Gregory Peck stars as Monsignor O'Flaherty, who is head of a cabal of Vatican officials aiding runaway POWs with the tacit approval of Pope Pius XII (John Gielgud). i found it interesting that Pius gets the good guy treatment here when many more recent accounts generally bash him as pro-axis at the least or spawn of Satan at worst(see "Hitler's Pope" by John Cornwell). there was an apochryphal story about his death where his casket supposedly was dropped and a hideous stench came forth. bad embalming job or eminence of evil? you decide!
Chrisopher Plummer as the sleek Col. Kappler had a good time with his role, one moment a good family man, the next extortioner of the Jews.the battle of wills between the two was done well, though one thing that didn't ring true to me was Kappler's naivete in letting O'Flaherty con him out of an autograph which was so obviously going to be used to further O'Flaherty's plans. *spoiler alert*
the movie gave Gregory Peck a couple of good laughs too. at a party he regales the society matrons with a tale of his golf game: his ball "hit a tree, bounced off into the back of a truck headed for Genoa. it was the longest drive in history!" later Jeeves the English agent saves him from imminent arrest by pulling him down the coal chute and gives him his clothes, then tells him to hit him to make things look good. O'Flaherty, ever the good Irishman, gives out a hearty "God love ya!" and POW! right on the kisser! another good movie to see involving the Vatican and WWII is "Amen"
Chrisopher Plummer as the sleek Col. Kappler had a good time with his role, one moment a good family man, the next extortioner of the Jews.the battle of wills between the two was done well, though one thing that didn't ring true to me was Kappler's naivete in letting O'Flaherty con him out of an autograph which was so obviously going to be used to further O'Flaherty's plans. *spoiler alert*
the movie gave Gregory Peck a couple of good laughs too. at a party he regales the society matrons with a tale of his golf game: his ball "hit a tree, bounced off into the back of a truck headed for Genoa. it was the longest drive in history!" later Jeeves the English agent saves him from imminent arrest by pulling him down the coal chute and gives him his clothes, then tells him to hit him to make things look good. O'Flaherty, ever the good Irishman, gives out a hearty "God love ya!" and POW! right on the kisser! another good movie to see involving the Vatican and WWII is "Amen"