‘Crime
of Father Amaro’ stirs controversy
By Oscar Montealegre
On-line Forty-Niner
“The
Crime of Father Amaro” is a Mexican production
that has caused much controversy before
it was even released in Mexico. Immediately,
the Catholic Church in Mexico condemned
the movie due to the strong criticism the
movie conveys about the Catholic Church.
“The
Crime of Father Amaro,” which is a title
from its original Spanish title, “El Crimen
del Padre Amaro.” The movie’s premier actor
is the emerging Mexican film star Gael Garcia
Bernal as Father Amaro and Ana Claudia Talancon
as Amelia. Garcia Bernal also stars in the
Mexican independent film “Amores Perros”
(Love Dogs) and box office hit “Y Tu Mama
Tambien” (And your mother too).
The
movie is based on the novel of “Eca de Quieros”,
a Portuguese writer of the 19th century.
Eventually it got adapted for the big screen
and the setting shifted to a little town
in Mexico. The period in the movie shifted
to the year 2002 instead of the late 1800s.
Young
priest, Father Amaro, falls in love with
Father Benito’s mistress. Father Benito
happens to be Father Amaro’s superior in
the church and make things more complicated,
the church’s bishop and Father Benito are
involved with the drug cartel, while other
priests are involved with the guerillas.
Almost
every character is portrayed to be a horrible
person, but in the end it shows the human
side of each character. However, this also
stirred controversy in Mexico, because many
thought it concluded that all Mexican people
are horrible people and that they accept
sin as something normal.
The
latter argument can be universal and maybe
the director did not solely intend it to
be directed toward only Mexican people.
The controversy not only came from the Catholic
Church in Mexico but also from the citizens
of Mexico.
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