Romero (1989)

The life and work of Archbishop Oscar Romero who opposed, at great personal risk, the tyrannical repression in El Salvador.

Director:

John Duigan

Writer:

John Sacret Young

Stars:

Raul Julia, Richard Jordan, Ana Alicia

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Raul Julia	...	Archbishop Oscar Romero
Richard Jordan	...	Father Rutilio Grande
Ana Alicia	...	Arista Zelada
Eddie Velez	...	Lt. Columa
Alejandro Bracho	...	Father Alfonzo Osuña
Tony Plana	...	Father Manuel Morantes
Harold Gould	...	Francisco Galedo
Lucy Reina	...	Lucia
Al Ruscio	...	Bishop Estrada
Tony Perez	...	Father Rafael Villez
Robert Viharo	...	Col. Ernesto Dorio
Harold Cannon	...	Gen. Humberto
Claudio Brook	...	Bishop Flores
Martin LaSalle	...	Bishop Rivera y Damas
Eduardo López Rojas	...	Bishop Cordova

Storyline

In El Salvador, the new bishop speaks out against the death squads and the terror campaign the government is using in an attempt to crush the guerilla war that is being waged against them. This is seen as disloyality and the number of priests attacked goes up and even churches are shut down by the government. Based on a true story, Romero was assassinated in March, 1980.

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Plot Keywords:

el salvador | archbishop | priest | murder | catholic | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

25 August 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Romero, le sang de l'archevêque

Box Office

Gross:

$1,316,495 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paulist Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Archbishop Oscar Romero: I'd like to make an appeal in a special way to the men in the army. Brothers, each one of you is one of us. We are the same People. The farmers and peasants that you kill are your own brothers and sisters. When you hear the words of a man telling you to kill, think instead in the words of God, "Thou shalt not kill!" No soldier is obliged to obey an order contrary to the Law of God. In His name and in the name of our tormented people who have suffered so much, and whose laments cry out to heaven...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Overdrawn at the Memory Bank (1997)

User Reviews

Historical drama

Raul Julia gives his routine wonderful performance as Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, capital of El Salvador, playground of right-wing paramilitary militia sponsored by successive military juntas subsidized by the CIA and successive US Administrations. Archbishop Romero slowly evolved from a bookworm to a politically aware activist as he came to realize what the military regimes were doing to the poor of his country. He paid the ultimate price willingly. Unlike today's cowards, who proclaim martyrdom and kill themselves and a few or many others in the name of some sterile ideology, Romero accepted martyrdom in the name of a living gospel he deeply believed in, in order to save lives, not to take them.

Julia looks absolutely nebbish in his glasses, and proves his genius as a thespian. Alas, he is not with us any longer, so that pretty boys of 2005 can only watch his films and learn how to act.

Highly recommended film, especially for the vast majority of US citizens who think that Ronald Reagan and his ilk actually did good things in El Salvador, Nicaragua and other places in America.