In the mid 1960s, Ralph Hochhuth's play "The Deputy" hit Europe like lightning. Its story, about the attempt of two people to inform the early 1940s world about the Nazi death camps, accused Pope Pius XII of failing to speak out against the removal of Jews from Rome when his doing so might have saved thousands of lives. The drama sparked controversy and debate. When "The Deputy" arrived in the United States about 1965, the five act, four hour play had been cut to a more manageable two hour length, but didn't lose any of its punch. For this film, Costa-Gavras has based his screenplay on the full version. It follows two major characters. The first is Kurt Gerstein (a real life individual), an SS Officer, scientist, and Christian, who risks everything to get the word out about the camps. The second is a fictional character, Father Ricardo Fontana, whose aristocratic family has connections with the Vatican. He meets Gerstein and begins a personal crusade to get the Pope to denounce the killing of Jews. I can attest to the power this material has. It was my privilege to play Pope Pius in a college production (U.S. version) in 1966. The two final scenes Fontana's confrontation with the Pope and his encounter with the Auswitz doctor in the harrowing finale are enough to shake even the most complacent person to the core. Somehow, Costa-Gavras has managed to drain off every volt and watt of energy and left us with a lethargic, draggy melodrama that goes for the easy irony (rich diplomats feast on fancy foods while "regretting" the bad things that are happening in the world). This should be dynamite and the legendary director seems like the person who could light the fuse. Unfortunately, the explosion never comes.
