IMDb RATING
6.7/10
15K
YOUR RATING
Politics and sexual passions threaten to corrupt a young, newly-ordained priest in a small Mexican town.Politics and sexual passions threaten to corrupt a young, newly-ordained priest in a small Mexican town.Politics and sexual passions threaten to corrupt a young, newly-ordained priest in a small Mexican town.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 21 wins & 15 nominations total
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.
- Presidente Municipal Gordo
- (as Pedro Armendáriz)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis movie began creating controversy even before it was released. Several groups, most of them related to the church, tried to ban it. They did not succeed; instead, tickets were sold out on opening weekend.
- GoofsAmaro gets beaten up by Ruben and receives some bruises in his face. A little later, when he meets Amelia in the church, the bruises are gone.
- Quotes
Father Amaro: Tell me your sins, child.
Amelia: You already know them. And your sins?
- Crazy credits"In memoriam Paco Rabal"
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2003)
Featured review
The release of the film THE CRIME OF PADRE AMARO caused about as much of an uproar in Mexico in 2002 as the publication of the novel, written by Jose Maria Eca de Queiroz, caused in 1875. With its dangerously intertwining themes of spiritual ecstasy and sexual passion, it's not hard to see why. At the heart of the story is a young priest who wrestles in a major way with the tempting hungers of his body and the grace-filled yearnings of his spirit. It does not help that, to pursue his vocation, he is sent to a town sustained by a culture of corruption.
One thing actor Gael Garcia Bernal does not know how to do is give a bad performance, and in the movie's title role he captures brilliantly all the agonizing ambiguity that comes with being a young adult male intent on asserting his masculinity while also serving the spiritual needs of his community. Unfortunately, his happily deluded demeanor meets with an equally intense personality in the form of Amelia, a devout young devotee acted with mesmerizing perfection by the gorgeous Ana Claudia Talancon. Amelia idolizes the young priest as a true and noble holy man whose sexuality is made sacred by his presumably pure soul. He in turn dares to drape her in a cape reserved for representations of the Madonna and recites to her from Solomon's "Song of Songs" as they seduce each other. Controversial? Better believe it.
As in the film THE HEALER (please see companion review) "The Crime of Padre Amaro" depicts sexuality and spirituality as equally powerful forces of attraction capable of producing very different results, which will not be revealed here. The outcome in "The Crime of Padre Amaro" is shocking in more ways than one and well worth contemplating for a long time.
by Author-Poet Aberjhani, author of "Christmas When Music Almost Killed the World"
One thing actor Gael Garcia Bernal does not know how to do is give a bad performance, and in the movie's title role he captures brilliantly all the agonizing ambiguity that comes with being a young adult male intent on asserting his masculinity while also serving the spiritual needs of his community. Unfortunately, his happily deluded demeanor meets with an equally intense personality in the form of Amelia, a devout young devotee acted with mesmerizing perfection by the gorgeous Ana Claudia Talancon. Amelia idolizes the young priest as a true and noble holy man whose sexuality is made sacred by his presumably pure soul. He in turn dares to drape her in a cape reserved for representations of the Madonna and recites to her from Solomon's "Song of Songs" as they seduce each other. Controversial? Better believe it.
As in the film THE HEALER (please see companion review) "The Crime of Padre Amaro" depicts sexuality and spirituality as equally powerful forces of attraction capable of producing very different results, which will not be revealed here. The outcome in "The Crime of Padre Amaro" is shocking in more ways than one and well worth contemplating for a long time.
by Author-Poet Aberjhani, author of "Christmas When Music Almost Killed the World"
- Author_Poet_Aberjhani
- Jan 18, 2008
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- The Crime of Father Amaro
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,800,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $5,717,044
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $504,681
- Nov 17, 2002
- Gross worldwide
- $26,996,738
- Runtime1 hour 58 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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