The Scarlet and the Black is a 1983 film that follows the efforts of Vatican priest, Monsignor O’Flaherty, as he hides Jews and escaped POWs in Germany occupied Rome in 1943 during World War II. Priest O’Flaherty’s main adversary is SS Head of Police for Rome, Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Kappler. Hundreds of Allied POW soldiers are stealing into the city in hopes of finding refuge within the Vatican walls. When Germany entered Rome, the Vatican declared it’s neutrality in the war with the promise that it would remain untouched and unharmed by the SS Police and German army. This led the church to be unaccepting of escapees and refugees, except for Priest O’Flaherty. With the help of locals, clergy, and resistance corps, the Catholic priest
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His response to his critic is this, “Is it ever right to see innocent people in mortal danger, and turn your back on them?” In one scene, Priest O’Flaherty has a conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Keppler and asks him how he can justify all his horrific actions against the people of Italy. Keppler’s reply is that war is the justifier of his actions. Later in the movie we see that war is not enough of a justifier to take the lives of innocent people, no matter what side of the war they are on. At the climax of the movie Keppler, the man who hates O’Flaherty with all his being, arranges a meeting with O’Flaherty and makes a shocking request of the priest. Germany is losing control of Rome and the Allied forces would be there any day, and Keppler has no way to get his own family to safety except through the priest, who was the man Keppler wanted dead for so long. Although Priest O’Flaherty denies the request at first, we later find out that he safely removed Keppler’s family from Rome. Herbert Keppler was sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes. Priest O’Flaherty went to visit Keppler in prison every single month and eventually baptized Keppler into the Catholic …show more content…
The filmmaker depicted Priest O’Flaherty as a determined and compassionate man who would not let innocent lives be lost, even when his own life was at stake. O’Flaherty refused to let go of his humanity during wartime, as many others had. Instead, he remained true to his belief that all human life mattered, regardless of their nationality. We also see that this attitude displayed by Priest O’Flaherty made the difference between life and death for thousands of people of people in World War II, even people considered the
His response to his critic is this, “Is it ever right to see innocent people in mortal danger, and turn your back on them?” In one scene, Priest O’Flaherty has a conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Keppler and asks him how he can justify all his horrific actions against the people of Italy. Keppler’s reply is that war is the justifier of his actions. Later in the movie we see that war is not enough of a justifier to take the lives of innocent people, no matter what side of the war they are on. At the climax of the movie Keppler, the man who hates O’Flaherty with all his being, arranges a meeting with O’Flaherty and makes a shocking request of the priest. Germany is losing control of Rome and the Allied forces would be there any day, and Keppler has no way to get his own family to safety except through the priest, who was the man Keppler wanted dead for so long. Although Priest O’Flaherty denies the request at first, we later find out that he safely removed Keppler’s family from Rome. Herbert Keppler was sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes. Priest O’Flaherty went to visit Keppler in prison every single month and eventually baptized Keppler into the Catholic …show more content…
The filmmaker depicted Priest O’Flaherty as a determined and compassionate man who would not let innocent lives be lost, even when his own life was at stake. O’Flaherty refused to let go of his humanity during wartime, as many others had. Instead, he remained true to his belief that all human life mattered, regardless of their nationality. We also see that this attitude displayed by Priest O’Flaherty made the difference between life and death for thousands of people of people in World War II, even people considered the