The Assisi Underground (1985)
Directed by Alexander Ramati / Guiseppe Ramati
Genres - Drama |
Sub-Genres - War Drama, Political Drama |
Run Time - 115 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - PG
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Set during World War II, The Assisi Underground deals with the efforts made by a handful of hardy European souls to rescue Jews from the Holocaust. Ben Cross plays a dynamic young Catholic priest who puts his own life on the line to save thousands of refugees from Nazi-occupied Italy. While the role of the Vatican in the war is still a matter of hot debate, there can be no denying that individuals like Cross existed: in fact, virtually every event depicted in this film is based on an actual event. Featured in the all-star cast are James Mason, Irene Papas, and Maximillian Schell. When originally released, Assissi Underground clocked in at 178 minutes, resulting in a well-intentioned but frankly boring wartime epic. The producers whittled the running time down to 118 minutes for its general release.
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Keywords
war, cross-cultural-relations, Holocaust, priest, refugee, resistance