It is generally believed that tv movies are pretty average fare. It is rare that a film released on the tube can transcend this preconceived notion and be considered a great movie, yet this is the case with the excellent 1983 flick The Scarlet and the Black.
Based on the J.P. Gallagher book The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican, director Jerry London transports us into the midst of World War II (more precisely, 1943) in Rome, Italy, where the Nazis are occupying the historic city. We follow Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty (Gregory Peck), a Vatican-dwelling priest who is almost singlehandedly running a secret organization that hides and provides safe haven for British and American soldiers trapped in the Nazi controlled city.
O’Flaherty’s main adversary is Colonel Herbert Kappler (Christopher Plummer), the SS Head of Police who is entrusted with putting an end to any resistance and capturing the Allied soldiers hiding in the city.
The Vatican remained neutral throughout the war, thus a white line is painted by the German soldiers to differentiate the Holy State from Rome, while also enabling them to patrol the line to make sure no Allied soldiers seek asylum within the untouchable Holy grounds.
When O’Flaherty and Kappler finally meet at a Puccini Opera, the Monsignor cleverly outsmarts the Colonel, enabling him to free one of his trapped friends. This infuriates Kappler and he puts all of his efforts into capturing the Monsignor. He even enters the Vatican and asks Pope Pius XII (John Gielgud) for permission to interrogate the man. Of course, the Pope will not oblige the Colonel, yet he quickly calls on O’Flaherty to warn him of the dangers that he is bringing upon himself and the Vatican – though he places the final decision of what O’Flaherty should do in God and the man’s own hands.
What we then watch is an intricate game of cat and mouse, featuring near death experiences, extreme trickery and unbelievable bravery. As the movie reaches its finale, it is only fitting that the rivalrous twosome meet in the Colosseum, where the grandest of games and harshest of battles were fought in Ancient Rome. What will come of this final encounter – will either of them walk away unscathed?
The Scarlet and the Black is an excellent (based on a true) story that expertly depicts one man’s superhuman effort to aid thousands of people in the face of an evil ideology. The setting is superb, the acting from these three legendary performers is exceptional and the direction is nothing less than solid. There is also some much needed humour etched throughout the piece. Another nice touch that comes out of the story is the realistic characters portrayed by the actors. Too often, World War II pictures caricature Germans as purely evil human beings (and the Colonel does commit some vile acts), yet the love and care Kappler mostly shows toward his family helps to create a nicely layered character.
The Scarlet and the Black is definitely worth viewing. Filmed in 1983, the creative team does an excellent job taking a retrospective look back at World War II, and though the movie is more than thirty years old it does not feel at all dated. So, catch this historical depiction of triumph over evil. It will leave you transported.
I loved this movie and had no idea it was made for tv.