Amen. (2002)

Director:

Costa-Gavras

Writers:

Costa-Gavras (writer)
Jean-Claude Grumberg (writer)

Release Date:

27 February 2002 (France)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

During WWII SS officer Kurt Gerstein tries to inform Pope Pius XII about Jews being sent to concentration camps. Young Jesuit priest Riccardo Fontana gives him a hand.

Plot Keywords:

Nazism | SS | SS Officer | Catholic Church | Swastika

Awards:

2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Ulrich Tukur	...	Kurt Gerstein
Mathieu Kassovitz	...	Riccardo Fontana
Ulrich Mühe	...	Doctor
Michel Duchaussoy	...	Cardinal
Ion Caramitru	...	Count Fontana
Marcel Iures	...	Pope
Friedrich von Thun	...	Gerstein's Father
Antje Schmidt	...	Mrs. Gerstein
Hanns Zischler	...	Grawitz
Sebastian Koch	...	Höss
Erich Hallhuber	...	Von Rutta
Burkhard Heyl	...	Director
Angus MacInnes	...	Tittman
Bernd Fischerauer	...	Bishop Von Gallen
Pierre Franckh	...	Pastor Wehr

Also Known As:

Amen (France)
Eyewitness
Stellvertreter, Der (Germany)
Vicaire, Le (France) (working title)

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

France | Germany | Romania

Language:

English | French | Italian | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Peru:14 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Spain:13 | UK:PG | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company:

Canal+

Trivia:

The Vatican did not give a permission to shoot the film in their buildings. After searching a scenery of adequate size for the scenes taking place in the Vatican, Costa-Gavras finally chose Europe's largest building, the House of the People (Casa Poporului) in Bucharest. Some of the outdoor scenes were shot in Mogosoaia Palace, some fourteen kilometers northwest of Bucharest.

Quotes:

Karl: In these heroic times, have you acquired some title or some kind of rank?
Kurt Gerstein: Lieutenant of the Waffen-SS.
Karl: Go to the SS Transportation Department. Thanks for your visit.

"AMEN" is a historical fiction, not a historical documentary

"Amen" is a moving and disturbing account of the attempt of an SS officer and a young Jesuit priest to inform the Vatican of the atrocities committed by the NAZIS against the Jews and to persuade the Vatican to speak out. Despite its disturbing theme, the film is long and tedious. Those looking for a similar film with more action should rent Gregory Peck's superb performance in "The Scarlet and the Black." "Amen" is a historical fiction meaning the film is based on some actual historical events but is meant to be interpreted as a fictitious account of those historical events. The film is based on Rolf Huchhuth's 1963 play translated as "The Representative" or "The Deputy" which was indeed highly critical of the Vatican's response to the Holocaust. However, this is an incredibly controversial topic, one on which historians still do not agree. Pius XII and the Vatican made a number of extraordinary efforts to resist the NAZI persecutions during the Holocaust, including converting Castel Gondolfo (the pope's summer residence) into a refugee home, signing approximately 850,000 false baptismal records for Jews, and providing food and money for Jews in Rome during NAZI occupation. Additionally, Pius XII wrote an encyclical entitled "Mit brennender Sorge" (With Burning Anxiety) which he had distributed all over Germany informing German Catholics of their duty to resist atrocities and perform their Christian duties. Furthermore, his first papal encyclical Summi Pontifutus written in response to the NAZI invasion of Poland condemned dictators, treaty violators, and racism. Following the war, the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra came to play at the Vatican for the pope that did so much for them, Gertrude Stein praised him as a voice against evil, and Israel planted 850,000 trees in his honor. Additionally, the current pope initiated an effort to canonize Pius XII, and thus criticism of his actions during the Holocaust should be critically examined for their root in historical fact. "Amen" speaks to the power of one voice against a sea of opposition but it should not be viewed as a documentary of the Vatican's response to the Holocaust. If you are interested in this topic, I have read a number of books on the topic and will be happy to discuss Pius XII and the Vatican's response to the Holocaust via email .