The Scarlet and the Black (1983)

Sorry, this movie sucks

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

This TV movie is based on the true story of an Irish priest who while in the Vatican, helped Allied soldiers and Jewish people to hide and to safety in German occupied Rome. The story is exciting and stranger than fiction in parts as only a true story can be with disguises and assassination attempts. This is a fascinating non battle aspect of WWII showing the help the Vatican provided while trying to maintain neutrality.Gregory Peck adds a charm and presence to the role so you overlook he is a little old for the main character. Christopher Plummer who can act anything looks the part as the Nazi in charge. He has some cringe worthy bad dialog to deliver. John Gielgud is dignified as Pope Pius XII.The production is good with on location shooting and grand settings.This TV movie deserves to be as famous as a major motion picture WWII movie.

Director Jerry London brought together some great actors, a fine script, and true life events to create an exceptional television film Based on the efforts of a Irish priest to smuggle Allied prisoners through the Vatican and under the noses of the Nazis, this is a very suspenseful and dramatic story. Gregory Peck as the priest and Chistopher Plummer as the Nazi commander are truly superb and the cat and mouse game they act out is mesmerizing. Intense, moving, and sometimes brilliant, The Scarlet and the Black is one of the more intelligent television movies of the era and one that holds up well to this day.

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.

A well acted film though somewhat historically inaccurate. Though O'Flarety was instrumental in saving the lives of many Jews and allied escapees in Rome during the war, he did so at the express order of the Pope, Pius XII. In fact since the war began in 1939 Pius XII instructed many Catholic officials throughout occupied Europe to do all that they could to assist Jews from the Final Solution and those allied soldiers airmen, sailors, and officials to escape Nazi imprisonment. Nevertheless, Plummer and Peck give outstanding performance of real live historical characters.Knowing that music can be 50% of the success of the film, the film score left a lot to be desired.