Padre Amaro: Love over celibacy
The film El Crimen del Padre Amaro(The Crime of Padre Amaro) is about the life and struggles of a newly ordained priest in a small Mexican town. The film stars Gael Garcia Bernal, Ana Claudia Talancon, and Sancho Gracia. The movie is based on a 1875 Portuguese novel by Eca de Queiroz.
Padre Amaro, who was a newly ordained priest, arrived in a small town to serve the local church. When he arrived there, he discovered the town’s secrets, especially about politics and the church. He finds out that Father Benito, the town’s priest, was having an affair with a restaurant owner and that Benito’s large hospital building was funded by a drug lord. The film also followed Amaro’s forbidden relationship with the daughter of the local restaurant owner, Amelia. Because of their hidden sexual relationship, Amelia eventually became pregnant. Thinking about his own reputation, Padre Amaro tried his best to abort their baby. During the process, Amelia had hemorrhage, which killed her and her child.
The film is character driven, for it followed the story of the main character. The story is quite good, because it has a clear beginning and an ending. The only criticism I have about the film is that it is somehow predictable.
The theme of the film is a mix of politics and the celibacy of the church. The director’s style is straightforward, which made the movie direct and heartfelt. There weren’t really a lot of vulgar sex scenes compared to films like Sex and Lucia and Swimming Pool, but the sex scenes shown had a great impact to the audience mainly because a priest was involved.
Some symbolisms were also used in the film. The screen between the priest and Amelia describes how they forcibly meet each other even though it is not allowed.
Overall, this movie is a must-watch, especially by the Catholics because it is a mind-opener that priests are also human beings and that humans commit sins.
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