The Reluctant Saint
Encyclopedia
The Reluctant Saint is a 1962 film which tells a somewhat fictionalized version of the story of Joseph of Cupertino
, a 17th Century Italian saint. It stars Maximilian Schell
as Joseph, as well as Ricardo Montalban
, Lea Padovani
, Akim Tamiroff
, and Harold Goldblatt. The movie was written by John Fante
and Joseph Petracca
and directed by Edward Dmytryk
.
Saint Joseph of Cupertino was an Italian
saint. He was said to have been remarkably unclever, but prone to miraculous levitation
and intense ecstasies. This movie follows Joseph (Maximilian Schell
) from his final days living at home with his mother (Lea Padovani
). Because of his slow wits, she has kept him in school despite his being a grown man, older than the other students. He is seen bearing patiently and good-heartedly with being ridiculed by fellow villagers, and enduring failed attempts at work as a laborer. At the insistence of his mother (who saw no viable alternatives), we see him joining a Franciscan
monastery
through the influence of his uncle (Harold Goldblatt), an authority at the monastery. But trouble follows Joseph wherever he goes, including the monastery, because of his slow wits. Eventually his good heart is noticed by a visiting higher up in the church hierarchy (Akim Tamiroff
), who orders that he be trained to be a priest. Despite his incapacity for the necessary scholarly studies, and preference for merely managing sheep and other animals in the monastery's stable, Joseph does become a priest. Despite learning little from tutoring from the monks, Joseph passes the necessary examinations for the priesthood through a series of unlikely or possibly miraculous events. Soon after, when Joseph is seen levitating at the time of his ecstatic prayers to the Virgin Mary, one of the monastic authorities (Ricardo Montalban
) claims that Joseph suffers from demonic possession. Joseph is therefore exorcised
, but his levitations
continue, persuading everyone, including his former opponent, of the divine origins of his levitations.
Most of they key events in the movie are based on historical events or reports about the life of Saint Joseph of Cupertino
.
Joseph of Cupertino
Saint Joseph of Cupertino, O.F.M. Conv., was an Italian Franciscan friar who is honored as a mystic and a saint. He was said to have been remarkably unclever, but prone to miraculous levitation and intense ecstatic visions that left him gaping...
, a 17th Century Italian saint. It stars Maximilian Schell
Maximilian Schell
Maximilian Schell is an Austrian-born Swiss actor who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Judgment at Nuremberg in 1961...
as Joseph, as well as Ricardo Montalban
Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG was a Mexican radio, television, theatre and film actor. He had a career spanning six decades and many notable roles...
, Lea Padovani
Lea Padovani
Lea Padovani was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 60 films between 1945 and 1990. She starred in the film Black Dossier which was entered into the 1955 Cannes Film Festival...
, Akim Tamiroff
Akim Tamiroff
Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff was an Armenian actor. He won the first Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.Tamiroff was born in Tiflis, Russian Empire , of Armenian ethnicity. He trained at the Moscow Art Theatre drama school. He arrived in the U.S. in 1923 on a tour with a troupe of actors...
, and Harold Goldblatt. The movie was written by John Fante
John Fante
John Fante was an American novelist, short story writer and screenwriter of Italian descent. He is perhaps best known for his work, Ask the Dust, a semi-autobiograpical novel about life in and around Los Angeles, California, which was the third in a series of four novels, published between 1938...
and Joseph Petracca
Joseph Petracca
Joseph Petracca was an American novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and television writer of Italian descent...
and directed by Edward Dmytryk
Edward Dmytryk
Edward Dmytryk was an American film director who was amongst the Hollywood Ten, a group of blacklisted film industry professionals who served time in prison for being in contempt of Congress during the McCarthy-era 'red scare'.-Early life:Dmytryk was born in Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada,...
.
Saint Joseph of Cupertino was an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
saint. He was said to have been remarkably unclever, but prone to miraculous levitation
Metaphysical levitation
Levitation in paranormal context is the claimed rising of a human body into the air by mystical means. It is generally believed that there is, at present, no compelling evidence to suggest that paranormal levitation is a real phenomenon...
and intense ecstasies. This movie follows Joseph (Maximilian Schell
Maximilian Schell
Maximilian Schell is an Austrian-born Swiss actor who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Judgment at Nuremberg in 1961...
) from his final days living at home with his mother (Lea Padovani
Lea Padovani
Lea Padovani was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 60 films between 1945 and 1990. She starred in the film Black Dossier which was entered into the 1955 Cannes Film Festival...
). Because of his slow wits, she has kept him in school despite his being a grown man, older than the other students. He is seen bearing patiently and good-heartedly with being ridiculed by fellow villagers, and enduring failed attempts at work as a laborer. At the insistence of his mother (who saw no viable alternatives), we see him joining a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
through the influence of his uncle (Harold Goldblatt), an authority at the monastery. But trouble follows Joseph wherever he goes, including the monastery, because of his slow wits. Eventually his good heart is noticed by a visiting higher up in the church hierarchy (Akim Tamiroff
Akim Tamiroff
Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff was an Armenian actor. He won the first Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.Tamiroff was born in Tiflis, Russian Empire , of Armenian ethnicity. He trained at the Moscow Art Theatre drama school. He arrived in the U.S. in 1923 on a tour with a troupe of actors...
), who orders that he be trained to be a priest. Despite his incapacity for the necessary scholarly studies, and preference for merely managing sheep and other animals in the monastery's stable, Joseph does become a priest. Despite learning little from tutoring from the monks, Joseph passes the necessary examinations for the priesthood through a series of unlikely or possibly miraculous events. Soon after, when Joseph is seen levitating at the time of his ecstatic prayers to the Virgin Mary, one of the monastic authorities (Ricardo Montalban
Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG was a Mexican radio, television, theatre and film actor. He had a career spanning six decades and many notable roles...
) claims that Joseph suffers from demonic possession. Joseph is therefore exorcised
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
, but his levitations
Metaphysical levitation
Levitation in paranormal context is the claimed rising of a human body into the air by mystical means. It is generally believed that there is, at present, no compelling evidence to suggest that paranormal levitation is a real phenomenon...
continue, persuading everyone, including his former opponent, of the divine origins of his levitations.
Most of they key events in the movie are based on historical events or reports about the life of Saint Joseph of Cupertino
Joseph of Cupertino
Saint Joseph of Cupertino, O.F.M. Conv., was an Italian Franciscan friar who is honored as a mystic and a saint. He was said to have been remarkably unclever, but prone to miraculous levitation and intense ecstatic visions that left him gaping...
.
External links
- Hollywood.com listing: http://www.hollywood.com/movies/detail/id/254326