Product Details

• Actors: Tom Tryon, John Huston, Romy Schneider, Saul Bass, Peter Bogdanovich
• Directors: Otto Preminger, Valerie A. Robins
• Writers: Henry Morton Robinson, Ring Lardner Jr., Robert Dozier, Thomas J. Wiener
• Producers: Hope Bryce Preminger, Martin C. Schute
• Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: February 25, 2003
• Run Time: 175 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00007K01W
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #81,108 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Cardinal" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

At once sprawling and intimate, Otto Preminger's coolly observed story of the education of a Catholic cardinal (Tom Tryon) spans 25 years of 20th-century social history, hops from Rome to Boston to Vienna, and confronts abortion, celibacy, and racism along the way. If those issues seem tame today, Preminger turns them into vivid drama in his hero's crisis and triumph of faith. Tryon is rather stolid and stiff, but the supporting cast helps liven scenes: Romy Schneider as a tempting Fräulein, Ossie Davis as an American priest who requests the Vatican take a stand against racism, John Huston's Oscar®-nominated performance as an irascible archbishop. It's a religious epic unlike any other of its time: thoughtful and serious, with a magnificent yet austere sense of composition and a graceful elegance. --Sean Axmaker

Product Description

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/20/2005 Rating: Nr

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A complex, entertaining film that leaves you thinking, January 1, 2004

By	Stephen J. Teller (Pittsburg, KS USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

To be sure, Otto Preminger was inconsistent (compare this with "EXODUS") but he was always interesting. THE CARDINAL is no exception. Covering 20 or so years in the life of Father Stephen Fermoyle (Tom Tryon), the film deals with issues like abortion, racism, religious conversion, degradation, and more. Fermoyle makes some wrong choices(allowing his sister to die; abruptly quitting his leave of absence), and yet you can't hate the guy; he did what he thought was right at the time, though he may regret it. The acting is excellent through and through, and the lack of really big names removes the possible artifice of a star performance. Tryon, Carol Lynley (Fermoyle's doomed sister), John Huston (the intimidating Cardinal Glennon), and Raf Vallone (Fermoyle's friend Bishop Alfeo Quarenghi) stand out, but there are no weak links. Preminger directs with a sure hand, aided by the striking visuals and Jerome Moross's beautiful music. The DVD is the roadshow 70mm 179 minute version with intermission. The bonus DVD contains an interesting documentary, a nondescript 1963 featurette, and a trailer.

Jamie Teller

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Underrated Classic, November 2, 2004

By	S. Doyle (Dublin 6, Ireland Ireland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This DVD is a brilliant transfer from the original negative and the film itself deserves its place in any top 100 but being a total religious epic it wouldn,t be considered by some,shame though,because its a fantastic drama,full of emotion and along side "Exodus" is Otto Premingers finest work. The novel was considered impossible to film at the time,but despite some alterations the film still grips. Leave your religious views aside for 3 hours and enjoy a masterpiece

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Otto Preminger was most underrated..., April 4, 2003

By	R. Gawlitta (Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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Before I comment on the film itself, I must say that I believe film historians have given Preminger a bad rap. His films, even the sweeping epics, were quite personal, and would draw the audience into his own personal world. Preminger's reputation, largely, was due to his desire to confront social issues that often made the audience uncomfortable. Who can possibly forget "The Man with the Golden Arm" (drug-addiction), "Anatomy of a Murder" (rape), and his most cotroversial, "The Moon is Blue" (virginity), a 1954 film condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency. These were "in your face" depictions of the stuff that is now regarded as "run of the mill". His handlings of Black culture have been immortalized on film in his two musicals, "Carmen Jones" and "Porgy and Bess". Arriving in the states during World War II, a misplaced German facing prejudice, he was well acquainted with alienation and filmed these Black-centered films with great affection. "Exodus" (1960) concerned the plight of the Jews, and "The Cardinal" dealt with the plight of a good Catholic and the many problems facing him (racism, abortion, celibacy, etc.). Preminger was not afraid to tackle a problem facing society, and his films are generally excellent in conveying his desire to expose situations to the world that are ever-present. Preminger's first Oscar nomination was in 1944 ("Laura"), though he stepped in for Rouben Mamoulian after filming had begun. It's the films he made in the 50's, during the McCarthy blacklist period, that made him passionate to move an apathetic public to serious situations. "The Cardinal" is one of his best, in many ways. Not only does it cover a long period of time, but it is coherent and often compelling. It was nominated for 6 Oscars (Director, Supprting Actor, Editing, Art Direction, Cinematography, Costumes). I still think John Huston's performance was overdone, but he was a beloved director and this was his first acting role. If any acting awards shoud've been given, it should've been to Burgess Meredith. This was also Romy Schneider's first English-language role. She was a lovely woman and a confident actress. The editing, sets and photography were indeed fine (the 2.35:1 LBX on the DVD show all the glory), but I still believe that Jerome Moross' score is among the finest, though not nominated. Remember, this was up against "Cleopatra" for those technical awards so, though noble and fine, it could hardly compete against "That" budget. It was not nominated for "Best Picture", nor screenplay...I thought the train of events was handled in a literate fashion, from a very long book. I saw this when it came out in 1963, and was quite absorbed by it's message; Preminger's films did that to me (I was 11 when I saw "Exodus" and was speechless afterward. Go figure.) The DVD is very well done, and I'm happy to have it in my collection. Tom Tryon carried the lead role with one facial expression, and, though very good looking, his career didn't last long. He became a best-selling author and I'm sure he's happier. The rest of the acting was OK, but it was really great to see Dorothy Gish as his mother. A class act. Also, Maggie McNamara hadn't had a decent role since "The Moon is Blue", so it was swell of Otto to give her a shot here; very good, too, as the bitter sister. This is not a great film, but Preminger's sure and courageous hand keep this film moving and never boring (at 3 hours). There was also so much anti-Catholic behavior going on within the church that I'm surprised the church didn't try to squash this whole project.Preminger has never failed to impress me. The man and his vision and talent are not to be taken lightly. Not to mention his desire to "tell it like it is".