"The Assisi Underground" is a war movie that fits in the class of non- combatant heroes. It is a moving, uplifting story of life. It is about a humble priest who organized an effort to save Jews during World War II. It is a story about the efforts of courageous local church leaders to build an underground network. It is a story about a whole town's willingness to help protect and save the lives of strangers. And it is a story about one German officer, who showed not all German soldiers to be inhumane monsters.
Everything about this film is excellent. The script, direction, cinematography, and setting are tops. The setting seems natural and calm at times. When German soldiers and the Gestapo come on the scene, the fear, tension and worry are heightened. It's almost as if one were sitting or standing in the midst of the story. The scenes around Assisi and the countryside show the beauty of the place. The cast is outstanding. Ben Cross ("Chariots of Fire") is great as the amiable Padre Rufino. James Mason ("A Star is Born") is perfect as the concerned and earnest Bishop Nicolini. Irene Papas ("The Guns of Navarone," "Zorba the Greek") rules as the firm but caring Mother Giuseppina who hides Jews in her convent. Maximilian Schell ("Judgment at Nuremberg," "Cross of Iron," "The Odessa File") is a Catholic doctor and Colonel who commands a German medical unit. He shows the humanity and care for people, art and faith that few in the German military show.
"The word 'heartwarming' was coined for books exactly like this." So reads the 1978 Kirkus Review for the book, "The Assisi Underground," by Alexander Ramati. The same must be said about this 1985 movie based on the book. Ramati also wrote the screenplay and directed the film on-site in Italy.
Ramati's interest in all aspects of bringing this true-life event to the public is another story in itself. He was a Jewish refugee from Poland who had made it to England to serve with the Allies. On June 17, 1944, he was among a group of war correspondents that entered Assisi with the Allies. When he learned of what had taken place there the previous year – after Italians overthrew Mussolini and Italy joined the Allies, he decided to return and write a book about it in the future. It took him 30 years to do so, and fortunately, most of the main characters were still alive to be interviewed. The most important of those was Franciscan Padre Rufino Niccacci.
The story of the Assisi underground revolves around Father Rufino. His superior, Bishop Nicolini, tabbed him to organize the underground. It became one of the most successful large-scale Jewish rescue operations during WW II. Years after the war, the padre, the bishop and one other Assisi underground leader, Don Aldo Brunacci, all received gold medals from the government of Israel and were declared Righteous Gentiles.
Be sure to watch the credits at the end of the film. A segment shows the characters and what happened to them after the war. It tells also about the highly successful efforts throughout Italy in saving Italian Jews. More than 32,000 Jews were hid and helped to escape in Italy. Only Denmark could come close to matching the 80 percent save rate of a nation's Jewish population during WWII. This is a great film to add to any library.
Everything about this film is excellent. The script, direction, cinematography, and setting are tops. The setting seems natural and calm at times. When German soldiers and the Gestapo come on the scene, the fear, tension and worry are heightened. It's almost as if one were sitting or standing in the midst of the story. The scenes around Assisi and the countryside show the beauty of the place. The cast is outstanding. Ben Cross ("Chariots of Fire") is great as the amiable Padre Rufino. James Mason ("A Star is Born") is perfect as the concerned and earnest Bishop Nicolini. Irene Papas ("The Guns of Navarone," "Zorba the Greek") rules as the firm but caring Mother Giuseppina who hides Jews in her convent. Maximilian Schell ("Judgment at Nuremberg," "Cross of Iron," "The Odessa File") is a Catholic doctor and Colonel who commands a German medical unit. He shows the humanity and care for people, art and faith that few in the German military show.
"The word 'heartwarming' was coined for books exactly like this." So reads the 1978 Kirkus Review for the book, "The Assisi Underground," by Alexander Ramati. The same must be said about this 1985 movie based on the book. Ramati also wrote the screenplay and directed the film on-site in Italy.
Ramati's interest in all aspects of bringing this true-life event to the public is another story in itself. He was a Jewish refugee from Poland who had made it to England to serve with the Allies. On June 17, 1944, he was among a group of war correspondents that entered Assisi with the Allies. When he learned of what had taken place there the previous year – after Italians overthrew Mussolini and Italy joined the Allies, he decided to return and write a book about it in the future. It took him 30 years to do so, and fortunately, most of the main characters were still alive to be interviewed. The most important of those was Franciscan Padre Rufino Niccacci.
The story of the Assisi underground revolves around Father Rufino. His superior, Bishop Nicolini, tabbed him to organize the underground. It became one of the most successful large-scale Jewish rescue operations during WW II. Years after the war, the padre, the bishop and one other Assisi underground leader, Don Aldo Brunacci, all received gold medals from the government of Israel and were declared Righteous Gentiles.
Be sure to watch the credits at the end of the film. A segment shows the characters and what happened to them after the war. It tells also about the highly successful efforts throughout Italy in saving Italian Jews. More than 32,000 Jews were hid and helped to escape in Italy. Only Denmark could come close to matching the 80 percent save rate of a nation's Jewish population during WWII. This is a great film to add to any library.