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124 of 126 found the following review helpful:
 A Beautiful TaleMay 19, 2000
By C.G.
Reviewed by: Cory GiacobbeI have never forgotten this film. Let me emphasize broadly how wonderful this story is, without revealing critical details, climax and ending. I saw this as a little girl. My entire grammar school viewed it together in the auditorium, and its shocking poignancy remained memorable for decades. (I'll thank the availability of home videos, for allowing me to see this film again, now). The catalyst for the intense drama that follows is this scene: One exasperated monk, trying to instill discipline in a beloved orphan boy, conjures up a rule. He exclaims, "You must NEVER climb this stairway!" to the attic. The monk, Brother Francisco, is the dominant parent-figure, among the twelve Italian Franciscan monks, in an Hispanic land, who have adopted the youngster, Marcelino, at infancy. Marcelino, being a child, curious, mischievous, climbs the stairs. In the attic, what he finds there, how he responds, ultimately forces the humble, bewildered monks to confront the mystical center, of their faith. In many ways, this film subtly emanates the very spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. It's as if I am glimpsing what Francis must have been like as a joyous child, and as a soul, early in life, opening to Love. The aptly named Brother Francisco eagerly embraces the abandoned infant, nurtures him, as Francis would do, for the varied creatures of nature. The film's Brother Francisco is, fittingly, the first to witness an extraordinary occurrence in which Marcelino is involved. Even if you are not Christian, the purity, generosity, exuberance, of this boy, might touch you. His deep-felt yearning to have a mother, to know his own mother, stirs my heart. It might be wise for adults to be on hand, if children watch this film. Some aspects could be misinterpreted, promoting unnecessary fear of loss, or even, of God. In the story the monks at dinner read from The Little Flowers, an anthology of St. Francis anecdotes. You might check that work, as a complement to the film, as well as a small, moving book, on the prayer by St. Francis, written by Kent Nerburn, entitled, Make Me An Instrument Of Your Peace. A beautiful film.
41 of 41 found the following review helpful:
A Miracle of Spanish CinemaSep 14, 2001
By John Crow
There are many foreign films that captivated or inspired me,such as Roberto Benigni's "Life is Beautiful" and Federico Fellini's "Nights of Cabiria". But I haven't seen a foreign film so beautiful or so spiritual than Lidislao Vajda's "Miracle of Marcelino" (Marcelino pan y vino).
The Miracle of Marcelino is like a religious fairy tale that sends a message about hope and love. The film begins as an allegory where a town Franciscan monk is sent to tell a story to a terminally ill little girl about a miracle that occured several years ago. The story is based on the narration from this faithful monk.
After the Spanish civil war, twelve monks constructed their new monastary. Once they finished and settled in their new home, they had an unexpected surprise. A baby boy was given to them to take care of, inspite of their heavy work load. This boy, Marcelino, grows up to be a mischievous, but good hearted little five year old boy.
Because of Marcelino's mischievousness and childhood innocence, the boy becomes a saint. By watching this masterpiece,you realize the importance of faith and the value of being a child. This film is definitely the best foreign film I've ever seen. Never watch this film dubbed. The quality is in the English subtitles with its original Spanish language.
51 of 54 found the following review helpful:
Heart Squasher!Apr 09, 2000
By Vincent Lim
"Captain VL"
If you are one who is seldom moved by emotions, this one will really melt your heart. These kind of movies are never ever seen nowadays. A must see for all families who want to know a little more about Jesus.
27 of 27 found the following review helpful:
BeautifulDec 12, 2005
By Jeanne
"jelf"
Add me to the list of those who saw this movie over 40 years ago as a young child. I saw it once and it stayed with me all these years until I finally found it on DVD and immediately bought it. The story of young Marcelino who is found abandoned at the doorway to a monastery and taken in by the monks is very moving and beautifully filmed. The first three-quarters of the film sets the scene in showing how much Marcelino is loved by the monks as they raise him, but yet he misses having a mother and constantly asks everyone about theirs and his. Like all children, he eventually gets into a bit of mischief and strays into areas where he's told not to go. There he meets a most loving friend....This film is so well done both in the way it is photographed and in telling a simple, loving story that it would be a shame not to see it. There's a lot of humor in it, too, which is something I did not recall. When I watched it a couple of weeks ago for the first time in 40 years, I was anything but disappointed--it was much better and much more an of an intimate story than I remembered. Enjoy.
29 of 30 found the following review helpful:
About this releaseAug 24, 2006
By H. Mori
This "DVD" (not VHS) from "Vci" (not from Vanguard) has English/Spanish options for BOTH audio and subtitles. I was confused before buying, but this is the release you want to get. The quality of both image and sound is very good, although you may find the dubbed English is not quite "seamlessly" mixed with the original music (not the recommended option anyway).
The movie itself is as others wrote. Both sad and blessed at once. They rarely make 'em like this anymore.
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