The Rosary Murders (1987)

A priest is put in a dilemma when the serial killer who has been murdering priests and nuns confesses to him.

Director:

Fred Walton

Writers:

William X. Kienzle (novel), Elmore Leonard

Stars:

Donald Sutherland, Charles Durning, Belinda Bauer

2 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Donald Sutherland	...	Father Robert Koesler
Charles Durning	...	Father Ted Nabors
Belinda Bauer	...	Pat Lennon
Josef Sommer	...	Lieutenant Koznicki
James Murtaugh	...	Robert Javison
Leila Danette	...	Mrs. Washington
Addison Powell	...	Father Edward Killeen
Kathleen Tolan	...	Sister Ann Vania
Tom Mardirosian	...	Detective Fallon
Anita Barone	...	Irene Jimenez
John Danelle	...	Detective Harris
Anna Minot	...	Sister Mary Martyrs
Lupe Ontiveros	...	Sophie
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roger Angelini	...	Brainard
B. Constance Barry	...	Sister Grace

Storyline

Life in the Catholic Church of the Holy Redeemer in Detroit is upset by a series of killings whose victims are all priests and nuns. All victims are found with a black rosary in their hands. Father Koesler begins collaborating with the police but soon finds himself in a spot when the killer decides to choose him as confessor.

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Plot Keywords:

moral dilemma | sacred vow | neo noir | psychopath | doing the right thing | 

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Taglines:

God works in mysterious ways. Man works in the deadliest.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Donald Sutherland and Jack White would later appear in Cold Mountain (2003).

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Goofs

A priest is called to the confessional from his quarters in the church. He walks across the altar to reach the confessional without genuflecting in front of the altar.

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Quotes

Father Edward Killeen: Break the seal of confession, and you destroy the Church.
Father Robert Koesler: People are going to die.
Father Edward Killeen: You're saving souls Bob, not lives.

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Connections

Referenced in Jersey Girl (2004)

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Soundtracks

IN YOUR EYES
Recorded & Sung by Nancy Wood
Composed by Bobby Laurel
Lyrics by Bobby Laurel & Dennis Leahy
Based on an adaptation of the Third Symphony written by Johannes Brahms

User Reviews

better than expected

Donald Sutherland is a Detroit priest who hears the confession of a serial killer with a grudge against the clergy, and is later forced by the ethics of his vocation to (reluctantly) hunt down the murderer himself, unearthing a spine-chilling string of motivation behind each new death. It could have been just another routine shocker, but a clever script and some unusually taciturn direction turns the otherwise familiar material into a modest but intriguing whodunit (actually more a 'whydunit') set against the rituals and mysteries of the Catholic Church, always a reliable source of guilt and intrigue. The steady accumulation of clues and evidence is interrupted only by an unsurprising (and unnecessary) romantic subplot, which happily compromises neither the mystery itself nor Sutherland's oath of celibacy.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 September 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Rosary Murders

Filming Locations:

Dearborn, Michigan, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,730,337

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,730,337

Company Credits

Production Co:

First Take, Rosary Take One, The Samuel Goldwyn Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1