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Conspiracy of Silence DVD

Homosexuality, the AIDS epidemic, and the Catholic church – What could be juicier in a political statement kind of way? You tell me. Its catch line is even great: ‘Sex. Lies. Murder… All In The Name Of God…’. Now tell me if you aren’t even the least bit curious. You can’t.

Conspiracy of Silence is an intricate triangle of an ex-seminary student, progressive priests, and a ravenous reporter all battling the Catholic superpower both individually and together. The scene sets with a homosexual priest's suicide. Rather dark but it starts the catalyst to a great foreign film.

The next 90 minutes paints the controversy surround the Catholic church and its antiquated views on celibacy, more specifically here homosexuality and the rapidly growing rate of priests contracting AIDS. We all know it’s not from shooting up. A bright seminary student (Jonathan Forbes) at the top of his class gets kicked out of seminary simple due to one supposition that he was doing something “wrong” with another student. He feels his rights have been violated and he was expelled unfairly, he did nothing and it determined to reassume as a future representative of God.
A priest and teacher (played by the always impressive Hugh Bonneville) at the school is on his side, and determined to propel the Catholic church to come out of it’s own closet, enlists the help of a journalist (Jason Barry) who is chomping at the bit for this break. Of course he only leaks it to the paper; no one can actually prove he was the one to break the silence. The reporter supports both of them, mostly for his own career but still, and tracks down an ex-priest and the ex-lover (John Lynch) of the suicide victim who is all to eager to talk. The antiquated Catholic church gets put on public trial but would rather blackmail, threaten, and cajole rather than address their faults.

I did learn from this film (and yes, it’s true, I looked it up) how the priest's vow of celibacy came about. Once upon a time the church was going bankrupt because their
“servants” were bequeathing their land and legacy’s to their families instead of the church. No, no, no, that can’t happen so they wrote in the rules that to serve God properly you must remain celibate from inauguration to death. Otherwise you won’t be able to hear God’s message. How fucked up is that?

Maybe I should mention her that I am not at all religious but Conspiracy of Silence still incited a real anger in me. It’s a movie, I know, but the premise is a fact and it took a courageous voice (writer and director John Deery) to bring it

to film. No surprise then that it was made abroad where religion is taken more seriously (no offense but we all have become a little lax as the generations pass. The end ties nicely to the beginning when the suicide note is read on television and the representatives for the church walk off the stage before the finish.

There is so much to absorb in this movie that it’s not a one time watcher. I wish though that included any extras that explored to making or story further. It has the trailer. Ooh, exciting. By this point you believe I’ve either said too much or not enough but you have to admit I sparked your interest. This movie is a big first step in asking questions and not just taking the answers you are fed or accepting ‘no comment.’ It’s a movie worthy of a place in your collection. If not, just see it and I guarantee after you’ll have some major questions of your own.

Movie Grade: A

DVD Grade: D

The grade I’m sticking with: A

A powerful indictment of the Catholic Church, CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE is a memorable debut from writer/director John Deery. Set in Ireland, Deery formulates his plot around whispers and rumors surrounding the sexuality of priests, then pulls them kicking and screaming onto the screen. Father Frank Sweeney (Patrick Lynch) is a Catholic priest who becomes HIV-positive following several sexual dalliances with other men. Exiled from the priesthood after a botched attempt at bringing his sexual status into the public domain, Sweeney commits suicide. Local newspaper reporter David Foley (Jason Barry) is intrigued by Sweeney’s death, and sets about investigating the deceased Father’s seminary. His legwork leads him to Daniel McLaughlin, a local student of the seminary who has been expelled due to an after-hours meeting with a practicing priest. The crestfallen student explains the nature of his expulsion to Foley, allowing the reporter to draw Sweeney and McLaughlin’s stories together to form a compelling case about the outdated ethics of the Catholic Church. But the Church is a formidable opponent to Foley’s protests, leading to late-night encounters with some shadowy figures, and an anonymous death threat against his family. Meanwhile, McLaughlin is torn between the girl he left behind when pursuing his dream of becoming a priest, and the wishes of his family to somehow pick up the pieces and find another seminary. It all builds to a hugely satisfying conclusion, with director Deery setting up a final confrontation between Foley, McLaughlin, and representatives of the Church on a live television talk show, which leads to a surprising and unexpected denouement to the movie.