9/17/99
Stigmata stars Patricia Arquette as Frankie Paige, Gabriel Byrne as Father Andrew Kiernan, Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Daniel Houseman, Nia Long as Donna Chadway.
Stigmata is a movie in the tradition of Omen or The Seventh Seal. A religious thriller/horror film using the intrigue of the Roman Catholic Church to tell a story. Stigmata for non-catholics, is the appearance of the wounds Jesus Christ received during his crucifixion on the body of a walking/talking ordinary person.
Stigmata opens in a church in Brazil where Father Andrew is investigating a bleeding statue for the Vatican. It started when the parish priest, Father Alameida, dies. Father Andrew is an investigator of miracles for the Vatican. He is convinced that a miracle has taken place, but when he reports back to Cardinal Houseman, he is told that no such church or priest exists. Father Andrew is also a scientist turned priest, who is in conflict with the church.
A small boy steals the rosary from the dead body of Father Alameida and sells it to a tourist. This is where the plot thickens. The tourist is the mother of Frankie Paige an atheist hairdresser. Frankie receives the rosary in a package sent to her by her mother, after she touches the rosary strange things start to happen.
At first her wrists are pierced and begin to bleed. The rest of the Stigmata appears in stages throughout the film. Father Andrew is given the task of investigating the phenomenon.
Stigmata is a well acted film. Does Jonathan Pryce ever play a good guy? The scenes are intense and keep you guessing about the reason that the Stigmata is appearing. Of course, there is concern that it is not a good but an evil possesion. The Vatican in the form of Cardinal Houseman is attempting to suppress all knowledge of what is happening. The reason for this only becomes clear near the end of the film. The secret we have been waiting for, however, is not the huge hammer blow needed for this type of film.
A must-see for all who like religious/horror films.
