With so many films depicting Catholic characters and stories, the Register provides in-depth catholic movie reviews as well as exclusive interviews with some of the leading actors and actresses.
Continue reading this article on Catholic Movie Reviews to see the reviews of all the famous catholic movies of all time.
The best religious films, and thus the best Catholic Movie Reviews, convey the great truths of Christianity implicitly rather than explicitly.
Similar to the mystery of the incarnation, in which the Word became flesh in the person of an obscure carpenter from a hick town in a minor province.
Furthermore, this list is primarily comprised of films that deal with Catholic characters, Catholic society, and the Bible in non-hostile ways to the Church.
The majority of them were directed by Catholics. Let’s take a look at some of the movies and their reviews.
Catholic Movie Reviews
Diary of a Country Priest (1950)
Robert Bresson’s directorial debut: This film, like the novel on which it is based, is austere and profound, depicting the daily struggles of a sympathetic priest.
An inexperienced, sickly priest arrives in the rural French community of Ambricourt and joins the clergy.
However, the locals dislike the priest, and his ascetic ways and unsociable demeanor make him an outcast. He is constantly mocked by his students during Bible studies at a nearby girls’ school.
Then his attempt to mediate a family feud turns into a scandal. His failures, combined with his deteriorating health, start to erode his faith.
The Sound of Music (1965)
It is based on the true story of the Von Trapp Family Singers, one of the world’s most famous concert groups in the years preceding World War II.
It is a tuneful, heartwarming story. Julie Andrews plays Maria,
A tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey who becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children and instills a new love of life and music.
The list of criticisms leveled at The Sound of Music is endless: It’s overly sentimental, saccharine, and devoid of dramatic conflict.
Nonetheless, the film is essentially critic-proof, not in the cynical, but in the best sense:
It has delighted viewers of all ages for over a half-century. That’s all the justification any film requires.
Samson and Delilah (1949)
Cecil .B. DeMille retains some of his old styles in this film, creating a lively drama with Victor Mature, an underrated actor, playing a convincing Samson to Hedy Lamarr’s best role as Delilah.
The Philistine lords bribed her to find the source of Samson’s great strength, each offering her 1,100 silver coins. She failed three times.
After many complaints that Samson did not trust her, he finally admitted that his strength lay in his hair.
Then, while he was sleeping, she had a servant cut Samson’s hair. She then awoke him and handed him over to the waiting Philistine chiefs.
We might regard Samson and his obsession with Delilah as gullible, if not stupid. His lust for Delilah, however, blinded him to her lies and true nature.
Catholic Movie Review: Sister’s Act (1992)
This is one of the best Catholic Movie Reviews ever. Sister Act is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Emile Ardolino, written by Paul Rudnick (as Joseph Howard), and scored by Marc Shaiman.
It stars Whoopi Goldberg as a lounge singer who is forced to enter a convent after being placed in witness protection.
The film honors the universal power of friendship and representation.
Sister Act’s nuns are portrayed in a different way than nuns are traditionally portrayed in Catholic films.
The sisters perform religious duties but also bond as friends and perform music for large crowds, allowing viewers to see each sister’s unique personality.
Sister Mary Clarence, one of the few Black nuns represented in the film, adds to its uniqueness.
Whoopi Goldberg played lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier in the film. Saint Joan (1957)
George Bernard Shaw’s play Saint Joan is about the 15th-century French military figure Joan of Arc.
It premiered in 1923, three years after Joan of Arc’s canonization by the Roman Catholic Church, and was inspired by Joan of Arc’s canonization in 1920, nearly five centuries after her death in 1431.
The plot of the play is based on historical events. Shaw’s Joan leads France to victory over the English not through supernatural intervention, but through her innate intelligence and leadership.
Check out the Review of The Theory of Everything (2014 movie)
Chariots of Fire (1981)
Hugh Hudson directed the 1981 British historical sports drama film Chariots of Fire, which was written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam.
It is based on the true story of two British athletes who competed in the 1924 Olympics:
Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for God’s glory, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice.
As they grapple with issues of pride and conscience, they are driven to victory in the 1924 Olympics.
Despite being significantly slower and less limber than the Olympic runners at the center of the story, the film manages to make effective and moving use of its spiritual and patriotic themes.
The film provides plenty to think about, not only in terms of conscience and using one’s gifts for God’s glory, but also in terms of the importance of the amateur spirit.
How sport can be properly integrated into education and life in general, and how a great civilization must value the achievements of those who came before. It is one of the best Catholic Movie Reviews ever.
Casablanca (1942)
Casablanca, directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid, is a 1942 American romantic drama film.
It is set during World War II and revolves around an American expatriate (Bogart) who must choose between his love for a woman (Bergman)
And assisting her and her husband (Henreid), a Czech resistance leader, in escaping from the Vichy-controlled city of Casablanca to continue fighting the Germans.
This famous film, however, may be a deeper exploration of the meaning of love than audiences initially believe.
And, at a time when marriage is under attack from all sides, Casablanca is worth revisiting. Casablanca is more than a film.
It has since become a legend, if not a myth. Its world is as surreal to us today as it was to audiences when it was first released in 1943.
Its espionage and World War II backdrop was always more fantasy than reality.
It’s a kind of hyper-reality, with global conflict serving as a backdrop for the film’s deep emotions and love triangle at its heart.
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Mel Gibson’s 2004 epic biblical drama film The Passion of the Christ stars Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as the Virgin Mary, and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene.
It largely depicts Jesus’ Passion as described in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The film focuses on the final 12 hours before Jesus Christ’s death, known as the Passion, hence the title.
It begins with the Agony in the Garden of Olives (or Gethsemane), continues with Judas Iscariot’s betrayal, the brutal Scourging at the Pillar, Mary’s suffering as prophesied by Simeon, and culminates with Jesus’ crucifixion and death.
However, the film includes flashbacks to specific events in Jesus’ life, some of which are biblically based, such as The Last Supper and The Sermon on the Mount, and others that are artistic license, such as when Mary comforts Jesus and Jesus crafts a table.
Insofar as the film is a call to conversion, it is a call to everyone, Catholic and non-Catholic, believer and nonbeliever.
The Passion of the Christ invites those who believe, Catholic or otherwise, to a deeper commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ and deeper participation in the paschal mystery of his passion, death, and resurrection.
It is one of the best and most touching Catholic Movie Reviews ever.
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Cecil B. DeMille produced, directed, and narrated this movie. A 1956 American epic religious drama film shot in VistaVision (color by Technicolor) and released by Paramount Pictures.
Based on Dorothy Clarke Wilson’s 1949 novel Prince of Egypt. J. H. Ingraham’s 1859 novel Pillar of Fire, A. E. Southon’s 1937 novel On Eagle’s Wings, and the Book of Exodus.
It is one of the best Catholic Movie Reviews ever.
The movie is a dramatization of the biblical story of Moses. An adopted Egyptian prince who becomes the deliverer of his true brethren. The enslaved Hebrews.
Then he leads the Exodus to Mount Sinai, where he receives the Ten Commandments from God.
Despite its eccentricities and quirks. The Ten Commandments remains a masterpiece of storytelling and spectacle that cannot be replicated and watching it is an Easter tradition for thousands.
The transcendence of it is best captured in the scenes where Moses is poured out. And bled dry, and literally left in the dust while struggling through the desert.
The Juggler of Notre Dame (1970)
This is a religious miracle story written by the French author Anatole France. That was first published in a newspaper in 1890 and later collected in a short story collection in 1892.
It is based on an old medieval legend, much like the later Christmas carol The Little Drummer Boy. The title character is a former carnival performer turned monk.
The other monks have all created lovely works in honor of the Virgin Mary, such as hymns, icons, stained glass windows, and so on.
He, on the other hand, lacks this skill. So he goes into the chapel one night and performs his best juggling tricks in front of the Virgin’s statue.
The other monks notice this and threaten to punish him for blasphemy, The statue, on the other hand, comes to life and blesses the juggler for his gift.
This can teach us a valuable lesson about simplicity and the notion that everyone has something to share.
Whatever our talents and gifts are, they are important and worthy — especially those that are sometimes overlooked!
The Exorcist (1973)
The movie is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin. Later adapted from William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name.
Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran (in his final film role), Jason Miller, and Linda Blair star in the film.
It is the first film in the Exorcist film series. And it follows a young girl’s demonic possession and her mother’s attempt to save her through an exorcism performed by a pair of Catholic priests.
Regan, a young girl, exhibits strange behavior after using an Ouija board. Chris, her actress mother, consults two priests, who conclude a demonic entity possesses that Regan.
Exorcism is a contentious issue, even among Christians. Some believe it is a genuine, God-powered battle against demons.
Others dismiss it as a Catholic urban legend. However, this is not a film for children or the faint of heart.
There is profanity and the invocation of Christ’s name. Worryingly, there are many reports of demonic activity.
They recommended that you think about this for a long time before viewing it. This is a story that should be told, but not to everyone. It is one of the best Catholic Movie Reviews ever.
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The Scarlet and The Black (1983)
This movie is a 1983 made-for-television American historical war drama film. Jerry London directed it and starring Gregory Peck and Christopher Plummer.
It is based on J. P. Gallagher’s 1967 book The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican. Which tells the story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty.
A real-life Irish Catholic priest who saved thousands of Jews and escaped Allied POWs in Rome.
This riveting and enlightening WWII drama stars Gregory Peck as Msgr. Hugh O’Flaherty.
A straightforward Irish priest who boldly aids enemies of the Third Reich under the watchful eye of Christopher Plummer. Nazi Lt. Col. Herbert Kappler.
Their cat-and-mouse game is thrilling and entertaining, culminating in a shocking showdown in a significant setting.
The acting is excellent. The final coda is so upbeat that it would appear contrived if it weren’t historically accurate.
Scores, which are rather thin and stark, are about the only flaw. Aside from that, it’s entertaining, inspiring, and very satisfying. It is one of the best Catholic Movie Reviews ever.
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