Absolution

It's a gripping thriller, and Richard Burton is utterly convincing in the kind of role he was born to play (a rigid priest/teacher, but with traces of humanity underneath). But the constant flow of twists results in constant shifts in the characterizations, until the whole thing becomes too far-fetched for its own good. Nonetheless, it certainly didn't deserve its gross mistreatment by the American distributors, who released it ten years after it was made. (**1/2)

The beginning is slightly boring but as you get into the film it twists and turns many times giving a great ending. Burton being one of the best actors of all time, gave a brilliant performance. From the tag line and the description of the film, I didn't think it was going to be a good as it was. The ending was unexpected, so i believe it to be very well written, very well cast and very well directed. This is a must for any Burton fan. I give it a rating of 3 out of 5

I wonder what it must have been like for Dominic Guard to play this really pretty manipulative role opposite Richard Burton. Whatever nerves or awe he may have felt is very well disguised, though, as he turns in a super performance as the young student "Benjie". His teacher - "Fr. Goddard" (Burton) is a man of profound faith and little tolerance of, or interest in, his students. The former alights on a plan to torment the latter by making a false confession - safe in the knowledge that this confession must be taken to the grave. The priest believes, investigates and discovers it is a practical joke. Soon, though, he is being subjected, regularly, to more equally heinous confessions and after discovering that there is truth to one of them, he slowly he begins to lose the plot. The pace builds well, the performances from the two and from David Bradley's slightly OCD "Arthur" giving us quite a sense of tension, and the last few scenes offer us a pretty brutal and unexpected series of twists. Burton is immersed in the role, and though maybe a little hammy towards the end manages to work well with the two younger actors to create quite a tense drama. The narrative also opens up to scrutiny the concept of "blind faith" - however well intentioned, and encourages thoughts on the pros and cons of any form of religion-based eduction.

A Minor British Film with the Pedigree of Anthony Shaffer, Richard Burton, and Billy Connolly.

It got Lost in a Warp, was Ignored, Forgotten, and Suffered in "Public-Domain-Purgatory".

Bottom-Feeder Film-Buffs Discovered it in 1 of those "Mill-Creek" Marathon Cheap-Boxes with 49 Other "Sinners".

Given the Name-Recognition Involved it was an Easy Spot Among the Dregs.

Fans Shouted "Hidden-Gem".

It Also came with "Tags" for Gloomy, Religious Practices, a Dire, Dark, and Dour Screenplay and Presentation,

Many Seekers of the Obscure in Cinema Caused Ripples so Strong that Now the Movie has been 'Resurrected" on Blu-ray.

The Twisty Story, with Obnoxious, Sweaty, Students Rebelling Against Priest-Burton, Starting with Practical-Jokes Leading to Murder is an Intriguing but Slow-Ride.

British "Icon" (Sir) Billy Connolly's Film Debut.

Overall, a Bit Hard to Embrace with the Film's Grating Characters, Dark Meilu, and "Heady" Story.

It can be a Hard-Sell to those Accustomed too a More Gaudy, Gory, 70's Style Religio-Thriller after "Rosemary's Baby" (1968), "The Exorcist" (1973) and the Myriad of Imitators.

By 1978 the Trend had All but Exhausted and this Late Entry in the Sub-Genre was too Soft, too Little, too Late.

However, for Horror, Thriller, and Mystery Fans it's Definitely...

Worth a Watch.

Richard Burton plays a priest in Absolution. I know, his real-life persona was very un-priest-like, but that's why it's called acting! I mean, Frank Sinatra played a very convincing priest in The Miracle of the Bells, and he was just as un-saintly as Richard Burton in real life. Anyway, Burton gives a great performance as a man of the cloth. He's conflicted and pained, and when he even hears about a sin, you can see him struggling not to take it as a personal insult.

He's a teacher and mentor in a boys' Catholic school, and during one of his lessons, the boys ask about the rules during confession. If someone confesses to a crime, will the priest turn him into the police? Burton answers, almost directly into the camera for the audience's benefit, that the priest is bound to silence and can't call the police if he's told of a crime. Then, surprise! One of his students confesses a murder.

Granted, if this movie had been made today, it would be a lot more gruesome, and probably have a few more twists and turns. But it was made in 1978, and so if you watch it, keep that in mind. There are a couple of violent scenes, but nothing overly graphic. And I thought it was thrilling, with enough twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat. It's a lot of fun to watch a manipulative, snot-nosed student take Burton to the brink of insanity!