A respectable, sincere film of Robert Bolt's literate play, with Scofield as Sir Thomas More, endorsing the divine right of the Pope over and above his King, Henry VIII, who wishes to divorce Katherine Of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn. Watch out for Orson Welles in a marvellous cameo as Cardinal Wolsey. The film won 6 Oscars. find out more...

In a move designed to subordinate the Catholic Church to the state, Henry II gave the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury to his close friend and ally Thomas Becket. With Becket now installed as his 'man on the inside' Henry could be forgiven for thinking that the church would more easily acquiesce to his bidding. Henry, however, had neither bargained on Becket's ecclesiastical fervour nor realized his zealous nature. Thus the stage was set for one of the greatest battles of supremacy between find out more...

Filmed during the Nazi occupation of Denmark, Carl Dreyer's Day of Wrath is a harrowing account of individual helplessness in the face of growing social repression and paranoia. Anna, the young second wife of a well-respected but much older pastor, falls in love with his son when he returns to their small 17th century village. Stepping outside the bounds of the village's harsh moral code has disastrous results: Anna faces the stake, accused of witchcraft. find out more...

The two lead characters take dual roles, as a father and son walking thru' a bleak landscape discussing politics and philosophy, and as two disciples of St Francis sent to convert birds to the Christian ideal of universal love. A darkly comic allegory on class conflict with an excellent sound track by Ennio Morricone. find out more...

In Fellini's sardonically humorous, yet powerfully dramatic, 'Il Bidone' three small-time crooks impersonate priests in Rome to con poor people out of their money. Broderick Crawford is extraordinary as the group's world-weary leader whose chance meeting with his own daughter opens his eyes to his wrongdoing. Too late, he suffers a crisis of conscience in this absorbing tale of hope, desperation and tragedy. find out more...

A controversial version of the gospels in which the central conflict is seen in terms of political struggle and betrayal. Detailing the Jews' rebellion against the oppressive power of Rome, it elevates Barabbas to the status of a proto-Zionist nationalist leader, and the dynamics of the narrative are presented as the consequence of wide-ranging historical movements rather than in terms of individuals. When Jesus is born in Bethlehem there are some who recognize him as the future king of the J find out more...

Enigmatic, allusive (yes, folks! We're deep in art-house territory!) tale of a stranger, a mysterious Devil or Christ figure, who insinuates himself into a bourgeois family, seducing each member in turn thereby tearing away their protective and self-deluding facade. Sacred and profane imagery accompany this strange tale. find out more...

The film is based on the Graham Greene novel 'The Power and the Glory' about a revolutionary priest, in Central America, who finds refuge with a faithful parishioner when the government outlaw Christianity. Greene's complicated morality is dropped, but is replaced with some pretty stunning cinematography, in John Ford's atmospheric adaptation featuring an impressive performance from Henry Ford in the title role. find out more...

A luxurious visual interpretation of the biblical text performed entirely by non-professionals. The director's Catholicism and Marxism serve him well here as the Messiah is presented as a distinctly political figure fuelled by anger at social injustice, while the miracles are just incidental. Pasolini's stunning photography combined with a magnificent musical score, from Bach to Billie Holiday, make this a breath-taking feast. Both religiously and politically powerful. find out more...