The story of Italian priests hiding Jews in the Chapel of St. Francis and Cloister of St. Clare should have been given better treatment than this poorly done film.Slashed by almost an hour from its original release, Cross plays a young priest asked by Bishop James Mason to hide some Jews in the monastery and cloister at Assisi. He does, while making friends with thoughtful Nazi Maximilian Schell, as the town commandant. Jews are almost discovered, the war ends, everyone gets a little mention about what happened to them at the end of the film.
The film's pace here is dull. The film is nothing more than Nazi extras asking for identification papers and Cross looking like the cat that ate the canary. I half expected him to wink at the camera everytime a Nazi goose stepped into frame. Cross also often forgets his Italian accent. Mason's idea of an Italian accent is to add an "uh" syllable at the end of every word, such as "We-uh must-uh help-uh the-uh Jews-uh." Most of his speeches are completely devoid of understanding, I thought I was listening to pig latin.
The Jews here are not shown as victims so much as that they have been inconvenienced by World War II. They do not come across as stoic and bold, but spoiled and complaining. In one embarassing scene, Cross, loved by all Jews who meet him, does a magic trick, compliments a painting, and comforts Jews like he is the activities director at an adult day care facility.
Maximilian Schell comes off best as the Nazi officer torn between his obligation to the Third Reich and his upbringing as a Catholic. Not enough of his inner turmoil was explored.
The film also features a horrendous soundtrack that sounds like bits and pieces of other war films just thrown into the sound mix. There are a couple of battle scenes, one with obvious stock footage, but this is not good.
"The Assisi Underground" was made by the guys at the old Cannon Group studio, and that was the first mistake if you are familiar with their product. I cannot recommend this film.
This is rated (PG) for gun violence and mild profanity.
Although not filled with hi-tech footages and action packed scenarios, The Assisi Underground is based on a small group of Catholic monasteries and convents in Italy that forms an underground railroad that only rivals Harriet Tubman's Underground Railroad of the 19th Century. Ben Cross plays a young catholic priest who shows us through his eyes the struggle to keep Italian Jews at bay from the clutches of the Nazi regime that has infiltrated Italy. His ease and care of his charges is charming and thoughtfully played. The young priest finds a godsend through a colonel in the German army who is also a humanitarian, and in seeming unknowing ways helps the priest execute his mission.
Slow at times, this film integrates real WWII film and newspaper clippings to keep time with the events of WWII. Ben Cross's performance speaks multitudes of the anxiety and anticipation of the Third Reich's actions during its occupation of Italy.
History enthusiasts should find it intriguing. Although not filled with hi-tech footages and action packed scenarios, The Assissi Underground is based on a small group of Catholic monastaries and convents in Italy that forms an underground railroad that only rivals Harriet Tubman's Underground Railroad of the 19th Century.
Ben Cross plays a young catholic priest who shows us through his eyes the struggle to keep Italian Jews at bay from the clutches of the Nazi regime that has infiltrated Italy. His ease and care of his charges is charming and thoughtfully played. The young priest finds a god-send through a colonel in the German army who is also a humanitarian, and in unseemingly ways helps the priest excecute his mission.
Slow at times, this film integrates real WWII film and newspaper clippings to keep time with the events of WWII. Ben Cross's performance speaks multitudes of the anxiety and anticipation of the Third Reicht's actions during its occupation of Italy.
History enthusiasts should find it intriguing.
