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Set in the early years of the Salvadoran Civil War, Romero follows the life of Oscar Arnulfo Romero (Raúl Juliá). Despite being traditionally conservative, Romero became a very ardent and vocal critic of the military regime after being appointed archbishop, organizing peaceful protests and speaking against social injustice and violence in the country.
The film shows many of the events that led to Romero's shift, particularly the assassination of Father Rutilio Grande, a close friend of his, along with three other civilians. This, and many other human rights violations build up the anger and frustration in Romero. This is neatly portrayed by Juliá, whose performance, although a bit stagey, has the necessary emotion to convey those feelings.
My biggest complain is that this is a film that needed more time to properly develop. At roughly 100 minutes, the plot feels abridged, many of the events feel rushed, and a lot of the supporting characters end up underserved. This, in turn, strips off most of the emotional attachment one could have to the different stories in the film.
But as a vehicle for Juliá to show of his acting skills, this was definitely what I was looking for. Juliá starts the film by portraying Romero as restrained, and maybe even afraid of consequences. And although the shift from that to the ardent protestor he ends up as in the second half might feel abrupt, Juliá makes the most of it. This only serves to remind me of how great an actor he was, and how tragic it was to lose him.
Grade:
ROMERO
(1989, Duigan)
A film with Raúl Juliá
(1989, Duigan)
A film with Raúl Juliá
"No soldier is obliged to obey an order contrary to the Law of God. In His name and in the name of our tormented people who have suffered so much, and whose laments cry out to heaven: I implore you! I beg you! I *order* you!"
Set in the early years of the Salvadoran Civil War, Romero follows the life of Oscar Arnulfo Romero (Raúl Juliá). Despite being traditionally conservative, Romero became a very ardent and vocal critic of the military regime after being appointed archbishop, organizing peaceful protests and speaking against social injustice and violence in the country.
The film shows many of the events that led to Romero's shift, particularly the assassination of Father Rutilio Grande, a close friend of his, along with three other civilians. This, and many other human rights violations build up the anger and frustration in Romero. This is neatly portrayed by Juliá, whose performance, although a bit stagey, has the necessary emotion to convey those feelings.
My biggest complain is that this is a film that needed more time to properly develop. At roughly 100 minutes, the plot feels abridged, many of the events feel rushed, and a lot of the supporting characters end up underserved. This, in turn, strips off most of the emotional attachment one could have to the different stories in the film.
But as a vehicle for Juliá to show of his acting skills, this was definitely what I was looking for. Juliá starts the film by portraying Romero as restrained, and maybe even afraid of consequences. And although the shift from that to the ardent protestor he ends up as in the second half might feel abrupt, Juliá makes the most of it. This only serves to remind me of how great an actor he was, and how tragic it was to lose him.
Grade: