The Ninth Day Portrays True Christian Sacrifice

TITLE: "The Ninth Day Portrays True Christian Sacrifice"
GENRE: Movie
REVIEWED BY: CM

The German made film The Ninth Day skillfully portrays a Catholic priest who truly lives out his calling to die to self that others may live. The movie begins with one Fr. Kremer in the Nazi death camp Dachau during World War II. He witnesses many of his priest brothers die of thirst and literally crucified by their Nazi torturers. At one point in the movie one finds that Fr. Kremer carries a great burden of guilt as he reveals that he is responsible for the death of a companion priest. Fr. Kremer however is given a chance to redeem himself when he is released from the death camp for nine days. During his nine day leave he soon finds that he has been targeted by the local Gestapo to be used in a plan to persuade the local bishop to sanction the Nazi occupation of Luxembourg. Fr. Kremer is given two options, either he successfully gains the bishop’s ear or he fails and returns to the horrific life of Dachau. By the ninth day of his leave he must come to a final resolve. Much of the movie focuses on his wrestling with the dilemma of saving his life while abandoning his faith principles versus a willful embrace of the cross to save others. The movie does a wonderful job of getting the viewer to really understand the struggle inside of Fr. Kremer. One will inevitably ask themselves while watching the movie: “Could I do it?” Even if this question is hard to answer it still reminds us of our basic Christian duties to stand up for the faith. Finally, this movie speaks well of the priesthood and Catholic Christianity since all the faithful are called to imitate Christ and offer their lives in union with Him to God the Father.

posted by: crossman at 18:08 | link | comments |
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