In the film, El Sacerdote, played well by Simón Andreu, viewers witness the long, silent, emotional and psychological turmoil of a celibate catholic priest. Despite his strong moral fiber he realizes, human bodies are constantly plagued with sinful images which his faith and profession forbids. After failing to deal with the tormenting demons, he seeks the help of his superiors who offer few options, insisting that spiritual platitudes are sufficient to deal with the "Devil's temptations". Despite his best efforts, the haunting memories of his past remain vivid and troubling. Daily, he is reminded of his lustful needs, which range from a young boy to a married village beauty. The film mirrors modern concepts and conflicts which challenge the church today. Over all, this is a remarkable and touching film, with brief nude scenes and violent depictions of the torturous lengths a man will go to find at peace with himself and his God.
3 Reviews
Archetypal view of the necessary conflict between priestly celibacy and human nature.
vegete2 May 2003
This film is very enlightening about the sexual conflicts which will of course arise in an environment of imposed celibacy. We know from the facts of the modern church that many priests do not achieve celibacy, and that their sexuality is a force which if ignored or abused will go awry and cause grave trouble for the community. Without getting to those dire consequences, the priest in El Sacerdote recognizes his own apparent obsession with sex (really a normal degree of physical desire coming head to head with religious restriction), and turns to his superiors for help. The efforts to change him, to affirm the counter-instinctual ban on sex, lead through a tour of his childhood and the foundation of a man's life. Sex never wants to go away, and so it becomes a contest of mind over matter, as it were. It is a failure of man if he does not accept his own physical reality, care for it and respect it's mysteries. The macrocosm is our world and universe--the heavens--and how we care for our role in that. The microcosm is our own mind-body existence, the locus of each man's world. The priest finds out that one cannot deny the body, home of desire, just as we do not deny mind, home of the spirit. His tragedy is a giant finger pointing at the church, accusing it quite rightly of being forever stuck in the kindergarten of spirituality, ostensibly deprived of the infinite wisdom that would come from a sexually mature world view.
Scabrous and sensationalist film but with fine performances from Simón Andreu and Emilio Gutierrez Caba
ma-cortes29 August 2017
A strong tale of repression , obsession , celibacy , religious restriction , and forbidden love in which a priest is tempted by erotic desires . Obsessed with sexual fantasies , Father Miguel seeks professional help through other priests as the traditional Father Alfonso (José Franco) and a priest militant of a left-wing ideology Padre Luis (Emilio Gutiérrez Caba) , but they are not understanding him . As his physical desire coming to head with the celibacy , then the celibate Catholic priest falls in love with a married woman (Esperanza Roy) to a mistreating husband (Jose Manuel Cervino) , but risks escalate when he feels really disturbed in falling into ¨Sins¨. As he foolishly embarks on a walk of self-destruction , masochism , and culpability . Things go wrong when he returns his local village along with his mother (Queta Claver) , as he remembers his dark past , including father's (Raúl Fraire) mistreating , and his twisted relationships with childhood friends . At the final point the film abruptly finishes and , including unexpected as well as dire consequences .
This is a provoking and enlightening story in which sex desires collide with priesthood , forbidden loves , violence and self-flagellation . However , it is full of sensationalism , blasphemy , nudism , mutilation , and sexual aberrations as Sado-masochism , inter-courses , tortures , abuses and Zoofilia . This grim and politically incorrect film describes a strong confrontation between human nature and celibacy ; thus leaving the Father in a deep dilemma ; abandoning the Catholic church or should he attempt , on his own , to surrender to these erotic temptations? . Set in 1967 and including some political remarks from this troublesome period , and apparition of some posters showings usual events at the time as sexy advert or Festival Eurovision with Sandie Shaw . It displays a complex , extreme and curious screenplay by Enrique Barreiro and Eloy De La Iglesia himself . Nice acting by Simón Andreu as an upsetting priest who has a tryst with a married woman and becomes involved with an extreme obsession . Support cast is pretty good , such as José Vivó , José Franco , Africa Pratt ,José Manuel Cervino , Amparo Climent , Emilio Fornet , Antonio Gamero , and finally Queta Claver . Sad but appropriate musical score by Carmelo Bernaola. And evocative and atmospheric cinematography by Magi Torruella.
This sensationalistic film "The Priest¨ was regularly directed by Eloy De La Iglesia . Most his films dealt with sex including shots of nude males , homosexuality , politics and forbidden lovers . De La Iglesia was a notorious communist militant , drug addict and homosexual , these personal characteristics were widely shown in his films . Eloy was a talented Spanish movies director , he began working in cinema in 1966 , at his 22 years old , he debuted in a kiddies production , ¨Fantasy 3¨(66) . Following a sordid melodrama ¨Algo Amargo En La Boca¨ (67) and a boxing story , ¨Cuadrilatero¨(69) . De La Iglesia realizes a lot of thrilling pictures with erotic background as ¨Techo Cristal¨(70) , ¨Nadie Oyó Gritar¨ (72) , ¨Gota Sangre Para Seguir Amando¨ (73) , and scabrous tales as ¨Juegos Amor Prohibido¨(75) , ¨Otra Alcoba¨ (76) . And concerning youthful gay : ¨Placeres Ocultos¨(76) , ¨El Sacerdote¨(78) and politicians : ¨The Deputy ¨, ¨Mujer Del Ministro¨ . Although he became notorious in the years of the Spanish transition to democracy with shocking and polemic films as ¨El Pico 1¨ and 2¨ , ¨Cólegas¨ , ¨Navajeros¨, ¨La Estanquera De Vallecas¨ (87) . All of them dealt with druggies , dope sellers , delinquency , terrorism , underworld suburban and generational problems are the habitual subjects in his films , and specially dedicated to the underworld of heroin ; as well as the gay world . Passing of time hasn't had mercy with most of those movies , but they represented a time and a way of life in the history of Spain ; and now they may seem a little bit naive . His last films were an academic rendition based on Henry James' novel : ¨The turn of the screw¨ and ¨Los Novios Búlgaros¨.
This is a provoking and enlightening story in which sex desires collide with priesthood , forbidden loves , violence and self-flagellation . However , it is full of sensationalism , blasphemy , nudism , mutilation , and sexual aberrations as Sado-masochism , inter-courses , tortures , abuses and Zoofilia . This grim and politically incorrect film describes a strong confrontation between human nature and celibacy ; thus leaving the Father in a deep dilemma ; abandoning the Catholic church or should he attempt , on his own , to surrender to these erotic temptations? . Set in 1967 and including some political remarks from this troublesome period , and apparition of some posters showings usual events at the time as sexy advert or Festival Eurovision with Sandie Shaw . It displays a complex , extreme and curious screenplay by Enrique Barreiro and Eloy De La Iglesia himself . Nice acting by Simón Andreu as an upsetting priest who has a tryst with a married woman and becomes involved with an extreme obsession . Support cast is pretty good , such as José Vivó , José Franco , Africa Pratt ,José Manuel Cervino , Amparo Climent , Emilio Fornet , Antonio Gamero , and finally Queta Claver . Sad but appropriate musical score by Carmelo Bernaola. And evocative and atmospheric cinematography by Magi Torruella.
This sensationalistic film "The Priest¨ was regularly directed by Eloy De La Iglesia . Most his films dealt with sex including shots of nude males , homosexuality , politics and forbidden lovers . De La Iglesia was a notorious communist militant , drug addict and homosexual , these personal characteristics were widely shown in his films . Eloy was a talented Spanish movies director , he began working in cinema in 1966 , at his 22 years old , he debuted in a kiddies production , ¨Fantasy 3¨(66) . Following a sordid melodrama ¨Algo Amargo En La Boca¨ (67) and a boxing story , ¨Cuadrilatero¨(69) . De La Iglesia realizes a lot of thrilling pictures with erotic background as ¨Techo Cristal¨(70) , ¨Nadie Oyó Gritar¨ (72) , ¨Gota Sangre Para Seguir Amando¨ (73) , and scabrous tales as ¨Juegos Amor Prohibido¨(75) , ¨Otra Alcoba¨ (76) . And concerning youthful gay : ¨Placeres Ocultos¨(76) , ¨El Sacerdote¨(78) and politicians : ¨The Deputy ¨, ¨Mujer Del Ministro¨ . Although he became notorious in the years of the Spanish transition to democracy with shocking and polemic films as ¨El Pico 1¨ and 2¨ , ¨Cólegas¨ , ¨Navajeros¨, ¨La Estanquera De Vallecas¨ (87) . All of them dealt with druggies , dope sellers , delinquency , terrorism , underworld suburban and generational problems are the habitual subjects in his films , and specially dedicated to the underworld of heroin ; as well as the gay world . Passing of time hasn't had mercy with most of those movies , but they represented a time and a way of life in the history of Spain ; and now they may seem a little bit naive . His last films were an academic rendition based on Henry James' novel : ¨The turn of the screw¨ and ¨Los Novios Búlgaros¨.
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