For Greater Glory is a MUST-See!
June 21, 2012
Even though I had heard For Greater Glory was a must-see, especially for Catholics, I hesitated to see it because I knew it would be violent, and I’m not good with that. So I told myself I would wait to see it on DVD, reasoning that the violence would perhaps be less disturbing on a smaller screen? (Here my husband told me that my reasoning didn’t make much sense.)
Anyway, as it turned out, my sisters and I decided to take our dad to see For Greater Glory for Father’s Day. I’m so glad we did! To call this an amazing movie is an understatement.
Superb acting and cinematography bring the story to life: In 1926-1929, ordinary people banded together to defend the Faith against persecution by the Mexican government. These courageous fighters for Catholicism were called “Cristeros,” and their faith and bravery–particularly that of a young boy–will blow you away.
As for the violence, it was real, it was heart-wrenching, but it was not overboard. You get the full sense of what a terrible war this was, yet the depictions were not gushing with blood and guts. Considering the cruelty and the torture that could not be sugar-coated, the scenes were still very tastefully done. And what I took away from this movie was not horrendous violent images, but a burning desire to be a better Catholic, one who is not afraid to exclaim, “Viva Cristo Rey!”
Knowing very little about the story ahead of time, I was amazed to learn just how much of this movie was true. When the movie ended, practically every person in the theater stayed to see the real-life information and photos that rolled along with the credits. This is the kind of movie that, as you ponder it afterward, leaves you in such a wondering daze that you find yourself wandering the parking lot, too distracted to locate your car.
In conclusion, I admit it’s impossible to do a movie like this justice in a review. I’ll simply say that this movie far surpasses any I’ve seen in a very, very, long time. Don’t let fear keep you from seeing For Greater Glory, because a little fear and tears is a small price to pay to witness the soul-shaking, inspiring bravery and zeal of the Cristeros.