To Kill a Priest (1988)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Agnieszka Holland

Writers:

Michael Cooper (English adaptation)
Agnieszka Holland (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

13 October 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Thriller

Plot:

A young priest speaks out against the Communist regime in Poland and is killed for it. |

Plot Keywords:

Political Activist | Occupation | Secret Police | Priest | Murder

Cast

Christopher Lambert	...	Father Alek
Ed Harris	...	Stefan
Joss Ackland	...	Colonel
Tim Roth	...	Feliks
Timothy Spall	...	Igor
Pete Postlethwaite	...	Josef (as Peter Postlethwaite)
Cherie Lunghi	...	Halina
Joanne Whalley	...	Anna
David Suchet	...	Bishop
Charlie Condou	...	Mirek (as Charles Condou)
Tom Radcliffe	...	Young Soldier
Wojciech Pszoniak	...	Bridge Player (as Wojtek Pszoniak)
Johnny Allen
George Birt		(as Georges Birt)
André Chaumeau		(as Andre Chaumeau)
Paul Crauchet	...	Alek's Father
Janine Darcey
Huguette Faget
Gregor Fisher
Jerome Flynn
Matyelok Gibbs
Brian Glover
Vincent Grass
Anne-Marie Pisani
Eugeniusz Priwieziencew	...	SB officer
Nicolas Serreau
Boguslawa Schubert		(as Boguslava Schubert)
Jean-Pierre Stewart
Hanna Sylberg
Nicky Taylor		(as Nick Taylor)
Philip Whitchurch
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Raoul Delfosse	...	(uncredited)
Daniel Olbrychski	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Agnieszka Holland

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michael Cooper		English adaptation
Agnieszka Holland		screenplay
Agnieszka Holland		story
Jean-Yves Pitoun		writer

Produced by
Jean-Pierre Alessandri	....	producer
Timothy Burrill	....	co-producer
Michael Cooper	....	associate producer
Marie-Christine Lefebvre	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Georges Delerue

Cinematography by
Adam Holender

Film Editing by
Hervé de Luze		(as Herve De Luze)

Production Design by
Emile Ghigo

Art Direction by
Jean-Claude Cabouret

Set Decoration by
Danka Semenovicz		(as Danka Semenowicz)

Costume Design by
Anna B. Sheppard		(as Anna Sheppard)

Makeup Department
Isabelle Gamsohn	....	hair stylist
Didier Lavergne	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jean-Marc Deschamps	....	unit manager
Arnaud Esterez	....	assistant unit manager
Gérald Molto	....	production manager (as Gerald Molto)
Clément Sentilhes	....	assistant unit manager
Olivier Thaon	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michel Cheyko	....	first assistant director
Luc Etienne	....	third assistant director
Michel Ferry	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Jean-Pierre Clech	....	assistant art director
Frédéric Pidancet	....	assistant art director (as Frederic Pidancet)

Sound Department
Daniel Brisseau	....	production sound mixer
William Flageollet	....	sound
François Groult	....	sound
Gérard Hardy	....	sound editor
Michel Klochendler	....	sound editor
Gérard Lamps	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Jean-Charles Drevelle	....	special effects: Atmosphere (as Jean-Charles Drevel)

Stunts
Daniel Breton	....	stunt coordinator
Lee Sheward	....	stunt double: Christoper Lambert

Camera and Electrical Department
Jean Harnois	....	camera operator
Marc Koninckx	....	Steadicam operator

Casting Department
Margot Capelier	....	casting: France
Priscilla John	....	casting: England

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mic Cheminal	....	wardrobe supervisor

Music Department
Joan Baez	....	composer: song "The Crimes of Cain"
Georges Delerue	....	conductor
Zbigniew Preisner	....	composer: song "Church Song"

Other crew
Elsa Chabrol	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• France 3 Cinéma
• J.P. Productions
• Sofica Valor

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1989) (USA)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. (1989) (Austria) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

Complot, Le (France)
Popieluszko

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Spain:13 | West Germany:16 | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | USA:R | Argentina:13

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

A strange mix

"To Kill A Priest" has all the things that can make a movie great. Great direction, a powerful cast, good chemistry between well-defined actors, and a strong premise. Where is falls short is in the core. It is almost told from a newsreel's perspective, briefing the audience on an event rather than actually presenting any specific theme. Therefore, many multiple themes can possibly be drawn out of this, and while this fact keeps the film from being a masterpiece, it certainly doesn't make it a bad film.

Inspired from actual events, the story centers around Father Alec (Christopher Lambert), a young, charismatic priest who isn't afraid to go against the system in his home in 1981's Poland. In a land ruled by Communism, he is a strong voice for Soliditary, and the people love him. Likewise, Stefan (Ed Harris) is a secret police officer who loves his country and he thinks that communism is the only way, and people like Alec are only getting in the way. He is emotionally disfunctional, and his family life is a wreck. Haunted by a painful past, he thinks that if it is possible to eliminate Alec, the people of Soliditary would run scared.

Hence, the film presents two sides of the story, about two men who love their country and their people, and how they each interpret what they believe to be Poland's needs. Along the way, the film also speaks of both corrupt polititians and cowardly priests (led by Joss Ackland and David Suchet, respectively), and how Alec and Stefan both try to use both to get their work accomplished. Both provide very powerful defenses for their visions and actions, and both are very committed to a destiny which will collide them together.

Mostly, this film is a collection of excellently-directed bits of dialogue which are magnificent to behold. The scenes in which Lambert tries to defend his work to Suchet sizzle with intensity, likewise do the scenes between Harris and Ackland. The subplots involving Joanne Whalley and Pete Postlethwaite are also compelling and thought-provoking, and the performances of all the actors are nothing short of majestic.

What then, is missing? The fact that the film takes no sides, and presents both sides of the argument equally. Therefore, though the bits of dialogue at the beginning and end seem to lean towards Alec's cause, the center of the film never really states which side it is taking....that of communism, or that of soliditary. Because of this, any message that the film is trying to make is lost in the balance to time spent on each argument. This might have been the point of director Agnieszka Holland, but if it is, then it was a bad idea. It would have been more effective if he had chosen to follow one of the arguments and run more rampant with it. If this had been the case, than history might have been changed with the ballot for best picture at the Academy Awards of 1989 reading "To Kill A Priest."

However, because of this flaw, the film is very compelling, in spite of itself. Most thoughts of communism nowadays only bring to mind thoughts of stereotypical, mustache-twirling villians. However, due to the time spent on both sides of the spectrum, this is proven not to be true. Stefan commits the acts he does because he honestly believes he is doing what is best for his family, and he isn't ashamed of any of it. This side presented to communism is quite intriguing, and it shows that one doesn't have to be evil to be on the side of evil. Hence, due to the lack of a single theme, multiple themes are presented, and while they might not be as powerful as a film with simply one to expand on, the emphasis on them all is thoughtful, if uneven.

*** out of ****