i may give this a second viewing sometime, but after seeing it once a few months ago i was distinctly under-whelmed. the premise is intriguing (in the near future a band of traditional catholics on a remote island off the irish coast celebrate the mass in latin in defiance of the pope who is the leader of a modernized ecumenical catholic church) but the conflict in “conflict” is so understated as to induce drowsiness. what stands out in my mind is trevor howard’s performance as an abbot who has lost his faith but still clings to tradition.
as i see it the main problem with the film is that we never have a clear idea of where the filmmaker (or the author of the book it was adapted from) stands on the question of tradition versus modernity. he seems to be sympathetic to the traditionalists but also seems wary to avoid the appearance of taking sides. this aloofness compromises the film’s ability to make a compelling point about the issues it raises.
