It's a film at once depressing and exhilarating.
Comment
08/24/09
Constantine's Sword (2008)
86
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:29
Fresh:25
Rotten:4
Average Rating:6.9/10
Consensus: Exceptional research elevates Constantine's Sword from a talking heads documentary to a resonant and thought-provoking expose of the church's dark history.
Runtime: 1 min 35 secs
Genre: Education/General Interest
US Box Office: $0
Synopsis: This politically explosive documentary delves into the mingling of religion and violence, following former Catholic priest James Carroll as he tracks the trail of blood that leads from the Crusades... [More]
Starring: James Carroll, Liev Schreiber, Philip Bosco, Natasha Richardson
Director: Oren Jacoby
Reviews for Constantine's Sword
Absolutely stunning mixture of the personal story of a disillusioned Catholic priest and the sordid Christian history that drove him to cut his ties--all the while remaining deeply committed to the ethical vision of Jesus.
09/08/08
Jacoby and Carroll make their case skillfully, carefully excerpting key scenes from Lenny (with Dustin Hoffman doing a Lenny Bruce monologue on anti-Jewish prejudice) and The Robe.
08/29/08
Less a history lesson than Carroll's personal odyssey through the opposing powers of church and state.
08/29/08
Not precisely journalistic, as a personal chronicle writ large it is a stirring, richly intellectual work.
08/29/08
This exceedingly contemplative work is both topically important -- warning of what happens when military might and religious fervor are mixed -- and intellectually stimulating as all get out.
08/28/08
With so much ground to cover, Carroll's own story must hold everything together. And it just about does, because it's inherently fascinating.
06/20/08
Though Carroll's presentation is unquestionably oversimplified...his points are well-taken and worthy of serious regard.
06/02/08
Former priest and author James Carroll is simply pointing out that the use of cover up and propaganda -- whether it's aimed at another religion or another country -- is still represented at the point of a sword. That sword is shaped like a cross.
06/01/08
Constantine's Sword speaks provocatively to history and our moment.
05/30/08
The breadth of Carroll's scholarship and the depth of his religious understanding strengthen his assertion that our misadventure in Iraq is the beginning of a new holy war.
05/30/08
But I ramble. So does the movie, in an insidiously fascinating way.
05/30/08
Top CriticWhatever your persuasion, you'll walk out enriched.
05/23/08
James Carroll goes on a crusade of his own, exposing the hypocrisy of politically motivated religion and the violence of the evangelical Jihad in our own Colorado Springs.
05/10/08
[I]t was probably inevitable that such an audacious attempt would fail to succeed entirely. Which isn't to say that this bold and fearless film isn't worth a look.
05/07/08
A powerful documentary which makes the case that the faith-based fanaticism that has destabilized the planet has been fueled as much by the West as by radical Islam.
05/02/08
Overall, rather disorganized and uneven as a documentary, but always passionate, intriguing and certainly pertinent.
04/26/08
The movie covers an immense amount of shameful historical ground, but the soft-spoken Carroll's mission is less about winning an argument than prodding true believers
04/25/08
Top Critic[Director Oren] Jacoby's haunting documentary joins cowriter and producer Carroll, the author of Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews -- A History, for a fascinating dual journey.
04/24/08
A poignant and passionately presented depiction of church-sanctioned violence against Jews.
04/24/08
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