Rating: 
Summary: One of Otto Preminger's masterpieces
Review: Otto Preminger was never a director to shy away from controversy. To decide to film Henry Morton Robinson's novel was a stroke of genius. Here is an intelligent movie whose subjects are controversial even today: abortion, racism in America, the Catholic Church's complicity in the rise of Nazism and the challenge of celibacy in today's church. In addition, the story covers the true nature of faith, service and self-sacrifice. The questions posed and answers presented are not easy just like real life. The acting is fine, the photography is beautiful, the music is inspiring and, of course, the direction is impeccable. While Mr. Preminger was never an easy director to work with, especially on this film, the results of his work are always an excellent credit to the actors and the crew. This is definitely one of his best films and one of my favorite films of all time. As one of the other reviewers mentioned, you will not forget this movie. I cannot understand why this film has almost disappeared from sight. And let's not forget that one of those Academy Award nominations was for Best Picture of the Year.
Rating:
Summary: If Forrest Gump had been a priest, he would be Fr. Fermoyle
Review: Otto Preminger's The Cardinal was a movie that I hadn't seen in 23 years, since April 12, 1981 to be precise. It was a Palm Sunday, the Space Shuttle Columbia had just gone up on her maiden voyage and another good thing happened that day that made it special, but I'll keep that one to myself. Oh, and I watched it in Spanish translation, but still, The Cardinal left a vivid impression on my mind and I never forgot several of the key scenes: Stephen Fermoyle's (Tom Tryon), handling (mishandling?) of her younger sister's out of wedlock pregnancy, his encounter with good ol'e Irish church politics in Boston, his facing-down racism and KKK terrorism in Georgia, his inner vocational struggle, his experience with Nazi Germany and Austrian ecclesiastical stupor in the eve of the unification with the Third Reich.Heck, if Forrest Gump had been a priest, he would've been Stephen Fermoyle. The movie is a collection of vignettes in which Father (then Monsignor, then Bishop, then Cardinal) Fermoyle tests his moral certainties against a cast of characters of ambiguous morality. You may even say that everyone else was human but Fermoyle, who always came out as superhuman yet, paradoxically, frail. Each encounter with evil or moral ambiguity taxed Fermoyle's conscience, and yet he manages to come out of all them triumphant, yet wounded. Each encounter leads him inexorably to a promotion. The picture is beatifully filmed on location, with great attention to meaningful detail. Note who, for example, when Monsignor Fermoy arrives in Georgia to investigate a church burning, as he exits the bus that brought him to town, is debarking through the back door. If you're not really watching, you'll agree that African-Americans in the segregated South were meant to be invisible but if you notice them, then this detail speaks volumes. More significantly, this scene was made wholecloth for the movie by Director Preminger; it wasn't in the original novel written by Henry Morton Robinson. You learn of this on the second DVD of this 2-disk set, which is all dedicated to the Director Preminger's cinematic trajectory. This is a delightful movie. It brought back to me lots of good memories. And if there's such thing as "holy pride," through its characters and plot, I can say The Cardinal made me feel proud of being a Catholic even though "pride" in other contexts may be a sin.
Rating: 
Summary: CARDINAL CHOICES.............
Review: SINCERE, INSPIRATIONAL, a movie in the Grand Old Tradition - a must for the family, especially during the infancy of the new millenium. Granted, it does sound sappy, but this movie does have it all - from the agonizing choice between abortion and death, to persecution [WWII and here post-war], magnificent mood transformations and experiences as our homeboy [the missed, multi-talented Tom Tryon] slowly ascends the ranks to Cardinal. Beautiful supporting performances, Carol Lynley [dual role], Romy Schneider [the tragic love-interest], Burgess Meredith, stoic John Houston; Jill Haworth [Exodus] - many more. [Great soundtrack - should be reissued for the collector]. Truly a grand spectacle, rarely seen to TV, and in need of resurrection [with other Preminger] vehicles on DVD. They don't make 'em like this folks! [and NO CGI!].
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing
Review: The Cardinal is an excellent story of the early times in the church. It is nicely done and portrays the very difficult life of a priest who becomes a Cardinal and all the struggles he had to overcome. It is an excellent movie.
Rating:
Summary: Priceless liturgical history
Review: The dramatic defects of this film are well known; my rating is based on its completely accurate treatment of Catholic liturgical forms before the Second Vatican Council -- uniquely correct in my experience with Catholic-based movies. It was filmed just in time, in 1963, the last year before major changes in liturgy made it increasingly difficult to recreate accurately the older traditions. And Preminger took the trouble to be precise even with things that had disappeared earlier, like the train of the prelatial choir cassock, which was abolished in 1952, but is historically correct for the period of the film. All the vesture is right, and the two scenes of Stephen's ordination to the priesthood and consecration as a bishop are flawless reproductions of the rubrics then in force. Despite the weakness of its dramatic effects to a contemporary audience, this film should certainly be in the library of anyone who has an interest in the ceremonial traditions of the Catholic Church.
Rating:
Summary: Underrated Classic
Review: This DVD is a brilliant transfer from the original negative and the film itself deserves its place in any top 100 but being a total religious epic it wouldn,t be considered by some,shame though,because its a fantastic drama,full of emotion and along side "Exodus" is Otto Premingers finest work. The novel was considered impossible to film at the time,but despite some alterations the film still grips. Leave your religious views aside for 3 hours and enjoy a masterpiece
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Catholic Film
Review: This film does a good job in protraying the history of Europe during the time between the First and Second World Wars. The film also accurately represents the Catholic Church teaching on abortion, and on other issues. This is a classic. I recommend this film to all.
Rating:
Summary: An Old Chestnut
Review: This film, made a long time ago, is an old chestnut, but still there are some good bits in it. If one likes pomp and ceremony, you will like this.
Rating:
Summary: An Old Chestnut
Review: This film, made a long time ago, is an old chestnut, but still there are some good bits in it. If one likes pomp and ceremony, you will like this.
Rating:
Summary: I loved this movie---have waited a long time to see it again
Review: This is a movie that you will remember. It is a story of how life is not always the way we plan.
|
