THE POWER AND THE GLORY
US, 1962, 98 minutes, Black and white.
Laurence Olivier, George C. Scott, Roddy Mc Dowell, Martin Gabel, Julie Harris, Patty Duke, Keenan Wynn, Cyril Cusack, Mildred Dunnock, Fritz Weaver.
Directed by Marc Daniels.
The Power and the Glory is a feature film made for television before the development of telemovies in the late 1960s and 70s. It is certainly not a great film, but it has many good points. Audiences are generally moved and find the film helpful for discussion on the Catholic Church, priesthood, conscience and responsibility.
There was a film version of Graham Greene's novel in 1947, directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda. It was called The Fugitive. Here Laurence Olivier gives a successful, studied portrayal of Greene's whisky-priest. George C. Scott also gives a good performance as the policeman pursuing him. The minor roles are taken by a number of stars who appear briefly but effectively. This film is a good introduction to the world of Graham Greene.
1. Meaning of the title, religious overtones, summing up of the themes?
2. What was the final emotional impact of the film on audiences? Was there sympathy, understanding?
3. Even if an audience is not religious, how does it identify with the priest? Was this a genuinely religious film? Why?
4. How successful was the structure of the film, and what did the journey represent? Comment on the use of black and white photography, music. Mexican atmosphere and overall atmosphere?
5. How impressive was the priest, his humanity, fears, courage? Did your opinion change when he escaped, was feted and returned to the style of life he'd once lived? How disturbing was this? How did he contrast with Father Jose?
6. How did the lieutenant contrast with the priest - pursuer and pursued? Was the lieutenant a man with a strong sense of duty, sense of right and wrong, antipathy towards religion? Was he kind to the priest? Effect of the priest returning, dialogue About life and death, concern for the priest in prison, reaction to the priest's death at the end? How did this add to the significance of the film?
7. Comment on the encounters the priest had with various people - the dentist, the old villager, Coral, the little girl, Maria, the priest's woman, a Judas peasant, the man who sold the priest the wine.
8. What impact did these encounters have on the priest and the people?
9. What were the important themes of this film?
10. What opinions did the film give about good, bad, grace, sin, forgiveness, legality, mercy, legalistic religion, God and his relationship with men?
11. How impressive was the priest as a martyr? the fact that he died drunk? The fact that he died feeble? The fact that he was there to die as a martyr? Why did he stay in the country? Did Graham Greene intend to present him as a saint? How saintly a man was he? How good a man was he? (in his own eyes? In the eyes of the lieutenant? In the audiences' eyes)
12. How did this change him? How did these encounters change others - as persons, as religious people?
- the Dentist and his helping the priest, despite his fears?
- the boy who was glad that the priest returned to his dying father?
- the old villager who appreciated the priest's presence and exchanged clothes with him, later to be shot?
- Coral, the little girl, her attitude towards religion, yet her kindness towards the priest and helping him on his way.
- Maria, the fact that she was the priest's woman, the effect of this on her, her daughter and her difficulty in raising her daughter, the tension when the lieutenant asked the little girl about the priest, the villagers and Maria and their appreciation of the Mass.
- the Judas peasant, in himself so unsympathetic, the priest seeing through him, the priest's reliance on him for wine, his turning up over the boarder and leading the priest into the trap, his final whingeing when the priest went to execution.
- the man who sold the priest the wine, the drinking of the wine, the heartlessness towards the priest, the police chief entering into this party (the police chief as corrupt and incompetent)
- the experiences of the priest in prison, his sharing the conditions of prisoners and their humiliation, the woman venerating him as a priest and then turning on him when she understood the truth? What kind of religious woman was she? What point was being made - the sequence with the dead little girl and the woman?
- The priest's encounter with the people at the village where he was free, his returning to his old style and asking for money for ceremonies, his pleasure in being vested again, his relationship with the head of the village, his bargaining for the drink, the reaction of the teacher who despised the priest, the priest's giving his money back to the teacher.
- the Gringo and the comfort that the priest brought him
- Father Jose, the appeal for help by the priest in the middle of the film, the lieutenant's asking him to come for his confession.
