The Reluctant Saint (1962) Reviews

• Saint Forrest Gump

  bkoganbing2005-10-15

  The Reluctant Saint is a film based on the life of St. Joseph Desa of Cuppertino, who reputedly did some involuntary feats of levitation while at prayer. In the next century he was canonized a saint by the Catholic church and today is the patron saint of both aviators and bad students. Maybe today we would say Joseph suffered from attention deficit disorder or maybe he was a milder case of the idiot savant syndrome that Tom Hanks portrayed so well in Forrest Gump. At any event he's considered the village idiot. There are some funny moments at the beginning of the film, especially where Joseph loses control of a donkey and he's dragged through the vineyards, tearing up the fields. In watching that, I swear Maximilian Schell must have watched some Jerry Lewis movies to get it right. But there's a lot more to Joseph than that. His parents finally prevail upon an uncle who's a priest to take him into a monastery. And he's just as bad there, except when he finally is transferred to the stables. The key scene of the film for me is when a traveling bishop comes to inspect the monastery. The stables he finds are an unsightly mess and the other monks start to berate him. But the bishop played by Akim Tamiroff sees that Joseph has stayed up all night trying to help a ewe deliver her lambs. He says that Joseph is just the kind of person we need in the order, one who St. Francis of Assissi would understand. Later on the Bishop at dinner that night gets very bored with a lengthy dissertation on the Trinity goes out to the stable where Joseph is still caring for his animals. Turns out the Bishop comes from just such a peasant background as Joseph and relates to him as no others have ever. He mentions to him that even he has problems understanding the concept of the Trinity. Joseph then takes his blanket and folds it twice and says this is the trinity, one blanket, three folds. Right then and there the Bishop knows that this young man is not the idiot everyone takes him for. He becomes his friend and patron. I saw this film in theaters back in 1962 when it first was released. Starring the man who had just been named the Best Actor of 1961 for Judgement at Nuremberg, you would have thought it would have been given more publicity. But it was playing on the bottom half of double bills which we had back then. I can't remember what was the feature attraction. But I never forget Maximillian Schell's simple explanation of the trinity. And it's hard to believe that the erudite and articulate defense attorney of Judgement at Nuremberg is also the Forrest Gump of the Counter Reformation. But that's how good an actor Maximilian Schell is. Up to the point of the trinity explanation, the audience is seeing Joseph through the eyes of all around him as a simpleton. After that we see and adopt Akim Tamiroff's point of view. The rest of the film concerns the incidents surrounding the reported levitations. Schell and Tamiroff head the cast of mostly players from the Italian cinema. The only other name that Americans would recognize is Ricardo Montalban who plays a priest who remains unconvinced to almost the end of Joseph's worth. Schell, Tamiroff, and Montalban should all be proud of the work they did here. This is a really fine, but sadly neglected film.

• The Blessing of Sacred Simplicity

  santoro-internet2008-04-15

  I regard this as one of the most significant movies I have ever seen. Perhaps even more meaningful because I had never heard of it and did not expect it to be so beautiful at so many levels. The story of Saint Joseph of Cupertino, as it is described here, is a triumph of blessed simplicity, innocence and childlike sainthood. The emphasis, far from being on the saint's miraculous and spectacular levitations, is rather, as I see it, on the contrast between the way of spontaneous spirituality and the path of spiritual discipline, with the two being luminously reconciled throughout the movie. I believe this film can reach the hearts of many, believers and non-believers, providing space both for tears and laughter. In some way it looks as a Christian version of "Being There" and "Forrest Gump". I hope and trust it will also be available as DVD.

• Story of St. Joseph of Cupertino, a patron saint of pilots.

  MatthewJP2000-04-07

  This film is a warm and loyal portrayal of the life of St. Joseph (Giuseppe) of Cupertino. Giuseppe is portrayed as a simple and humble Franciscan brother. In one scene, the bishop who is sent to investigate the reports of Brother Giuseppe's mystical experiences, is charmed by their mutual love of working with the pigs in the barn. This portrayal communicates the sincerity, simplicity and holiness of a saint who does not think of himself as a saint. St. Joseph of Cupertino was one of those individuals who can be characterized as a natural "mystic." He was canonized (declared a Saint of the Church) for his virtue and holiness of life, and was made a patron saint of air pilots, probably because it is said that he would levitate from the ground during prayer. The movie is entertaining on all counts. You will leave this film feeling better about God and the human race.

• A truly heartwarming inspiring movie....

  cherry_medicine200020002004-05-23

  Well-acted by the lead characters. It's very touching in its simplicity and message . It's a perfectly done, you would want to see it over and over.Great cinematography that captures a believable atmosphere of the era. Maximillian Schell was perfect in his portrayal of this humble saint ,exuded innocence and charm . Lea Padovani who played Giuseppe's mother and Gobbo(Carlo Croccolo) are unforgettable characters that provided some of the movie's humor . And how can I forget the Antagonist ,Don Raspi (Ricardo Montalban) whose envy was never a hurdle to Giuseppe . its so good . so original . Just plain good! I wish people made more movies like this . Good movies is like a dying art .

• Don't be Reluctant about 'The Reluctant Saint'

  fom4life2011-07-22

  St. Joseph of Cupertino could easily be the patron saint of slapstick comedians. This young man resembles the kind of character you might find in a Jerry Lewis, Laurel & Hardy or Mr. Bean picture. He's not that bright, is scorned at by the well to do, and seems to destroy expensive and valuable items in his vicinity. But in the end he comes out on top as an inspiring figure who has beat the odds and has achieved remarkable success in some way or other. It is a compelling religious drama with lots of humorous touches, but could easily have been a great slapstick comedy (or even a musical) having great sight gags and physical comedy (and great musical numbers) and still retain its Christian themes and tone. The great thing about his film however is that it is based on a real person and real events and not a character created by a talented comedian. 'The Reluctant Saint' (could easily have been 'The Unlikely Saint) paints a picture of what God can do with a humble soul who desires nothing but to serve Him despite anything negative that might happen in their lives. This makes the picture worth watching coupled with the overall artistic quality of the film. The No. 1 virtue of The Reluctant Saint is humility. Humility naturally pushes Ego out the door of the soul, thus it doesn't get in the way of the Holy Spirit, who can then perform the impossible. And that is what he does in JOC's (Maximilian Schell) life. Despite his clumsy bumbling (including destroying a vineyard and a 200 statue of the virgin Mary), mistreatment by others, (including his own loving Italian mama, the youths of the village, and fellow brother monks), and poor academic skills, he manages to make friends with important people of serious rank and authority. Which leads to the impossible. Although not being too bright he gets enough theology to explain the Trinity to Bishop Durso (Akim Tamiroff), the vicar-general of the Franciscan order visiting the Franciscan monastery where JOC is at. " One blanket and one, two, three folds. Three folds in one blanket - three persons in one God, like the Trinity." This lesson of truth and his tender delivery and care of two baby lambs earns him the respect and friendship of the good bishop who then basically makes him a priest despite his poor academic studies. His favorite bible passage Luke 15 about the lost sheep, comes in handy on his rather short road to the ordained life. By making friends with the virgin Mary and offering her respect he ends up with the ability of levitation (or flight). When you know the right people in high places, the things you can do. These special gifts never inflate his ego, he would still rather sleep in the barn with the animals instead of the nice comfortable cell that he gets. Despite displays of holiness, humility and sanctity, some of this brother monks still dislike JOC as if he was a piece of foot fungus they wanted to get rid off. Chief members of the anti JOC fan club include the hunchbacked stable hand Gobbo (Carlo Croccolo) and one of the head monks Don Raspi (Ricardo Montalban). They create an antagonistic atmosphere around JOC, enabling him to transcend their smug pride by hovering above it. 'You shouldn't be reluctant to rent, buy or watch The Reluctant Saint'. It is a reminder that the unlikely and reluctant are the very ones that God wishes to use as an example of who he is looking for to join the ranks of the inspiring men and women we call saints. The film is also a reminder that great inspiring Christian films do actually exist. St. Joseph of Cupertino pray for us.