The Scarlet and the Black (1983)
As it is, this tv movie is two and a half hours, but it could have easily been stretched out and doubled its running time. The Scarlet and the Black is such a fascinating story, and it’s also based on a true one. The end of the movie is not the end of the true story, and if you look up the facts afterwards, you’ll wish the movie continued documenting the remaining decades of what happened! But no spoilers here, don’t worry.
Bless his heart, but Gregory Peck just can’t do accents. He plays an Irish priest, but you’ll just have to forgive him his terrible attempt at an Irish accent; if you don’t, you might not make it through the movie. Everything else in the film is fantastic, though, so I recommend you forgive him. His character is an active participant in the Italian Resistance in Nazi-occupied Rome. He smuggles refugees and prisoners of war out, but since he’s such a big-wig in the religious community, Christopher Plummer, a big-wig in the Nazi community, can’t arrest him. The film shows their struggle to outsmart each other, and the risks Greg takes to save lives, even when risking his own.
My favorite scene in the film is so tense, I found myself actually nibbling on my fingernail until the scene was over. Christopher Plummer has threatened Gregory Peck with arrest should he cross a painted line on the street outside the Vatican. Chris stands in a neighboring window, watching, as Greg approaches the line. He aims a gun at Greg, and as Greg looks up and sees his nemesis, he maintains his eye contact as he paces back and forth parallel to the line, occasionally swinging his leg over the line to call Chris’s bluff. It’s a fantastic scene and a perfect representation of the rest of the film.
Both leads—despite Greg’s lack of accent—are wonderful. Up until recently, I haven’t appreciated Christopher Plummer’s acting talents, and this is one of the movies that helped me cross over. He’s really wonderful in the role, extremely averse but somewhat amused and even admiring of Greg’s tenacity, and strict but fearful for his family. I keep waiting for a remake of this movie, starring Tom Hanks and Christoph Waltz. Even if the remake started when this movie ended, there would be plenty of fascinating material to create an irresistible film. Until Hollywood decides to make a modern reboot, watch the original. It’s really very good, and you can see a very handsome Christopher Plummer in his prime.
More Gregory Peck movies here!
Bless his heart, but Gregory Peck just can’t do accents. He plays an Irish priest, but you’ll just have to forgive him his terrible attempt at an Irish accent; if you don’t, you might not make it through the movie. Everything else in the film is fantastic, though, so I recommend you forgive him. His character is an active participant in the Italian Resistance in Nazi-occupied Rome. He smuggles refugees and prisoners of war out, but since he’s such a big-wig in the religious community, Christopher Plummer, a big-wig in the Nazi community, can’t arrest him. The film shows their struggle to outsmart each other, and the risks Greg takes to save lives, even when risking his own.
My favorite scene in the film is so tense, I found myself actually nibbling on my fingernail until the scene was over. Christopher Plummer has threatened Gregory Peck with arrest should he cross a painted line on the street outside the Vatican. Chris stands in a neighboring window, watching, as Greg approaches the line. He aims a gun at Greg, and as Greg looks up and sees his nemesis, he maintains his eye contact as he paces back and forth parallel to the line, occasionally swinging his leg over the line to call Chris’s bluff. It’s a fantastic scene and a perfect representation of the rest of the film.
Both leads—despite Greg’s lack of accent—are wonderful. Up until recently, I haven’t appreciated Christopher Plummer’s acting talents, and this is one of the movies that helped me cross over. He’s really wonderful in the role, extremely averse but somewhat amused and even admiring of Greg’s tenacity, and strict but fearful for his family. I keep waiting for a remake of this movie, starring Tom Hanks and Christoph Waltz. Even if the remake started when this movie ended, there would be plenty of fascinating material to create an irresistible film. Until Hollywood decides to make a modern reboot, watch the original. It’s really very good, and you can see a very handsome Christopher Plummer in his prime.
More Gregory Peck movies here!