El crimen del Padre Amaro (2002)

Politics and sexual passions threaten to corrupt a young, newly-ordained priest in a small Mexican town.

Director:

Carlos Carrera

Writers:

Vicente Leñero, Eça de Queirós (novel)

Stars:

Gael García Bernal, Ana Claudia Talancón, Sancho Gracia

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 21 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gael García Bernal	...	Padre Amaro
Ana Claudia Talancón	...	Amelia
Sancho Gracia	...	Padre Benito Díaz
Angélica Aragón	...	Augustina Sanjuanera
Luisa Huertas	...	Dionisia
Ernesto Gómez Cruz	...	Obispo
Gastón Melo	...	Martín
Andrés Montiel	...	Rubén de la Rosa
Damián Alcázar	...	Padre Natalio Pérez
Gerardo Moscoso	...	Doc
Alfredo Gonzáles	...	Viejo / Old Man
Verónica Langer	...	Amparito
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.	...	Presidente Municipal Gordo (as Pedro Armendáriz)
Lorenzo de Rodas	...	Don Paco de la Rosa
Roger Nevares	...	Padre Galván

Storyline

Recently ordained a priest, 24-year-old Father Amaro is sent to a small parish church in Los Reyes, Mexico to assist the aging Father Benito in his daily work. Benito--for years a fixture in the church as well as the community--welcomes Father Amaro into a new life of unseen challenges. Upon arriving in Los Reyes, the ambitious Father Amaro meets Amelia, a beautiful 16-year-old girl whose religious devotion soon becomes helplessly entangles in a growing attraction to the new priest. Amelia is quickly following into the footsteps of her mother, Sanjuanera, who has been engaged in a long-time affair with Father Benito. Amaro soon discovers that corruption and the Church are old acquaintances in Los Reyes. Father Benito has been receiving financial help from the region's drug lord for the construction of a new health clinic. As well, another priest in the diocese, Father Natalio, is suspected of assisting guerilla troops in the highlands. Maenwhile, Amelia and Father Amaro have fallen in...

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Plot Keywords:

priest | watching tv | liberation theology | church | mexico | 

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Taglines:

One of the most controversial films ever made

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality, language and some disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

Columbia Tristar [France] Official site

Country:

Mexico Spain Argentina France

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

13 December 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Crime of Padre Amaro

Filming Locations:

Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico

Box Office

Budget:

$1,800,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

€429,915 (Spain), 10 November 2002, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$496,290, 17 November 2002, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$5,709,616, 6 April 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alameda Films, Artcam International, Blu Films

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 2002, this film became the highest-grossing Mexican film of all time (at Mexico's domestic box office), when it surpassed previous record holder, Sexo, pudor y lágrimas (1999), with a total gross of US$ 16.3 million.

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Goofs

Amaro gets beaten up by Ruben and receives some bruises in his face. A little later, when he meets Amelia in the church, the bruises are gone.

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Quotes

Padre Benito: I made you the priest's whore.

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Crazy Credits

"In memoriam Paco Rabal"

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Connections

Referenced in Vecinos: Cursos de verano (2007)

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Soundtracks

Hoy Venimos a Cantar
Written by Alejandro Álvarez González
Performed by Coro Siquem

User Reviews

The way of all flesh

From a novel by the 19th century Portuguese well-known novelist Eça de Queirós, the Mexican director Carlos Carrera made this good movie in which to the main ingredients present at all times everywhere (lust, the temptations of the flesh haunting Catholic priests, religious hypocrisy, love and bourgeois prejudices) he added specific Mexican ones of our times such as the fight for independent journalism, drug traffic, complicity of authorities and the fight of the peasants for dignity, freedom and a better life. He was very successful in telling the same story contained in the Portuguese novel, transposing it from the atmosphere of a Portuguese provincial town in the second half of 19th century to rural Mexico of present times. The acting of all performers is sober and efficient with special prominence to Ana Claudia in the role of the sensual nymphet who seduces the young priest not with great difficulty it must be said.