This unusual 'Western' is all a bit of mess. But some of the ingredients are rather tasty and juicy and so, it is actually quite enjoyable.
John Mills, as the priest, supposedly Irish but who's accent is only about 10% that, does OK but doesn't shine. Apparently Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift were first choices for his part. And on set, he didn't get on with arch rival desperado outlaw, Dirk Bogarde - and it shows.
Bogarde's high-camp dandy of an outlaw would make you laugh if this film wasn't so serious. To many, the ongoing religiosity - I won't go so far to say 'sermonising' between the Church (Catholic, in this case) - could be a turn-off.
I was trying to place the film's setting, period wise but can't find mention of it but would guess 1930-40s and a remote village in Mexico (actually Spain). Aside of its two English leads and the above, the final third in the triangle is a beautiful blonde French young actress, Mylene Demongeot. As I said, quite a mish-mash that makes a tastier dish than it should.
Trying to simplify the plot, I'll say that Mills takes over from another priest who is disenchanted and can't wait to get out. Mills, the idealist and good-doer can't believe him when he says that the Church is hated in the village, led by the local gangster, Bogarde. This desperado punishes any that assist or even go to church. Demongeot is the daughter of a local man who helps the priest. Apparently, she's in love with Mills, who presumes it's Bogarde that is her crush.
One day, a drunk man who Mills prays for comes to his lodgings after and tries to kill him. Bogarde saves his life and shoots the man, dead. The police, who have never had anything concrete to nail the crook on, try to arrest him but not only does Mills neither hand him over but absolves his sins. Thinking that he has redeemed an evil man....
And so it goes on. The girl is beautiful and nice to look at, Bogarde struts around gamely like a peacock and Mills is reliably nice.
The title - one of its strong points - refers to the man (the priest) rather than his song (Church, The Bible) as Bogarde came to have respect and admiration for Mills, rather than what he stood for.
The direction is a bit stodgy and as I saw it on commercial TV, it was cut up by frequent ads and in 4:3 ratio. And soft. And long, at 2.5 hours (on ITV)
