The Priest

1978 [SPANISH]

Action / Comedy / Drama

2
IMDb Rating 6.4/10 10 318 318

sexual obsession priest masturbation catholicism confessional crisis of faith

Plot summary

Obsessed with fantasies of sex, Father Miguel seeks professional help through his church but they are not listening; thus leaving the Father in a dilemma; leaving the church or should he try, on his own, to surrender to these temptations?

Director

Eloy de la Iglesia Photo
Eloy de la Iglesia

Top cast

Simón Andreu Photo
Simón Andreu as Padre Miguel
José Manuel Cervino Photo
José Manuel Cervino as Marido de Irene
Pilar Vela Photo
Pilar Vela
Emilio Gutiérrez Caba Photo
Emilio Gutiérrez Caba as Padre Luis
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
919.22 MB
1280*720
Spanish 2.0
NR
Subtitles es  
24 fps
1 hr 40 min
Seeds 3
1.67 GB
1920*1080
Spanish 2.0
NR
Subtitles es  
24 fps
1 hr 40 min
Seeds 6

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by vegete

Archetypal view of the necessary conflict between priestly celibacy and human nature.

This film is very enlightening about the sexual conflicts which will of course arise in an environment of imposed celibacy. We know from the facts of the modern church that many priests do not achieve celibacy, and that their sexuality is a force which if ignored or abused will go awry and cause grave trouble for the community. Without getting to those dire consequences, the priest in El Sacerdote recognizes his own apparent obsession with sex (really a normal degree of physical desire coming head to head with religious restriction), and turns to his superiors for help. The efforts to change him, to affirm the counter-instinctual ban on sex, lead through a tour of his childhood and the foundation of a man's life. Sex never wants to go away, and so it becomes a contest of mind over matter, as it were. It is a failure of man if he does not accept his own physical reality, care for it and respect it's mysteries. The macrocosm is our world and universe--the heavens--and how we care for our role in that. The microcosm is our own mind-body existence, the locus of each man's world. The priest finds out that one cannot deny the body, home of desire, just as we do not deny mind, home of the spirit. His tragedy is a giant finger pointing at the church, accusing it quite rightly of being forever stuck in the kindergarten of spirituality, ostensibly deprived of the infinite wisdom that would come from a sexually mature world view.
Reviewed by thinker1691 8 / 10

Spiritual Ambition vs Human Nature

In the film, El Sacerdote, played well by Simón Andreu, viewers witness the long, silent, emotional and psychological turmoil of a celibate catholic priest. Despite his strong moral fiber he realizes, human bodies are constantly plagued with sinful images which his faith and profession forbids. After failing to deal with the tormenting demons, he seeks the help of his superiors who offer few options, insisting that spiritual platitudes are sufficient to deal with the "Devil's temptations". Despite his best efforts, the haunting memories of his past remain vivid and troubling. Daily, he is reminded of his lustful needs, which range from a young boy to a married village beauty. The film mirrors modern concepts and conflicts which challenge the church today. Over all, this is a remarkable and touching film, with brief nude scenes and violent depictions of the torturous lengths a man will go to find at peace with himself and his God.
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