Marcellino pane e vino

I feel almost provoked to comment on this film here, and I say this not as an especially religious person (which I am not), but as someone who feels that a film should not be unfairly criticized because of someone's faulty--or would it be more accurate to say willfully (?) -- distorted summary of the plot.

SPOILERS AHEAD

To begin with, Marcelino is bitten by the scorpion while he is playing outside the monastery, but at no point in the film does he ask to see the crucifix for any reason. He has been frightened by tales of a "bogeyman" in the attic by the monks, who wish him to stay away from it. OUT OF CURIOSITY, and for no other reason, he ventures in, sees the Christ figure, thinks it is the feared bogeyman, and tears back down the stairs. (The figure, incidentally, is a beautiful wooden carving, not gory in the least.)

After an unfortunate incident, in which he is taken to a festival and unwittingly causes a commotion by accidentally letting some animals run wild, the new mayor, an enemy of the monks who have raised Marcelino, swears to shut down the monastery. Marcelino is given the silent treatment by the monks, and it is then that he goes again to the attic, realizes the "bogeyman" is only a statue of Christ, remarks that it looks hungry, steals some bread, and offers it to the statue. It is then that a miracle occurs---the statue comes to life, eats the bread, and eventually, because of Marcelino's repeated visits, becomes Marcelino's teacher and confidant (Marcelino realizes who he is). And the vision is *not* a hallucination. The statue's final act in the film is intended only as a reward for Marcelino's kind actions, and it is done at Marcelino's innocent, but completely self-aware, request.

This is by no means a vicious, sadistic film; it is a beautiful, gentle one. It is a pity that there are those who would distort its meaning.

The film starts in a long flashback narrated by a priest (Fernando Rey), he tells how an abandoned baby is picked up by monks residing in a monastery run by a humble Father Superior (Rafael Rivelles). The little boy named Marcelino (Pablito Calvo) who lost his mother , becomes a fine kid , pure and simple of heart , and devoted friend of Crucified Jesus . Meanwhile , he gets into mischiefs , he plays and puts nicknames to monks , as Brother Door (Antonio Vico) , Brother Cookie (Juan Calvo), Brother Bad (Mariano Azaña) , Fray Giles (Juanjo Menendez) and Brother Ding Dong (Joaquin Roa) . But in some touching scenes , Marcelino meets at the loft to Jesus and gives him bread and wine, then happening an ecstasy at the ending .

This a perceptible and feeling movie full of mirth , humor touches , and enjoyable message based on novel written by Jose Maria Sanchez Silva. At the same time the film gives us an agreeable panorama about monastery life , its pity , and goodness ; furthermore , the religious oration , sacrifice , work , companionship and various situations happen in monastic existence . Its perfect developing resides on superb characters incarnated by the good-natured monks, well played by all-Spanish-star-cast , and the sympathy , simplicity of Pablito Calvo-Marcelino . Musical score by Pablo Sorozabal responds appropriately to ambient , originating a really spiritual and religious atmosphere . Precious and luminous cinematography by Enrich Guerner (Vadja's ordinary cameraman) who give us an accurate scenario at the times is developed . The motion picture was excellently directed by Ladislao Vadja , born in Hungary , he's author of magnificent movies , such as 'The Bait', and 'Carne de horca', and three with Pablito Cavo : 'An Angel over Brooklyn' (along with Peter Ustinov) and 'Uncle Jacinto' (with Antonio Vico) . In my opinion this is one of the best films to come out of Europe in the decade of the 50s. The picture touched the hearts of numerous spectators all around the world. Rating : Above average.

Wow, this was stunning, both in photography and in content. Here's a nice, old-fashioned "religious story" you rarely see anymore. The English title goes under "The Miracle Of Marcelino."

It's a simple tale of a group of monks who discover a baby at their monastery doorstep one morning and then raise the boy. They try to find suitable parents for the infant but are unsuccessful. The infant scenes don't run too long because, before you know it, they have fast-forwarded it to when the boy was six years of age....and that's where he stays until the end of the film.

Pablito Calvo as the title character, Marcelino," is excellent. Kudos to cinematographer Heinrich Gartner for beautiful black-and-white photography. The DVD transfer was outstanding, too. The lighting, particularly on faces, is terrific.

Other reviewers here at IMDb, such as Albert Sanchez Moreno, have described the story nicely. I will just add I found it oddly captivating the entire way and very touching and moving in the last 20 minutes or so, after the boy discovers the big statue of Christ and begins communicating with Him. Yeah, I'm sure it looks really far-fetched to almost everyone, especially non-Believers, but I enjoyed and marveled at the end of this film.

I'm not quite sure what to make of the monks in here and why they would "warn" the young boy against going up in the attic, where the statue is located, unless they somehow supernaturally knew what was going to happen.....yet they still should have put their trust in Christ, anyway. Their actions are puzzling at times. There is a real mystery to this story overall, anyway. Not being Catholic, maybe I missed something in the translation. This is a very "Catholic" film but a Christ-believing Protestant as I am can still fully appreciate this story, too, as much as anyone, and I did.

You'll never find this at a rental store but those you are curious, you might want to add it to your queue if you belong to one of those mail-in rental programs. This film was a collaboration of Spanish and Italian filmmakers, I think. There was a color re-make in the early '90s, but I haven't seen it.

It's a film of tender "innocence" like few I've ever seen, which makes it very memorable.

An user pointed out that some imdb reviews (particularly the early one) were very negative ;but in spite of a huge success,many leftish (Marxist ?) comments were scathing too when the movie was released :remember that Spain was a dictatorship and a French critic went as far as to write that 'if Christ allows the mother-and -child reunion ,it's in a better world ,and thus it solves the problem of the orphanages maintenance".

Today ,when compared to the Joselito Jimenez weepies,which have sunk into oblivion, "Marcelino pan y vino " holds up quite well .That a great director such Luigi COMENCINI made a remake is proof positive that the movie has worn well ,even though today's children may not get something out of it.

Everyone will agree that Pablito Calvo gives one of the best child actor performances of all time ;one can,however ,prefer to the scenes in the attic :

-the bread which diminishes ,much to the monk /cook's surprise .

-the fair ,where the stolen apple creates a "butterfly effect" in miniature .

-the boy learning his alphabet,under a monk's watchful eye.

-the meeting with the woman with a madonna face(wish she could be my mama).

-the hidden treasures in the wall.

January 2006, and we're talking about a film made in 1955! I too saw this movie possibly 50 years ago and have never forgotten it. I tried to get some more information on it in Sydney with our so called movie experts but got nowhere. The internet was not much help either, then last week, lo and behold, I found a DVD in "Parklea Market" Sydney Australia (sort of organised flea market) And it was selling for 5 Australian dollars (perhaps 2.5 Euros). Only one problem the tittle was "The miracle of Marcelino" ... It had to be the same though so I bought it. I could not wait to run it on my DVD player... and there it was "Marcelino Pan y Vino"! Yes try to search for Marcelino pan y vino, chances is you'll get nothing. Of course the reason I'm here is because of my newly acquired knowledge of its English title. I then was a little boy in France and I think the film was in Spanish with french subtitle. I personally think the dubbed version does some damage to the integrity of this beautiful story. I have to be honest here too. I found the movie rather rusty in the light of the ever growing technology in this field and I don't agree that the music is beautiful; it's markedly aged and I don't think I'd like a sound system with this quality.

But what a reunion, I had almost given up any hope to see it again. I think My parents took me to watch it in Paris. They were non religious as I am now. They only love it for it's beauty and artistic value. I'm pretty sure if you're reading this you've read other entry and you already know the story, so I won't go into it. I just hope you'll give it a chance in your lounge room, I think the reward will be great

mm Feb. 2006. I had to come back to this movie and read more commentaries since I was here. I felt saddened by some, expressing some kind of paranoia or just pure negativism. One entry asked us to take off our "rosy" glasses to watch this movie... For one I wish I could find my 'rosy' glasses again as the world I see today needs badly to be seen through such device or we'll soon run out of Prozac. Then people wear all kind of glasses with all kind of colours and so see things accordingly that is not to say that other should join in. I wander what colour of glasses Mother Theresa, "l'abbe Pierre" or the like of them wore to achieve what they did. I see Marcelino Bread and Wine" as a simple,touching and beautiful story despite not having entering a church for decades. MM PS Having mentioned my difficulty to search this tittle I tried again because I forgot to bookmark it. This time I made sure to enter in the search field "The miracle of Marcelino" and for result got : Marcelino Pan y Vino (Aka the miracle of Marcelino)...How this for contradiction!