Padre Pio (2024)

Padre Pio

If you are a lover of cinema, you will hardly let go of a movie like Padre Pio. Directed by Abel Ferrara and with Shia LaBeouf acting as the main character, this is the kind of religious biography film one can’t afford to miss. You may have negative views about these two individuals but one thing is certain: they are both very passionate about what they do; hence it’s not surprising that sometimes their works turn out to be bad yet still worth watching.

In most cases, Ferrara never avoids challenging stories which explains why throughout his long career in film making he has worked with many talented actors who have given their best performances under his direction. On the other hand, LaBeouf cannot be boring because every role he takes comes along with controversies surrounding it including this one where after playing such a controversial figure apparently went on to convert into another religion altogether thus becoming catholic if that could be believed or not I am not in position say anything much further than wow!

However despite having all these interesting components, Padre Pio feels incomplete as an entity. The presence of strong ideas mixed up with few outstanding sequences gives rise to a real curiosity for any watcher but unfortunately none of them seem enough to complete the picture altogether. Nevertheless there is much reason for joy here.

Padre Pio also known as Saint Pio of Pietrelcina was an Italian priest and mystic who later became a saint according to Catholic teachings at least so they say; moreover if this stuff true then he was among those stigmatists claimed having undergone through crucifixion wounds spontaneously appearing on their bodies just like Jesus did when he died. In fact Catholics learn about miracles since childhood but still taught that faith doesn’t require miracles necessarily and someone can still get “saved” sticking only to what can be proved within his or her religious system.

Padre rides along this line offering some hard facts while lightly touching on mysticism in its biographical aspect. Pio therefore remains being a grey area film where everything else appears interesting and close enough to meeting aims save for the scattered plot structure that softens overall impact leaving one wondering why among all characters given less screen time than other supporting actors Pio had to take title.

The narrative opens with soldiers coming back home from World War I. It is a bitter sweet moment where families are rejoined while others remain broken forever. Ferrara captures this happiness expressed by people seeing their husbands and fathers once more after very long period, also he does not forget to show sadness as well when those women are told that they have lost them forever. A chilling shot comes into play here: a soldier shouts at his wife “I am still man” before she lifts him up because now he has no legs.

Indeed it’s time for celebration but there is also mourning around; what did they get rewarded with after giving so much? Such an uneven payment for sacrifices made during hard times led two things; current political authority seeking maintain status quo against backdrop newly found socialistic movement brewing within community residents’ hearts. Power never lets go easily as history teaches us too many times hence thirsting change met with resistance which sometimes turns out to be brutal.

At the same time, Pio is questioning his own religion while trying to guide his parishioners. Changing times are sinful times. And sinful times make people crave judgment judgment that Pio can’t bring, because only God can.

What’s important about the film is its thoughtful if clumsy approach to drawing political parallels with Jesus’ teachings. Socialists, Monarchists, Capitalists and dictators all have a point where they could conceivably see Christ’s teachings as an endorsement of their beliefs. But these different ideologies are contrasting thematically for a reason; Padre Pio dances around this idea without directly addressing it by having two stories that never seem like they’re going to meet up: Pio’s life and times versus the political struggles within one small Italian town.

The result is a movie that feels like it’s onto something big but also feels like it was cut together from the pieces of a longer, fuller film. It works in most cases as is functional and frequently effective but always seems to be two separate movies that never quite become one.

For what it’s worth craft-wise, Padre Pio might be one of the more realistically set films I’ve seen in some time. A stunning use of actual locations gives this film unmatched verisimilitude; helped along by a supporting cast almost entirely made up of unrecognizable faces who look plucked right out of the early 1900s. It’s an impressive feat on both counts of filmmaking and performance alone; definitely worth checking out for those surface thrills alone.

Also, being an Abel Ferrara film there are some sequences involving surrealism which, while I’m still processing what they mean exactly, are effective in their ability to unsettle which may ultimately be the point.

But here’s the big question: How is Shia LaBeouf? In one word: devoted. In two words: very devoted. LaBeouf is always a dedicated actor who cares about what he’s doing, even if he isn’t given all that much to do here. But what he does is great. There’s a fire within his Pio that suggests a man burning with faith but unsure whether or not his should be the one so venerated among men.

An interesting note on the performance comes from Pio’s lack of an Italian accent; according to Wikipedia this was not originally planned but at some point during production LaBeouf felt it made his portrayal more authentic. One can only judge its effectiveness without hearing an accented version to compare, but the value of what this lack of accent ends up providing is undeniable: By being different from everyone else in this one small way, Pio is unknowingly deified within us all. Or at least othered. It works.

By its end Padre Pio arrives at a frustrating place: It’s well-made but ultimately fails as either being a full-on biopic for Padre Pio, a political drama or even just a movie about religion and faith. In trying to be too much it doesn’t become enough of anything; still though it’s worth seeing maybe even multiple times? I’d be curious to give it another shot, Maybe it takes time, God willing.

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