Claysaba
Excellent, Without a doubt!!
Murphy Howard
I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.
Ariella Broughton
It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.
Kirpianuscus
a simple story. its simplicity being the source of its force. one of the most influential figures of Romano - Catholic Church in the XX century. and admirable performance of Sergio Castellitto. the film is remarkable for the inspired balance between life of a monk who looking only to serve God and the step of sainthood. sure, many Italian religious films are good examples in this sense. but in the case of Pio of Pietrelcina the mission is real hard. because he has the chance to be one of the saints,not only as result of the life period, of our time.not only for the faith of believers but for rumors of controversies. and the science to give a realistic portrait, to expose events and gestures and facts as support for conclusions of the viewer is the basic virtue of film. a form of testimony about a Catholic servant of God, precise mix of dramatic moments and humor, small gestures and profound pain.a film like a lesson. about a man in the middle of church and people.
Desertman84
Director Carlo Carlei explores the life of Francesco Forgione, also known as Saint Padre Pio, in this TV movie entitled,Padre Pio:Miracle Man.This was adapted from the book by Renzo Allegri.It stars Sergio Castellitto in the title role together with Jurgen Prochnow and Adolfo Lastrett.A Capuchin friar whose endless devotion would manifest itself in the appearance of stigmata wounds for more than 50 years, Padre Pio was responsible for a series of religious miracles that many sited as proof of God's existence in an era where spiritual skepticism was at an all time high.This TV movie captures Padre Pio's intense faith and devotion, and deep spiritual concern for others.Aside from that,it demonstrates his great compassion for the sick and suffering. It reveals the amazing details and events in his life as a boy and throughout his years as a friar, dramatizing the frequent attacks of the Devil on him, as well as the persecution he suffered at the hands of people, including those in the church. This is an outstanding feature film on the amazing life of this great saint.
ndg
This film is available on DVD from Ignatius Press in San Francisco ($24.95 US) www.ignatius.com Its title is Padre Pio: Miracle Man. The Priest Who Bore the Wounds of Christ.The promo reads: This major feature film drama captures the incredible life of the famous stigmatic monk and saint who died in 1968. It reveals Padre Pio's intense faith and devotion, his deep spiritual concern for others, and his great compassion for the sick and suffering. It dramatizes the frequent attacks by the Devil on him, and the persecution he suffered at the hands of people, including those in the Church. The many miracles he performed are also highlighted, as well as his profound humility, charity and sense of humor. Starring Sergio Castellitto....this is an outstanding epic film on the amazing life of this great saint. (subtitles or dubbed)
KaroSyrup
Where to begin? This movie is terrible. It contains slanderous scenes, and other scenes which made me want to be sick or weep. I did watch the entire movie to try to be fair. I kept thinking, "Maybe soon will be a scene that explains all of the other strange or untrue or questionable scenes, and implications, and I will feel better". That moment never arrived; I felt worse as the movie went on. The movie pastes a thin veneer of politeness over the surface, but wastes no opportunity to hurl venom at the Roman Catholic Church, at the priesthood and even at St Pio and his family. In one scene for instance, the holy seal of confession is broken - and in the most horrible way. St Pio's father is portrayed as being an adulterer, something that is fabricated out of whole (if rancid) cloth, as no one would have been present at a confession other than the person and their priest. So on what do they base this slander? St Pio's parents were a model of chastity and holiness, as their letters ascribe. This sick-making slander not only has an innocent man accused of sin but it portrays the saint as saying it FOR him. As evil often does, it puts one percent reality in to confuse and muddle the viewer - St Pio did SOMETIMES gently say things to people; he could read souls. BUT to imply he did this during his father's dying hours, and not only that but to repeat WHAT was said, and something which is a lie - why would a movie supporting the holiness of a saint do this!? It is quite simply, A LIE.Other implications are made in the film, such as that St Pio supposedly had an improper relationship with a young woman, (he did not gaze longingly at a spiritual child or take long walks alone with her at sunset!), he injured himself to make his stigmata, (as presented in the film, it could be either supernatural or NOT and they spend much more time against it) they even have him ripping apart souvenir stands outside the friary. I'd like to know how he managed that, with stigmatised hands and feet! It NEVER HAPPENED. Theologically this film is also a mess. It implies the bishop is the devil, and then has St Pio begging him to stay and hear his confession. It shows St Pio pulling off his gloves during mass to show off his healed hands, and criticising a fellow priest (which he NEVER DID) during mass. St Pio's mass was not about him, it was a miraculous event some called the Living Calvary - St Pio's spiritual gifts were many. This film is mainly interested in his social works such as the hospital he shepherded. The pamphlet with it even says "that is his true miracle". It seems they pasted in some minor events to pacify people but without having read every book about him, most won't know the major ones are twisted and fabricated. If you consider yourself supportive of St Pio please spare yourself this awful mess of a movie. Come to the sanpadrepio prayer group on Yahoo and you can hear more. There is too much to write here.
