With so much ground to cover, Carroll's own story must hold everything together. And it just about does, because it's inherently fascinating.
Comment
06/20/08
Constantine's Sword (2008)
83 %
Reviews Counted: 23 Fresh: 19 Rotten:4 Average Rating: 6.8/10
Runtime: 1 min 35 secs
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 to America's foreign policy in the Middle East. While taking a historic view of religious... [More]
Genre: Education/General Interest
Starring: James Carroll, Liev Schreiber, Philip Bosco, Natasha Richardson, Eli Wallach
Director: Oren Jacoby
Producer: James Carroll, Oren Jacoby, Michael Solomon, Betsy West
Composer: Joel Goodman
Producer: James Carroll, Oren Jacoby, Michael Solomon, Betsy West
Composer: Joel Goodman
Reviews
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
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
Top Critic
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
The movie raises important issues, but it provides few answers as it moves along in uninspired, talking-heads fashion.
04/18/08
At once enthralling and troubling...does about as good a job as you could hope of distilling a 750-page historical examination of religious zealotry and power into 95 swift minutes.
04/18/08
Top Critic
Riddled with historical distortions, at least some of which seem agenda-driven, perhaps even more or less deliberate.
04/18/08
Though the material is clearly explained, little of it will shock viewers.
04/17/08
Although honest and earnest, 'Constantine's Sword' illustrates the rut the burgeoning genre has fallen into. The message is clear, but the medium is muddled.
04/17/08
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