice to them or not? Critics dismissing the film as rubbish?