Romero

Pros: Excellent film
Cons: True story

Romero is, sadly, a true story. This film is based on a short period of the life of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, played by the late Raul Julia. Romero became Archbishop of El Salvador in 1977 during a time of great oppression and what amounted to...

Pros: Raul Julia, story, direction
Cons: supporting cast, simplistic characters

When Nicaragua succumbed to civil war during the late 1970s, the governments of surrounding Central American nations were afraid that the same turmoil and revolution would overcome them as well. Among those nations was El Salvador, apparently a military...

Pros: Well made, well acted, tense, brilliant. Highly recommended drama
Cons: None

I was recommended this movie by a friend. I already knew enough about Archbishop Oscar Romero to know it would be a moving film of his last three years, but this movie shocked me with its clever build-up and ability to create tension. It follows Romero from just before he was appointed as Archbishop, when he seemed almost unaware of the violent suppression of the people of El Salvador, through his fear of speaking out and upsetting the establishment, until he was compelled to speak out time and again against the brutality, torture and murder of innocent peasants. The moment of his assassination is particularly moving.

What's more, with many countries in the world still faring not much better than El Salvador in the late Seventies and Eighties, it speaks to us today and has a lot to say about the necessity of a preferential option for the poor. We watched it three times in as many days.