The true story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty (Gregory Peck), a courageous Irish priest working in the Vatican during the German occupation. O’Flaherty devotes all his time and energy to hiding refugees and Allied POW’s from the Nazis, building a network of hundreds of people to help him with his efforts. Colonel Kappler (Christoper Plummer), the local gestapo chief, learns of O’Flaherty’s activities. The priest has diplomatic immunity because of his Vatican post, but Kappler orders that he be captured of killed if seen outside the Vatican walls.
Trailer
Runtime: 143 min
Release: 1983
Cast: Gregory Peck, Christopher Plummer, John Gielgud
Director: Jerry London
Writer: J.P. Gallagher (book), David Butler
3 thoughts to “The Scarlet & the Black (1983)”
This is a truly wonderful movie about sacrifice. O’Flaherty risked his own life to save the lives of others. His efforts to save as many allied prisoners-of-war, Jews, and refugees from the Gestapo. This is a great movie to learn how to forgive those who have wronged you.
This movie had me rooting for Hugh O’Flaherty from the beginning. He was a Vatican Monsignor who would hide the POW’s as they would escape WWII and come to Rome. Herbert Kappler was the Nazi colonel that was trying to capture all of the POW’s.
O’Flaherty was willing to fight evil even when it meant that he could possibly die. The Pope told him that he would not be able to help him if he ever got caught. He still did what he thought was right. I enjoyed this movie. There were some funny parts that made me laugh. O’Flaherty would taunt Kappler and stand right at the edge of the Vatican by the white line. He would also dress up as members of the community to leave the Vatican and do his work. He tricked them for a long time with that scheme. He made me feel so happy, good verses evil and good prevailed. Interesting side note. When Kappler was captured and sentenced to life in prison, O’Flaherty was the only one to visit him and Kappler was eventually baptized.
This movie has a great message of a man who will forgive, and help his enemies, Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty is a priest in the Vatican during World War II. He spends his time helping escaped prisoners of war and helping them to avoid the German Gestapo. It is a daring tale of one man’s efforts to help the struggling masses.