The Scarlet and the Black

Based on a true story set during World War II in Rome, this made for television movie stars Gregory Peck in yet another fine role,(as if he could ever do a bad one.)The supporting cast is also amazing with fine performances from Christopher Plummer and Sir John Gielgud, with Raf Valone, Vernon Dobchef and Walter Gotell among others.

It is a fast paced history/war/drama/thriller in the mold of such films as "The Third Man," and "The Thirty Nine Steps." The frenetic musical score of Ennio Morricone (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly) helps to keep the pace on the edge of you seat. This is simply some fine film making at its very best, and I highly recommend it, if you have not already had a chance to see it. Just a beautiful film.

There are not too many movies I could say I like but this one was great. The acting is really good from all the actors.. The story was very serious, It is a very tense movie. The Nazi's take over Rome and watch everyone.

Col Kappler, a Nazi is in charge of the base in Rome. He commands his men to put a white painted line near the Vatican where those in the Vatican have to stay behind the line and supposedly his soldiers won't cross it.

Gregory Peck plays a Irish Catholic priest who plays Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty. He heads a group of people in Italy that hide people in safe houses from the Nazis. Kappler has the priest followed everywhere to see who his friends are and who is hiding the people. O'Flaherty is aware of this and out smarts the soldiers and dresses up in different disguises to meet those in charge of his group.

Col Kappler despises O'Flaherty because the priest defies him in many ways. Kappler has a wife and two kids that live in Rome and are very spoiled. They are the only people Kappler cares about plus getting praised for his military successes.

Kappler and his soldiers have to leave Rome. There are soldiers coming in to get them out. He has failed and wants O'Flaherty to get his family out. Kappler talks about forgiveness and what the priest believes but the priest does not buy his attempts to get him to save his wife and children and tells him off.

This is a very serious part. Gregory Peck plays a man of strength through God, bravery in really tough times, trustworthy, faithful and full of love for his fellow man.

You have to watch it yourself. The end is very good and has some surprising results.

I tuned to this by accident one evening on TV when it seemed there was nothing else worth watching and it grabbed my attention for over two hours.

This is the true story of a man whose conscience will not let him stand by while the world goes to hell around him. Gregory Peck plays an O'Flaherty whose quaint 'Oirish' charm hides a cunning and resourceful leader who has to balance the demands of his conscience with his role as an official in the Vatican government.

Pope Pius makes it clear he understands O'Flaherty's motivation while warning him that if he is arrested, the Pope will not compromise Vatican neutrality to save him. The film does its best to restore Pius XII's reputation - he has been called "Hitler's Pope" - but it is unclear how much he knew of, or even condoned, O'Flaherty's activities. O'Flaherty cannot compromise, and continues with his work despite the Gestapo having orders to shoot him on sight if he is found outside the Vatican, and suffering a failed assassination attempt in St Peter's itself.

Christopher Plummer is always worth watching and his performance here is no exception. Shown first as an arrogant man who feels the Nazis now "own Rome... it's ours", we later see that Kappler is at the mercy of this ruthless regime even as he plays his part in it. Finally the only person he can turn to is his arch-enemy from the Vatican. This is a fairly conventional irony, but during the course of the film Plummer also suggests how Kappler is losing his soul to his inhuman work, becoming isolated from his family as he begins to loathe what he is doing. You feel Kappler hates O'Flaherty not simply because of what he does, but because O'Flaherty represents the better part of himself.

I would give the film more stars but it is about 15 minutes too long and becomes rather episodic towards the end. However, it's a great story, well-acted by a strong cast, and can be viewed and enjoyed many times.

I am not a Catholic myself, however, the story of Msgr Hugh O'Flaherty must be the most forgotten true story of the Second World War! It also gives us an inside view of the politics the Vatican faced in the 1940s and, presumably, today! The film reminds us all, that whatever the situation, there are always people who are prepared to help. O'Flaherty went beyond this. He hated the British, but saved many British (and American airman) from certain death. His actions saved the lives of thousands of Jews in Italy at not only great personal risk to himself, but to the others in his organisation.

There is talk today of making John Paul 11 a Saint. Surely somebody at the Vatican will remember this humble Monsignor who did (at the time) more to help mankind than anyone is such horrific circumstances. When I can afford it, I will visit this man's grave and say a silent prayer. I don't want a TV film crew there, but I want to say "Thank You" to a man who gave his all to save the free world! A certain telephone company ran a series of advertisements many years ago, asking who in History would you most like to talk to. For me... it would be Mons. Hugh O'Flaherty. At the moment in time, only this film, an area of trees and a gravestone honour this man. Surely he deserves more? An outstanding film, well cast, excellently photographed. Tension, intrigue, drama, even humour (dressing up as a Nun?) I say everyone should view this film. An inspiring, true life film.

This should be mandatory viewing in all "20th Century Europe" history classes. Also, unlike what another viewer inferred, the romance between the young couple in the movie is NOT fictional. It is based on real people and they did marry after the end of the war. Read about it in "The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican" which is available at libraries. Also, anyone who liked this movie would love the book and the movie "The Assisi Underground". The movie stars James Mason, Maximilian Schell, Irene Papas and Ben Cross. Their is also a documentary of this story available thru interlibrary loans called "Assisi in Silence". It was filmed in Assisi and has real interviews with people and relatives involved in saving Jews in Assisi.