Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

A film with some heart & charm to it; I am a Bible-believing Christian, who does believe in miracles, and do believe that Jesus Christ is God the Son, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of world. Redemption and salvation are free through Him, and He is the Creator of all things.However, Catholicism is NOT Christian! By any historical, biblical, or spiritual elements. You have, of course, in the story, a boy talking to an IDOL of Jesus... which comes alive. lol wut? The 2nd Commandments (which Catholic "churches" omit) states, "You shall not make any graven images (idols."I'd say this is no more than a touchy, good-feeling propaganda film to try to pull at your heart strings that'll convince you to join Catholicism, which is the Great Whore spoken about in Revelation 17. I love catholics but hate the false catholic teachings and beliefs that are contrary to the Word of G-d . Jesus did NOT establish the catholic organization. Catholicism is unbiblical, anti-biblical and anti-Christian. The early church as described in the New Testament did the following: shared all things in common, relationships, support missionaries/ministers, teaching & preaching, praying, worshiping, reading of scripture, evangelism, fostering spiritual gifts. Nowhere does the NT dictate fancy buildings, robes, repetitive prayer, a priesthood, Mary worship, worship of the dead, sectarianism, or any order of service, etc.. All these are MAN-MADE traditions ADDED ON. If i do not use any & all opportunities to point out the error of the catholic cult ( or Buddhist cult, Mormom cult, Hindu cult, Muslim cult, JW cult, etc. ) to you guys, then your blood is on my hands. Turn from the pope and instead trust Jesus ALONE. Catholicism is FAR from the "church" that Jesus founded which taught love and forgiveness, where as it teaches idolatry and superstition. Jesus founded His church on what Peter SAID: "the Christ, the Son of the Living G-d ".While the Catholic "church" was seeking to control the world through religion, true Christians were running for their lives from the Catholic holocaust that ran for centuries. The Catholic empire murdered and killed Christians (like 50 million) who had a Bible in their house during the Middle ages. Because the satanic inspired papacy did NOT want people to read it.The Catholic "church" is heterodox & corrupted by neo-Babylonian Semiramis paganism and is the Great Whore riding on the Beast of the book of Revelation. So yes there is a valid schism between Protestant Christians and the Roman Empire. The Empire is not following the Bible and has changed laws and times (the Sabbath) so I grant there is a schism.Catholicism was responsible for the Crusades, with a corrupt pope and the knights of templar, it was an illuminate organized war... The ppl had no say, they weren't Christians, just claimed they were. If they were real Christians they would have valued life & not slain a million non-combatants, I understand why you have these anti-Christian views, because so many evil doors have claimed to be Christians & raped the image of Christianity, it shouldn't be about religion like Catholicism, it should be about the Lord & His great works & Message."I believe the spreading of Catholicism to be the most horrible means of political and social degradation left in the world."~ Charles Dickens3/10 for some heart, cute images, and pretty music. ‎

This review is for the Spanish language version. While I know that it was also dubbed into English, I chose to watch the subtitled version instead.I am not Catholic and did not, like so many other reviewers, grow up watching this film. I just stumbled upon it recently and am glad I did. It's a nice little morality tale--one that you really need to stick with, as the ending comes as a real surprise.The film begins with the founding of a monastery. Years later, a foundling is left at the front gate. The monks try to find the mother or a surrogate family but without success--plus, it looks as if many of the monks were so taken with the baby that they didn't try especially hard! Plus, the only person willing to take the child was the cruel mayor--who obviously wanted to use the kid as cheap labor! Years pass and the little boy has remained with the monks. While he is quite mischievous, the monks adore him. He's not really bad--just a 6 year-old who is full of energy and silliness. What happens next you'll just have to see for yourself--I really don't want to spoil the amazing direction the film takes near the end. I will say, however, that it really did come as a surprise and was very sweet.Technically speaking, this is a lovely film. The actors were wonderful as the monks--coming off as very kind men--the sort you'd hope would become men of God. As for little Marcelino, he was simply adorable and effective in the role of this precocious child. Casting couldn't have been much better. As for the writing, the story is terrific but probably not a film an avowed Atheist would enjoy--after all, it's a religious tale. The cinematography is in lovely black & white and the director's touch was gentle and worked well with the story. Frankly, there isn't a whole lot you could do to make this a better story, so I was surprised to learn from the DVD that there is a remake. It might be very good as well, but can't imagine it being any better.This one might just put a tear in your eye--sweet and memorable.

I have seen this beautiful movie when I was a child of 6 with my kindergarten class in my country of birth and I have never forgotten it. I am now in my fifties and live in another country and I still have such fond memories of this movie and I always will. It should be shown in schools all over the world.I now have my own movie on DVD and I would recommend it to anyone. It's a joy to watch , It would have been a better world today if they still made movies like this.I do hope to inspire others to watch the movie with their children and enjoy over and over; Its super for young and old.

Wow, this was stunning, both in photography and in content. Here's a nice, old-fashioned "religious story" you rarely see anymore. The English title goes under "The Miracle Of Marcelino." It's a simple tale of a group of monks who discover a baby at their monastery doorstep one morning and then raise the boy. They try to find suitable parents for the infant but are unsuccessful. The infant scenes don't run too long because, before you know it, they have fast-forwarded it to when the boy was six years of age....and that's where he stays until the end of the film.Pablito Calvo as the title character, Marcelino," is excellent. Kudos to cinematographer Heinrich Gartner for beautiful black-and-white photography. The DVD transfer was outstanding, too. The lighting, particularly on faces, is terrific.Other reviewers here at IMDb, such as Albert Sanchez Moreno, have described the story nicely. I will just add I found it oddly captivating the entire way and very touching and moving in the last 20 minutes or so, after the boy discovers the big statue of Christ and begins communicating with Him. Yeah, I'm sure it looks really far-fetched to almost everyone, especially non-Believers, but I enjoyed and marveled at the end of this film. I'm not quite sure what to make of the monks in here and why they would "warn" the young boy against going up in the attic, where the statue is located, unless they somehow supernaturally knew what was going to happen.....yet they still should have put their trust in Christ, anyway. Their actions are puzzling at times. There is a real mystery to this story overall, anyway. Not being Catholic, maybe I missed something in the translation. This is a very "Catholic" film but a Christ-believing Protestant as I am can still fully appreciate this story, too, as much as anyone, and I did.You'll never find this at a rental store but those you are curious, you might want to add it to your queue if you belong to one of those mail-in rental programs. This film was a collaboration of Spanish and Italian filmmakers, I think. There was a color re-make in the early '90s, but I haven't seen it.It's a film of tender "innocence" like few I've ever seen, which makes it very memorable.