Kiril Lakota (Anthony Quinn), a Russian priest, is suddenly released from Siberia after twenty years' imprisonment and brought to Rome...
At his arrival to the Vatican, Archbishop Lakota is received like a prince and is immediately created Cardinal Priest by the ailing Pope (John Gielgud).
Lakota develops a friendship with Father David Telemond (Oskar Werner), an unorthodox Jesuit forbidden to teach... Telemond is the author of ten books none published, with works under examination by a special Pontifical Commission... He is suspected of holding opinions dangerous to the faith...
Discussing one of his book, Kiril states to the young philosopher that 'faith' kept him alive... Kiril makes it clear that he finds Telemond's book, a challenge to the Catholic faith... Not one word of the 'soul' was there mentioned...
Before the Pontifical Commission, Father Telemond manifests: 'I believe in the future union of the world with the cosmic Christ.' He is interrupted by an announcement that the Pope has passed away... The film shows how the Pope's ring is defaced, his seals broken, his apartments locked and sealed...
Cardinals from all over the world arrive to the Vatican City for the election of the new Pope... The Cardinals are pleased by Lakota's ideas: 'Life is a gift of God,' he declares. 'We should manufacture the authentic Christian revolution... Work for all... Bread for all... Dignity for all men...'
To the surprise of the outside world, he is elevated to the throne of St. Peter by the College of Cardinals led by Cardinal Rinaldi (Vittorio De Sica).
Kamenev, the pragmatic Russian premier (Laurence Olivier) congratulates the elected Pontiff and sends him a gift... The gift had its meaning for the Russian Pope... Kamenev, who was once Kiril's hated interrogator, is anxious to avoid war with China... He turns to Kiril, now spiritual leader of 800 million people, for help...
Kiril, bound to charity with a duty to act, begins to understand the cruel world he knows so little about... He could not even remember that he is Peter!... He is remembered that he just starts to climb his calvary...
Anthony Quinn plays with human characterization the tormented Russian priest plagued by self-doubt... He is dispatched to Rome so that Russia will have a friend in the papal court in case China should rise against her...
Laurence Olivier plays the tormentor Russian Premier who does not count on the fact, of course, that the one-time Siberian prisoner will ultimately become the new Pope...
Oskar Werner is excellent as Father Telemond, the silenced theologian who believes that 'man is born in bondage to his own history.' Father Telemond shows a brilliant mind reaching out to the last frontiers of thought... He lives a deep spirituality with extraordinary depth and beauty, but fails to live in peace in a church he dearly loves...
Leo McKern portrays Cardinal Leone who had preferred to be a country priest rather than a 'walking encyclopedia of dogma.' Cardinal Leone is jealous of Father Telemond, jealous that he has the intimacy, trust and affection of the elected Pontiff...
There are several subplots in the film, one of which includes a romantic triangle with a television reporter (David Janssen), his doctor wife (Barbara Jefford) and the Italian girlfriend (Rosemary Dexter) who won't let him go... Kiril, as Pope, is carried into this when, sneaking out of the walls of the Vatican to mingle anonymously with the crowds, he accidentally encounters Dr. Ruth Faber and helps her solve her marital problems while they are both attending a dying Jew... The scene remembers us the European princess, Audrey Hepburn, in her "incognito" informal tour of Rome, out of Palace duties, in William Wyler's "Roman Holiday."
Based on Morris West's best-selling novel, "The Shoes of the Fisherman" is a super special chance to tour inside the Roman Catholic Church, discover dynamic performances, but plenty of turbulent questions that were needed to be answered...
At his arrival to the Vatican, Archbishop Lakota is received like a prince and is immediately created Cardinal Priest by the ailing Pope (John Gielgud).
Lakota develops a friendship with Father David Telemond (Oskar Werner), an unorthodox Jesuit forbidden to teach... Telemond is the author of ten books none published, with works under examination by a special Pontifical Commission... He is suspected of holding opinions dangerous to the faith...
Discussing one of his book, Kiril states to the young philosopher that 'faith' kept him alive... Kiril makes it clear that he finds Telemond's book, a challenge to the Catholic faith... Not one word of the 'soul' was there mentioned...
Before the Pontifical Commission, Father Telemond manifests: 'I believe in the future union of the world with the cosmic Christ.' He is interrupted by an announcement that the Pope has passed away... The film shows how the Pope's ring is defaced, his seals broken, his apartments locked and sealed...
Cardinals from all over the world arrive to the Vatican City for the election of the new Pope... The Cardinals are pleased by Lakota's ideas: 'Life is a gift of God,' he declares. 'We should manufacture the authentic Christian revolution... Work for all... Bread for all... Dignity for all men...'
To the surprise of the outside world, he is elevated to the throne of St. Peter by the College of Cardinals led by Cardinal Rinaldi (Vittorio De Sica).
Kamenev, the pragmatic Russian premier (Laurence Olivier) congratulates the elected Pontiff and sends him a gift... The gift had its meaning for the Russian Pope... Kamenev, who was once Kiril's hated interrogator, is anxious to avoid war with China... He turns to Kiril, now spiritual leader of 800 million people, for help...
Kiril, bound to charity with a duty to act, begins to understand the cruel world he knows so little about... He could not even remember that he is Peter!... He is remembered that he just starts to climb his calvary...
Anthony Quinn plays with human characterization the tormented Russian priest plagued by self-doubt... He is dispatched to Rome so that Russia will have a friend in the papal court in case China should rise against her...
Laurence Olivier plays the tormentor Russian Premier who does not count on the fact, of course, that the one-time Siberian prisoner will ultimately become the new Pope...
Oskar Werner is excellent as Father Telemond, the silenced theologian who believes that 'man is born in bondage to his own history.' Father Telemond shows a brilliant mind reaching out to the last frontiers of thought... He lives a deep spirituality with extraordinary depth and beauty, but fails to live in peace in a church he dearly loves...
Leo McKern portrays Cardinal Leone who had preferred to be a country priest rather than a 'walking encyclopedia of dogma.' Cardinal Leone is jealous of Father Telemond, jealous that he has the intimacy, trust and affection of the elected Pontiff...
There are several subplots in the film, one of which includes a romantic triangle with a television reporter (David Janssen), his doctor wife (Barbara Jefford) and the Italian girlfriend (Rosemary Dexter) who won't let him go... Kiril, as Pope, is carried into this when, sneaking out of the walls of the Vatican to mingle anonymously with the crowds, he accidentally encounters Dr. Ruth Faber and helps her solve her marital problems while they are both attending a dying Jew... The scene remembers us the European princess, Audrey Hepburn, in her "incognito" informal tour of Rome, out of Palace duties, in William Wyler's "Roman Holiday."
Based on Morris West's best-selling novel, "The Shoes of the Fisherman" is a super special chance to tour inside the Roman Catholic Church, discover dynamic performances, but plenty of turbulent questions that were needed to be answered...