Shackles of Power

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
German title Shackles of Power
Original title True Confessions
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1981
length 104 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Ulu Grosbard
script Joan Didion
John Gregory Dunne
Gary S. Hall
production Robert Chartoff
Irwin Winkler
music Georges Delerue
camera Owen Roizman
cut Lynzee Klingman
occupation

Shackles of Power (Original Title: True Confessions , Alternative Title: Dangerous Confession ) is an American drama from 1981. Directed by Ulu Grosbard , the screenplay was written by Joan Didion , John Gregory Dunne and Gary S. Hall based on a novel by John Gregory Dunne. The main roles were played by Robert De Niro and Robert Duvall .

action

Los Angeles in the 1940s. Des Spellacy is a Catholic priest who does real estate business for the Church, among other things. He has a short line to Cardinal Danaher. His brother Thomas is a police investigator who investigates capital crimes.

Cardinal Danaher argues with Monsignor Seamus Fargo, a priest who thinks Des Spellacy is over-commercializing the Church. The man also doesn't like the fact that Spellacy has to approve all orders for the church. Danaher says that when he took office he found the diocese insolvent. Spellacy cleaned up the finances. The cardinal describes the priest he has known for 50 years as a pain in the ass .

A woman is found murdered and dismembered. Thomas Spellacy takes over the investigation. He and his partner talk about the case at a restaurant whose owner is bribing Spellacy's partner. He invests the money in a motel, which should serve as a pension. From the further story we learn that Thomas has already accepted bribes, including from the entrepreneur Jack Amsterdam.

Thomas Spellacy goes to confession to his brother. A little later, Des makes his confession to Seamus. He asks Des why he is choosing him as confessor. He also asks Des about his motivation as a priest and church finance manager. He is not satisfied with the answer he received.

Cardinal Danaher wants the critical priest to be transferred, which should be a lesson for the other priests . Spellacy stands up for Seamus first, but quickly agrees to find a new job for him. For the good of the Church - says the Cardinal, which Spellacy then repeats. The priest wants to go to a community in the desert. Cardinal Danaher tells Spellacy that he proposed him as auxiliary bishop. As soon as he takes over this position, he can find a young, ambitious priest who will do the dirty work for Spellacy .

Des Spellacy proposes its business partner Jack Amsterdam for the title of Catholic layperson of the year . Thomas receives her notebook from the relatives of the murdered woman, in which a telephone number was written down. On the day of the Amsterdam ceremony, Thomas discovers that the number belongs to Jack Amsterdam and that the woman had called him frequently for months before the murder.

The dead woman got to know des when an acquaintance picked her up as a hitchhiker. Des sees himself drawn into these and other matters and ultimately no longer has the strength to absorb everything. Without going into further clarification of the murder, the film shows at the end how Des tells his brother Thomas that he has an artery constriction and will die. In a cemetery where Seamus Fargo is also buried, Des shows him the place where he wants to be buried.

Reviews

  • Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times that the film made viewers “ disoriented ” and “ disappointed ”. The writers would concentrate more on the individual scenes than on the story to be told. The plot is not finished (" the filmmakers can't be bothered with finishing the story "). Ebert described the film as a " cynical meditation on the corruptibility of people ". The characters are " clearly drawn " and " well played ".
  • The lexicon of international films wrote that the film was "right down to the last detail " and " captivating ". The performances of the actors are " excellent ".
  • Spektrum Film judged, “ An exquisite script, first-class actors and a detailed, but never artificial production combine to form one of the most gripping films of recent years. "

Awards

Robert Duvall won the Pasinetti Award at the Venice International Film Festival in 1981 .

backgrounds

The shooting took place in Los Angeles . The film grossed about 10.2 million in the cinemas of the United States dollar one.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Film review by Roger Ebert
  2. ↑ Shackles of Power. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  3. ↑ Spectrum Film 4/1986