Talk About Movies

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Roamin' Catholic
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Contents © 1999
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

I Confess

Ernie: It showed a pretty good understanding of what the seal of the confessional means. The Priest couldn't do anything even close to implicating Keller. At times, like Christ on trial in front of the Sanhedrin, he just doesn't say anything. When there's nothing to be said, he just keeps silent in front of authority. Matthew: I liked that it was never an issue whether he was going to talk. His humanity was portrayed not through his actual failing, but the suffering he went through in the face of what he knew he had to do. Ernie: The drama came with the question of turning himself in. That was his moment of weakness, his agony in the garden -- that was a good scene where they showed him staring at the suit in the shop window.

* * *

Matthew: Keller, who is a genuine villain, is not a monster. He's a coward. He doesn't intend to be a murderer, and then he's so scared that his cowardice starts consuming him. Ernie: His motivation at first is that he feels sorry for his wife, but that becomes secondary. Matthew: And the film doesn't let you rejoice at his death. You feel pity and horror.

--Ernie Grimm and Matthew Lickona