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The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968) -- Set in a futuristic vision of the late 1980's, Ukrainian Archbishop Kiril Lakota is set free after two decades as a political prisoner in Siberia...

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Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   1,221 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 17% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
James Kennaway (writer)
John Patrick (writer)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Shoes of the Fisherman on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 November 1968 (USA) more
Genre:
Plot:
Set in a futuristic vision of the late 1980's, Ukrainian Archbishop Kiril Lakota is set free after two decades as a political prisoner in Siberia... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations more
User Comments:
PROFOUND more (30 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Anthony Quinn ... Kiril Lakota

Laurence Olivier ... Piotr Ilyich Kamenev (as Sir Laurence Olivier)
Oskar Werner ... Fr. David Telemond

David Janssen ... George Faber
Vittorio De Sica ... Cardinal Rinaldi
Leo McKern ... Cardinal Leone

John Gielgud ... The Elder Pope (as Sir John Gielgud)
Barbara Jefford ... Dr. Ruth Faber
Rosemary Dexter ... Chiara
Frank Finlay ... Igor Bounin
Burt Kwouk ... Peng
Arnoldo Foà ... Gelasio
Paul Rogers ... Augustinian
George Pravda ... Gorshenin (credit only)
Clive Revill ... Vucovich
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Additional Details

Runtime:
162 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Alex North reused the opening fanfare he wrote for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) but which was rejected by Stanley Kubrick, as one of the main themes in his score. more
Quotes:
Kiril Lakota: There is only one area to search. And if love is mislaid, where did you see it last? And if you can't remember, maybe there was no love in the first place.
Kiril Lakota: Then it is mislaid and you must find it.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Lionpower from MGM (1967) more

FAQ

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23 out of 32 people found the following comment useful.
PROFOUND, 22 April 2004
Author: MISSMOOHERSELF from Elberon, NJ

Gulag worker Kiril Lakota is soldering pieces of metal together in a Soviet prison camp when he hears his number over a loudspeaker. He is summoned to the office of the premiere of the Soviet Union -- the same man who had imprisoned him 20 years earlier. The premiere asks the man, a bishop in the Ukrainian Catholic Church, if he is ready to go back into the world. The next thing he knows, Kiril is on a flight to the Vatican, where he is greeted and lauded by the pope. Later, the pope dies and through a complicated system, Kiril is elected pope and uses his own name as the name he will use during his papacy. Before being elected, Kiril has befriended Fr. David Telemond, a brilliant but controversial priest who is suffering from a terminal blood disorder and whose works are suspect. Later, as Pope Kiril I, he names Fr. Telemond as his personal secretary, over the advice of a well-meaning but jealous older cardinal. The petty squabbles of the cardinals, the love affair of a television journalist who covers the Vatican, the distress of the man's wife and the sharp differences between the rich and the poor of the Vatican soon pale, however, when World War III looms because the Chinese people are starving and no one has come forward to help. When Pope Kiril I comes up with a solution that will feed the Chinese people and avert a 3rd World War, the church is shocked and the people laud his actions. What does he decide to do? Watch the movie to find out ... it's well worth it.

The performance of Anthony Quinn as Kiril I is truly outstanding -- his Ukrainian accent, his almost mystical yet practical manner and his eloquent speeches make this an Oscar-worthy performance (why he wasn't nominated, I'll never know). Oskar Werner as Fr. Telemond was equally touching. Flattered at being chosen to be the pope's friend, secretary and confidant, he comes to realize he has taught the pope many things while learning a few things himself. Thinly based on the life of Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Oskar Werner gives a moving performance as the terminally ill, brilliant but troubled priest-philosopher-thinker. This is by no means a perfect movie --- some of the clothes are dated and the music at the party where the reporter meets up with his mistress is annoying. But minor flaws aside, this is a wonderful movie that gives tremendous insight into the workings of the Vatican, the papacy and even the human heart.

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