Pianese Nunzio, 14 anni a maggio

Sacret Silence is shoot in an unique way as many of the characters talk directly to the viewer. It almost seems that as if nothing else is happening around them – and it is only you they want to share their troughs with. This method adds a documentary atmosphere to the movie, which I believe will be appreciated by everyone who likes the serious European cinema.

Sacret Silence is a movie about society and the way it can be blinded by its own perceptions or by people who want the others to see the world through their eyes and refuse to accept that there are other ways to think about an issue than their own.. That is why the priest is fighting with Camorra (the mafia ) – it is just that sometimes in life there is more to loose than to win.

Traditional Italian songs are used for the soundtrack of Sacret Silence; most of them are performed by the 13-year-old Nunzio. I come to appreciate this music as it is evident that he feels the music – just look at his facial expression while he is singing.

The movie focuses on a whole range of moral issues. The relationship between the priest and Nunzio is only one of them – at first I thought that I can understand the priest – his love for Nunzio, but at the same time his past is flashing through the eyes of the other boy who comes to visit him – and this past seems to be disturbing.Yet another issue is to be able to decide for yourself who is committing the biggest crime in this movie – it is the priest , or the mafia or may be as often happens these days the crime committer is the police itself ?

This type of film that begins in a way in all places and ends without any fixed concept only the theme of an adult being (The priest) who falls in love with an altar boy of 13 years and honestly the way this story was presented was Too subjective with a lot of information from all sides and without any specific message. Until the end it was without substance or I could not understand why this Director wanted to present a topic as controversial as this and in the way he did. It is a shame because I have seen other Italian movies with very good directors

This is the very timely story of the relationship between a priest and a teen who wants to be one in modern day Naples. It is portrayed as a pure, honest, innocent relationship on the part of both.

While most of the people close to either of them are aware of the relationship after Nunzio moves into the church, it is refreshing to see how they treat it in an almost matter-of-fact manner. There is some minor ribbing by some acquaintances but nothing like the mean-spirited harsh torture a boy in modern America who willingly participated would be subjected to.

When Fr. Borelli refuses to compromise his morals and silence his campaign against the camorristas (mafia), a campaign is launched to have the boy denounce him.

This is one of the most sympathetic portrayals (better than L.I.E., up there with Man Without a Face) ever shown on screen, and is also commendable as showing how social workers and those in one's environment can pressure youths into denouncing even those seen as close friends. An important film in its genre. 9 Caution: explicit scenes but no full frontal nudity.

DATE: 2002-07-18 " - ricrisci

While most of the above comments pretty much describe the film, I saw one thing though, that I don't agree with. I didn't see the priest as molesting the very handsome Nunzio. They seemed to have a mutually consensual relationship. The boy went to the priests room, and is seen "flirting" with the priest at dinner. While Nunzio had a young girl friend, and spoke with friends about girls, he also seemed to care for the priest, and never tried to turn down the advances. The fact that he was not ready to cooperate with the investigation on the priest also shows me his concern for their relationship. The city street scenes and music I thought all lent to the validity of the time and place in the film. Even if the subject matter is not to ones liking, it is still an interesting film for the scenes, music, and other personalities in the film.

In Naples a priest begins a campaign against the Camorra. He's particularly vulnerable in that he has a "relationship" with 13-year-old Nunzio an alter boy, semi orphan and talented singer.

The priest in this film is both a hero in his fight against the Camorro and a villain in his abuse or molestation of Nunzio. Lest the priest be too sympathetic a character there is Gigi an older boy who apparently was the priest's last protégé who appears at the beginning of the film and complains that the priest doesn't seem to have time for him anymore. `Things change' he's told.

The audience is left to judge for themselves as the priest seems to harbor no guilt about his actions and the boy says that he enjoyed the affection. This is another of those films that deal with morality at the uncomfortable border between what is rightfully the business of a society and what is better left as a private matter between consenting partners.