The Crime Of Padre Amaro

A new priest in a remote Mexican parish, Father Amoro starts off out of his depth, despite his easy charm and the apparent friendliness of his colleagues, and things can only get worse in a dark fable which examines many of the dilemmas facing the twenty first century Catholic church. Beginning with a violent incident in which a bus full of travellers are robbed at gunpoint, the film softens with gentle humour and whimsy which would not be out of place in Father Ted, but our young hero's unwillingness to look beyond this marks the beginning of his downfall. Father Amoro is young and handsome and his passions are not directed entirely toward the church. In a complex political climate where the genuinely principled Father Natalio is increasingly ostracised, Father Amoro's good intentions soon give way to his ambition, with what seem like small crimes gradually building into something terrible. Along the way, supporting characters are sacrificed, suffering abuses which are never put right. There is no justice in this story. Rather, it is a portrait of a community destroyed by greed.

Father Amoro's relationship with the teenage Amelia is one of the most interesting studies of this type in recent film history. It's easy to perceive the girl as competent to consent to sexual activity, even in a politically dangerous situation, but hard to understand how anyone could expect her to deal with the consequences. Father Amoro's awareness of this seems slight, as he is unable to focus on anybody but himself. He never goes out of his way to do harm, but his carelessness makes Amelia increasingly vulnerable and isolated.

The Crime of Father Amoro is a seductive and vivid little film with a powerful sense of place, the Mexican landscape dominating its provincial town where passions of all sorts can get out of control. Its brujas and tribesmen leave a potent impression of alternative civilisation. Some have called this film anti-Catholic, but really it's more of a character piece, and it does leave a potent impression of the beauty which religion can bring in to people's lives.