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Keys of the Kingdom
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by 20th Century Fox
Sales Rank: 2726
Price: $19.98
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Gregory Peck, the supposedly inept priest becomes the kindly Christ-like spiritual shepherd to a group of Chinese peasants and is finally recognized for what he is in the last reel. It's a familiar formula, one Ingrid Bergman did with a larger screen, and color to boot, in "Inn of the Sixth Happiness." They are wholesome, they are touching, they even bring a tear to the eye. But unfortunately they are so predictable. Hollywood has always gone for the wholesome and the touching and the spiritually uplifting, knowing perhaps that audiences wouldn't buy any other product. I, for one, would like to see a little more tension in the story, a little more ambiguity, a priest who isn't quite so sure of himself, a congregation that maintains a healthy skepticism about its shepherd, even as it hungers for the real article so rarely encountered, and too often punished and destroyed when discovered. I remember one such film: Humphrey Bogart playing a bogus priest on the lam in China, forced to enact the real thing in spite of himself. "The Left Hand of God" peaked my curiosity and left an impression. But that was so many years ago, memory may be deceiving me. I just wish it was available on DVD for me to see again. It may be no better than the rest, but it's nice to think about the possibility. <br /> <br />Meanwhile, if you like wholesome and uplifting and the story of a good man who manages not only to stay good but helps a whole bunch of people who obviously need helping, "The Keys of the Kingdom" is a safe bet. You'll like it. I did. But I still wish..
Viewer Reviews
Truly inspiring, the film's merits are mostly propelled by an early and acclaimed performance by Gregory Peck who plays a hapless Scottish priest going to China as a missionary. Facing scorn, revolution, and poverty, Fr. Francis Chisholm leads his new flock by gentle wisdom and perseverence. Overlong even with some heartwarming and important episodic developments, the film remains a substantative viewing experience. (Includes Vincent Price and a young Roddy McDowell as the boy Francis Chisholm. Also a winner of several Oscars and nominations.)
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Keys of the Kingdom
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