History,Drama
United States of America
The film opens in 1977 when Romero was appointed Archbishop of San Salvador, mere weeks after his close friend, the progressive Jesuit priest Father Rutilio Grande, was assassinated. At first, Romero is hesitant to become involved in political matters, wanting to focus exclusively on religious matters. However, as he witnesses the brutality and violence suffered by the Salvadoran people at the hands of the military junta, he becomes increasingly disturbed and vocal in his criticism of the government.
Romero's transformation is aided by a personal crisis of faith, triggered by the assassination of a priest friend of his and the rape and murder of a young girl in his parish. He begins to see the plight of the poor and marginalized as inseparable from their spiritual needs and to view social justice as an essential component of the church's mission.
As Romero becomes more vocal in his condemnation of the government and its policies, he is targeted for assassination by the right-wing death squads. Despite the danger, Romero bravely continues to speak out, delivering increasingly impassioned sermons advocating for the rights of the poor and oppressed. In 1980, he is shot dead while celebrating mass.
The film is a powerful and emotionally harrowing depiction of one man's journey from apathy to activism, and his ultimate sacrifice for the cause of justice and human rights. It paints a vivid portrait of a complex individual and a turbulent social and political context, and is a testament to the transformative power of faith in the face of oppression.
