"The Pope's Exorcist" combines those two images by casting Russell Crowe in the lead role of Father Gabriele Amorth, a theologian, journalist, book author, and the pope's designated exorcist. Amorth is a sly, tough, wisecracking priest who approaches each new mission like a gunslinger. Instead of pistols, rifles, and hunting knives, he has an exorcism kit with crucifixes and holy water that he carries around in a case the size of a saddlebag. His horse is a red-and-white scooter that's too-small for Crowe's let-it-all-hang-out character-actor body but makes a perfect, wonderful sight gag for that reason. Amorth even has a tiny whiskey flask that he insists that he carries to ease his scratchy throat. He's written and performed like one of those wry, hard-bitten bad-asses that used to be played in 1960s Westerns by aging but still-popular action stars like Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas and (yes) John Wayne. Their characters pointed out the hypocrisies of so-called civilization but defended it anyway. They'd seen it all, but could still be shocked. [/nd]
"The Pope's Exorcist" combines those two images by casting Russell Crowe in the lead role of Father Gabriele Amorth, a theologian, journalist, book author, and the pope's designated exorcist. Amorth is a sly, tough, wisecracking priest who approaches each new mission like a gunslinger. Instead of pistols, rifles, and hunting knives, he has an exorcism kit with crucifixes and holy water that he carries around in a case the size of a saddlebag. His horse is a red-and-white scooter that's too-small for Crowe's let-it-all-hang-out character-actor body but makes a perfect, wonderful sight gag for that reason. Amorth even has a tiny whiskey flask that he insists that he carries to ease his scratchy throat. He's written and performed like one of those wry, hard-bitten bad-asses that used to be played in 1960s Westerns by aging but still-popular action stars like Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas and (yes) John Wayne. Their characters pointed out the hypocrisies of so-called civilization but defended it anyway. They'd seen it all, but could still be shocked. [/nd]