Five Films About Saints You Must See Before You Die

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in the role of St. Oscar Romero, who was canonized by Pope Francis in 2018. If the first person you picture when you think of Raul Julia is Gomez Addams, this film will change that.2. Becket (1964). This classic depicts the epic struggle between King Henry II of England and his one-time best friend, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket (Crown vs. Church is a common thread through large parts of English history) and shows Becket’s gradual journey from playboy and enabler of Henry II to a saint committed to God above even his king. Richard Burton (Becket) and Peter O’Toole (Henry) both received best actor nominations, somehow losing to Rex Harrison for his role in My Fair Lady. Both give amazing performances but it’s O’Toole who really stands out; he should have won the Oscar.3. Paul, Apostle of Christ (2018). Any film titled “Paul” is one I am obviously going to watch, especially when it’s about my patron saint. There are surprisingly few movies about the man who wrote half the books in the New Testament, and this one is set during his final years in Rome. You’ll recognize a post-The Passion of the Christ, pre-QANON-madness Jim Caviezel as St. Luke in this film, but it is English actor James Faulkner who stands out with his portrayal of St. Paul. No mere stained-glass icon, his apostle is decidedly human, with strengths and weaknesses, regrets and hopes, and throughout an unwavering determination to spread the gospel of the one he met on the road to Damascus.4. Karol: A Man Who Became Pope (2005)/Karol: The Pope, The Man (2006). I’m sneaking in two-for-one here because this epic about the man who became Pope St. John Paul II really should have been a single six-hour film rather than two three-hour ones. The first film covers the lesser-known pe

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riod of Karol Wojtyła’s life prior to becoming pope in 1978, especially how his character was formed during both the Nazi and Communist occupations of his Polish homeland, and the second covers his papacy from 1978 to his death in 2005. Polish actor Piotr Adamczyk so completely nails his portrayal of Karol Wojtyła (including a striking physical resemblance) that sometimes when I think of John Paul II now, it’s Adamczyk’s face I see in my mind.5. A Man for All Seasons (1966). I’ve saved the best for last, and by best I don’t just mean the best of these five about saints; this is one of the greatest films ever made, period. The story of St. Thomas More’s conscientious stand against England’s King Henry VIII is worth watching for Paul Scofield’s performance alone; he won an Oscar for the film and a Tony award for his portrayal of the same role on the stage, and deservedly so. The supporting cast is stellar as well, with Orson Welles, Susannah York, a young John Hurt, plus a sometimes comically unhinged take on Henry VIII by Robert Shaw. Rarely is a historical drama done so flawlessly, and I must mention that it all started with the writing (as every great film does); Robert Bolt not only wrote the screenplay for A Man for All Seasons (adapted from his original 1960 stage play), he also wrote two others you might recognize: Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago.Check out all five of these films but start with A Man for All Seasons. You’ll quickly see how much a saintly politician (yes, I just put those two words together) has to teach us in 2023.If you enjoyed this story, you can support my writing directly by leaving a tip below using the small (and kind of weird) hand icon (you tip waiters and bartenders, so why not writers?).</article></body>

They might just change your life

Credit: Columbia Pictures

After a long hiatus, I recently began writing my “Three Minutes with the Saints” series again. As I was pondering the next installment, a thought came to me: what if someone wants more than just the three-minute sketches I offer? I’ve written before about books by and about the saints, which is certainly one option. But not everyone has the time or inclination to read the autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola (it can be difficult at times).

What everyone both loves and always makes time for is a good movie. Therefore, in today’s “Three Minutes with the Saints” I give you five films about saints that everyone should see. Three are well-known, though you may not have known they were about saints. The other two are not as well-known but their main characters certainly are. Best of all, they are excellent films in their own right (none of that Nicolas Cage remake of Left Behind nonsense).

1. Romero (1989). I’m starting with the film about Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, who was assassinated while saying Mass in 1980, because I re-watched it recently. It tells the story of his transformation from a priest who avoided confronting the Salvadoran government’s oppression of the poor to a such a champion of those downtrodden masses that it cost him his life. Raul Julia is outstanding in the role of St. Oscar Romero, who was canonized by Pope Francis in 2018. If the first person you picture when you think of Raul Julia is Gomez Addams, this film will change that.

2. Becket (1964). This classic depicts the epic struggle between King Henry II of England and his one-time best friend, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket (Crown vs. Church is a common thread through large parts of English history) and shows Becket’s gradual journey from playboy and enabler of Henry II to a saint committed to God above even his king. Richard Burton (Becket) and Peter O’Toole (Henry) both received best actor nominations, somehow losing to Rex Harrison for his role in My Fair Lady. Both give amazing performances but it’s O’Toole who really stands out; he should have won the Oscar.

3. Paul, Apostle of Christ (2018). Any film titled “Paul” is one I am obviously going to watch, especially when it’s about my patron saint. There are surprisingly few movies about the man who wrote half the books in the New Testament, and this one is set during his final years in Rome. You’ll recognize a post-The Passion of the Christ, pre-QANON-madness Jim Caviezel as St. Luke in this film, but it is English actor James Faulkner who stands out with his portrayal of St. Paul. No mere stained-glass icon, his apostle is decidedly human, with strengths and weaknesses, regrets and hopes, and throughout an unwavering determination to spread the gospel of the one he met on the road to Damascus.

4. Karol: A Man Who Became Pope (2005)/Karol: The Pope, The Man (2006). I’m sneaking in two-for-one here because this epic about the man who became Pope St. John Paul II really should have been a single six-hour film rather than two three-hour ones. The first film covers the lesser-known period of Karol Wojtyła’s life prior to becoming pope in 1978, especially how his character was formed during both the Nazi and Communist occupations of his Polish homeland, and the second covers his papacy from 1978 to his death in 2005. Polish actor Piotr Adamczyk so completely nails his portrayal of Karol Wojtyła (including a striking physical resemblance) that sometimes when I think of John Paul II now, it’s Adamczyk’s face I see in my mind.

5. A Man for All Seasons (1966). I’ve saved the best for last, and by best I don’t just mean the best of these five about saints; this is one of the greatest films ever made, period. The story of St. Thomas More’s conscientious stand against England’s King Henry VIII is worth watching for Paul Scofield’s performance alone; he won an Oscar for the film and a Tony award for his portrayal of the same role on the stage, and deservedly so. The supporting cast is stellar as well, with Orson Welles, Susannah York, a young John Hurt, plus a sometimes comically unhinged take on Henry VIII by Robert Shaw. Rarely is a historical drama done so flawlessly, and I must mention that it all started with the writing (as every great film does); Robert Bolt not only wrote the screenplay for A Man for All Seasons (adapted from his original 1960 stage play), he also wrote two others you might recognize: Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago.

Check out all five of these films but start with A Man for All Seasons. You’ll quickly see how much a saintly politician (yes, I just put those two words together) has to teach us in 2023.

If you enjoyed this story, you can support my writing directly by leaving a tip below using the small (and kind of weird) hand icon (you tip waiters and bartenders, so why not writers?).