230:
their penises and had sex with a farm animal. Back in the city and his religious community things have changed. One of the priests had a girlfriend and has left the order to marry her. Miguel seems initially better but he is still tormented by constant sexual thoughts. He sees again
Antonia whose marriage is not going well. She wants to divorce her husband. Miguel visits her at her house. Antonia tells him that all along she has been in love with him. Her confessions were aimed to arouse Miguel's interest. Miguel and Antonia have sex but he is overwhelmed by guilt for what he has done. During Christmas celebrations Miguel, tormented and deeply disturbed, locks himself in his room. He uses garden scissors to castrate himself.
210:
is awaken by a road sign, displaying a beautiful woman wearing a provocative bikini. He begins to be constantly tormented by sexual thoughts. His sexuality is further aroused by
Antonia, a beautiful married woman in her thirties, who in her confessions tells father Miguel about her intense sexual encounters with her husband. Antonia's confessions disturb father Miguel even more. He thinks about sex all the time to the point of impairing his work as a priest.
218:
getting ready for their first communion. However, Miguel's sexual obsessions continue. Even the sight of one of the young boys playing with a pellet between his thighs brings sexual images to Miguel's mind. To calm down his sexual desires, Miguel resorts to penitence and self-flagellation punishing his own flesh with a
229:
Once in his hometown father Miguel begins to recover his strength. While visiting his mother, he walks across town and remembers events from his childhood. His irascible father who beat him merciless and the sexual adventures of his classmates, who went skinny dipping in a river, compared the size of
213:
In his disturbed state of mind, father Miguel seeks advice from the more worldly and modern father Luis. Miguel entered religious life at age fourteen and, unlike Father Luis, never had sexual experiences with women. However Miguel feels ashamed asking about sex and he tells Luis to forget the matter
233:
Miguel survives his castration. He is sent to a mental institution. Once deemed healthy again he returns to his community where many things have changed. He sees
Antonia once again. She is now separated from her husband and would like to rekindle their relationship. Miguel tells her that is too late
209:
and adapt to the new realities of the country. Father Miguel opposes any form of religious modernization. He clashes with Father Luis, a fellow priest of his community who employs more modern tactics of religious instruction. Miguel begins to experience a personal crisis when his repressed sexuality
217:
Alarmed by Miguel's behavior, father
Alfonso, the leader of the congregation, separates father Miguel from normal services to the community. Antonia is given a new confessor while Miguel is placed in charge of classes at the local school. He begins to give religious instruction to children who are
225:
The boy is
Antonia's son and Miguel sees her again during the child's first communion. Seeing her with her husband Miguel imagines Antonia having sex with her husband as she used to describe to him during confession. Miguel visits a bar, makes arrangements to have sex with a prostitute, but backs
193:. The plot centres around a Catholic priest who suffers a personal crisis when his sexuality is suddenly awakened. Unable to reconcile his deep conservative religious faith with his sexual obsession, he spirals into a path of self-punishment. The script was first offered to
29:
226:
down at the last minute. He is so disturbed by his sexuality, he falls sick. Father
Francisco sends him to recuperate at his native village where Miguel's widow mother still lives.
205:
Father Miguel is a conservative thirty six year old
Catholic priest. In the changing Spain of 1966 Miguel's religious community tries to implement the doctrines given by the
373:
388:
383:
325:
378:
363:
393:
234:
for that. Finally at ease, Miguel leaves his religious life and his community. He has lost his faith.
368:
249:
186:
74:
206:
8:
358:
178:
42:
343:
321:
264:
174:
273:
243:
182:
70:
352:
255:
190:
78:
194:
279:
171:
337:
219:
145:
28:
350:
293:
27:
214:before revealing what is tormenting him.
351:
374:Films directed by Eloy de la Iglesia
13:
14:
405:
331:
1:
318:A Companion to Spanish Cinema
310:
301:A Companion to Spanish Cinema
389:Films about Catholic priests
384:1970s Spanish-language films
261:José Franco – Father Alfonso
7:
222:. This weakens his health.
10:
410:
167:
151:
141:
131:
108:
100:
92:
84:
66:
56:
48:
38:
33:Theatrical release poster
26:
21:
286:
320:. Tamesis Books, 2008.
237:
200:
316:Bentley, Bernard P.E.
207:Second Vatican Council
250:Emilio Gutiérrez Caba
187:Emilio Gutiérrez Caba
75:Emilio Gutiérrez Caba
117:1 May 1978
379:1970s Spanish films
364:Fiction set in 1966
104:Carmelo A. Bernaola
270:José Vivó - Bishop
179:Eloy de la Iglesia
43:Eloy de la Iglesia
394:Films set in 1966
326:978-1-85566-176-9
282:- Miguel's mother
159:
158:
16:1978 Spanish film
401:
304:
297:
169:
124:
122:
52:Enrique Barreiro
31:
19:
18:
409:
408:
404:
403:
402:
400:
399:
398:
369:Teensploitation
349:
348:
334:
313:
308:
307:
298:
294:
289:
267:– Father Manuel
246:– Father Miguel
240:
203:
134:
127:
120:
118:
111:
88:Magín Torruella
77:
73:
61:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
407:
397:
396:
391:
386:
381:
376:
371:
366:
361:
347:
346:
333:
332:External links
330:
329:
328:
312:
309:
306:
305:
291:
290:
288:
285:
284:
283:
277:
271:
268:
262:
259:
253:
247:
239:
236:
202:
199:
157:
156:
153:
149:
148:
143:
139:
138:
135:
132:
129:
128:
126:
125:
114:
112:
109:
106:
105:
102:
98:
97:
94:
90:
89:
86:
85:Cinematography
82:
81:
68:
64:
63:
62:Carlos Goyanes
60:Óscar Guarido
58:
54:
53:
50:
46:
45:
40:
36:
35:
32:
24:
23:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
406:
395:
392:
390:
387:
385:
382:
380:
377:
375:
372:
370:
367:
365:
362:
360:
357:
356:
354:
345:
341:
340:
336:
335:
327:
323:
319:
315:
314:
302:
296:
292:
281:
278:
275:
272:
269:
266:
265:Ramón Reparaz
263:
260:
257:
256:Esperanza Roy
254:
252:– Father Luis
251:
248:
245:
242:
241:
235:
231:
227:
223:
221:
215:
211:
208:
198:
196:
192:
191:Esperanza Roy
188:
184:
181:and starring
180:
176:
173:
165:
164:
154:
150:
147:
144:
140:
136:
130:
116:
115:
113:
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
80:
79:Esperanza Roy
76:
72:
69:
65:
59:
55:
51:
49:Screenplay by
47:
44:
41:
37:
30:
25:
20:
339:El sacerdote
338:
317:
300:
295:
280:Queta Claver
276:- Prostitute
274:África Pratt
244:Simón Andreu
232:
228:
224:
216:
212:
204:
183:Simón Andreu
177:directed by
175:Spanish film
163:El Sacerdote
162:
161:
160:
133:Running time
110:Release date
71:Simón Andreu
22:El sacerdote
57:Produced by
39:Directed by
359:1978 films
353:Categories
311:References
195:Pilar Miró
168:The Priest
166:(English:
121:1978-05-01
96:Julio Peña
299:Bentley,
93:Edited by
303:, p. 235
152:Language
101:Music by
67:Starring
258:– Irene
170:) is a
155:Spanish
142:Country
137:109 min
119: (
324:
220:cilice
287:Notes
146:Spain
344:IMDb
322:ISBN
238:Cast
201:Plot
189:and
172:1978
342:at
355::
197:.
185:,
123:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.