Amen.

From a director like Costa-Gavras, I expect more than from a run-of-the-mill filmmaker, and for a film for which I would be willing to give a weaker 4 stars if it were directed by someone else, I will only give Costa-Gavras 3. Above all else, his Amen. reminds me of another drama by a famous director, namely Katyn by Andrzej Wajda. It is an exceptionally powerful work, an attempt to deliver the best possible result, but in the end, something is lacking. Especially in the case of Costa-Gavras' drama, there is too much talking in some parts, and the film flows too slowly in others. And in some cases, there are not enough charismatic actors appearing in the film. In short, the result is just an average drama that is elevated by the theme. From a historical perspective, it is certainly interesting to look at the involvement of the Catholic Church during World War II, in which it had its bright moments but also very dark ones. The genocide of the Jews could not have been prevented, but many things could have been said more boldly, and above all, the papal seat has had blood on its hands since the 1930s, paving the way for the Nazis to power by maneuvering the Catholic Center as a political pawn in cooperation with the NSDAP... Overall impression: 65%. (01/25/2015)