Product Details

• Actors: Martina Pinto, Flavio Insinna, Luisa Ranieri, Massimo Bonetti and Claudia Koll
• Directors: Giulio Base
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English, Italian
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: Ignatius Press
• DVD Release Date: October 3, 2007
• Run Time: 105 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000WR4L5Q
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,944 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Maria Goretti" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

The story of Saint Maria Goretti is retold in this beautifully made new film from Italy. It tells of the plight of the poor laborers of the time, struggling to survive in a swampy area with rampant malaria and extreme poverty. Luigi and Assunta Goretti keep their faith despite the hardship, and instill in their children a deep love for God. Their daughter Maria especially is devout. But tragedy strikes more than once: sickness and death affects the Goretti family, and then their young neighbor Alessandro does the unthinkable Run Time: 105 minutes Format: 1 disc, DVD Publisher: Ignatius Press ISBN: 978-1586172428 Language: Italian, English Subtitles: English, Spanish

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Purity, Courage & Innocence, October 15, 2007

By 

A. Ryan (Spokane, WA. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Maria Goretti (DVD)

This is another very moving film in the growing group of inspiring, well made feature films on lives of saints produced in Italy, and released in the USA by Ignatius Press. Young Italian actress Martina Pinto gives a luminous performance as St. Maria Goretti, the daughter of outstanding parents who struggle heroically to raise their children amidst the poverty and malaria infested swamps in Italy. She epitomizes that purity and goodness that have been strongly associated with this martyr and patroness of modern youth. Popular actor Flavio Insinna (St. John Bosco) stars as the brave parish priest standing up against the injustices to the poor who takes the Goretti family under his wing. Well-known glamorous Italian actress Claudia Koll, who has had a major spiritual conversion in her own personal life, starts as the Countess Mazzoleni.
The powerful movie is beautifully filmed on location with outstanding cinematography. A real bonus in this film is the gorgeous music score by legendary Oscar winning film composer Ennio Morricone. Plus the DVD includes a very informative 16 page collector's booklet about Maria Goretti and the film, replete with numerous photos from the film. This film is a winner!

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Addicting, March 28, 2008

By 

Marco "Cat Lover" (Ocean View, NJ) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Maria Goretti (DVD)

I am addicted to this movie. I remember seeing a movie about Maria Goretti in Catholic grade school - but only once. I should have been made to see it over and over and the teachers should have made the students discuss it over and over. The music, scenery and the wretchedness of the times are overwhelming. I have tried to find more information on the actors but there is little.

Please read Allessandro Serenellis final letter which I did found.

"I'm nearly 80 years old. I'm about to depart.
Looking back at my past, I can see that in my early youth, I chose a bad path which led me to ruin myself.

My behavior was influenced by print, mass-media and bad examples which are followed by the majority of young people without even thinking. And I did the same. I was not worried.

There were a lot of generous and devoted people who surrounded me, but I paid no attention to them because a violent force blinded me and pushed me toward a wrong way of life.

When I was 20 years-old, I committed a crime of passion. Now, that memory represents something horrible for me. Maria Goretti, now a Saint, was my good Angel, sent to me through Providence to guide and save me.

I still have impressed upon my heart her words of rebuke and of pardon. She prayed for me, she interceded for her murderer. Thirty years of prison followed.
If I had been of age, I would have spent all my life in prison. I accepted to be condemned because it was my own fault.

Little Maria was really my light, my protectress; with her help, I behaved well during the 27 years of prison and tried to live honestly when I was again accepted among the members of society.

The Brothers of St. Francis, Capuchins from Marche, welcomed me with angelic charity into their monastery as a brother, not as a servant. I've been living with their community for 24 years, and now I am serenely waiting to witness the vision of God, to hug my loved ones again, and to be next to my Guardian Angel and her dear mother, Assunta.

I hope this letter that I wrote can teach others the happy lesson of avoiding evil and of always following the right path, like little children.
I feel that religion with its precepts is not something we can live without, but rather it is the real comfort, the real strength in life and the only safe way in every circumstance, even the most painful ones of life."

Signature, Alessandro Serenelli

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent film from many angles, November 24, 2007

By 

lastremnant (North Carolina United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Maria Goretti (DVD)

I was really impressed and moved by this film. It uses some artistic liberty in telling the story of Maria Goretti but it remains faithful to the core of her life. Some films based on lives of Saints will take an unreal approach to its story and characters and I sort of expected it here, so I was really surprised by the strength of the writing, character development, and acting! Each member of the cast fully realizes his/her character. And even though you know and expect the ending, when it comes, you can't help but cry. It's a very touching and powerful portrait of Maria Goretti.