Romero

Director: John Duignan, John Duigan John Duignan

Overview

Romero is a biography of the El Salvadoran priest Oscar Arnulfo Romero who was assassinated in 1980 by (it is suspected) a right-wing military death squad. The movie focuses upon the last years of Romero's life, when he became a human-rights activist opposing the rampant violence that existed in his country. The film features an excellent performance by Raul Julia in the title role.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/19/2013
UPC:	0727985013039
Original Release:	1989
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Vision Video
Region Code:	A
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:45:00
Sales rank:	49,338

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Raul Julia	Romero
Richard Jordan	Father Grande
Ana-Alicia	Arista Zelada
Eddie Velez	Lt. Columa
Alejandro Bracho	Father Osuna
Tony Plana	Fr. Manuel Morantes
Harold Gould	Francisco Galedo
Lucy Reina	Lucia
Al Ruscio	Bishop Estrada
Tony Perez	Father Rafael Villez
Robert Viharo	Colonel Ernesto Dorio
Harold Cannon-Lopez	General Humberto
Claudio Brook	Bishop Flores
Martin Lasalle	Bishop Rivera y Damas
Eduardo López Rojas	Bishop Cordova
Paco Mauri	Salvador Ramos,Salvador Ramos
Ruben Rojo	Archbishop Chavez
Omar Rodriguez	Rafael Zelada
Juan Pelaez	Ernesto Claramount
Jose Antonio Estrada	Man with Photo Album
Ivan Carbajal Gonzalez	Chavo Ramos
Sandra C. Gonzalez	Virginia Ramos
Hector Herrera	Alvaro Morazon
Guy De Saint Cyr	Master Sergeant
René Pereyra	Cigarette Man
Juan Peleaz	Ernesto Claramount
Jose Trowe	Don Manuel
Eduardo Rojas	Bishop Cordova
Antonio Serrano	Corporal
Abel Woolrich	Campesino
Álvaro Carcaño	Soldier
Víctor Carpinteiro	National Guard
Arturo Doring	Juan
Damián Alcázar	Campesino
Rocío Muñoz	Campesino
Evangelina Elizondo	Josephina Gatedo
Jose Escandon	National Guard
Regino Herrerra	Campesino
Gabriel Yared	Composer

Technical Credits

John Sacret Young

John Duignan	Director
Ellwood E. Kieser	Producer
Bob Morones	Casting
Lawrence Mortorff	Executive Producer,Producer
John Sacret Young	Executive Producer,Producer,Screenwriter
John Duigan	Director

Editorial Reviews

This 1989 production faithfully chronicles Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero's struggle with his conscience, his brother priests, and a brutal military regime during the seismic social upheaval in El Salvador in 1980. In a deeply affecting performance, Raul Julia portrays the beleaguered Romero -- a kind of 20th century Thomas à Becket -- with such passion and dignity that it is hard to imagine anyone else right for the role. At the beginning of the film, Julia molds himself into a psychological and philosophical replica of Romero: a bookish, old-school prelate who eschews the political activism practiced by radical priests to bring down tyrannical government overlords. One must render to Caesar what is Caesar's, he believes. But after the murders of dissident peasants and priests, Julia's Romero abandons status-quo passivism for peaceful political activism. The transition is slow and subtle, sans epiphany, with Julia displaying as much fear and regret as courage and resolution. And then the day comes when Julia forms his character into a rock of defiance: "You are a liar," he tells the double-dealing El Salvadoran president. The gauntlet is down. Romero's fate is sealed. Like Becket eight centuries before, Romero meets his fate in a cathedral. And also like Becket, he does not die completely. His spirit lives on. Supporting performances are good, and the camera makes a significant contribution to the success of the film with scenes of peasant squalor and aristocratic plenitude. The Paulist Fathers, a Roman Catholic religious order, produced the film on a limited budget -- and prayers.