Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 4010232004406
Format: PAL
Region Code: 2
Theatrical Release Date: September 10, 1999
Related Items:
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
Gabriel Byrne plays Father Kiernan, a young Jesuit priest whose degree in chemistry makes him a sort of priest/detective as he investigates weeping Marys and the like around the world. Meanwhile, Frankie (Patricia Arquette), a rave-generation Pittsburgher, is afflicted with the stigmata--holes that appear in her wrists, resembling the wounds of Christ. The young woman's symptoms filter back to the Vatican and Father Kiernan is assigned to the case. The priest is puzzled by Frankie's atheism; usually the stigmata only appear on the devout (hence the age-old controversy of miracles vs. hysteria). Other manifestations appear on Frankie, and the priest's cardinal (Jonathan Pryce) is brought in, leading to political maneuvering within the Church hierarchy. The film owes a large and obvious debt to The Exorcist (at one point, Frankie's bed scoots across the room and she levitates into a crucifix position), but to term it an Exorcist rip-off would be to shortchange Stigmata. The premise and screenplay are more cerebral than in the l973 film, and the source of the phenomenon is coming from a completely different place.
Unfortunately, amid Stigmata's high-octane editing and slick technique, the chills of The Exorcist aren't there, giving the movie a sort of identity crisis: horror movie or intellectual thriller? Several elements of the film challenge basic tenets of the Catholic faith, hence the brief furor that erupted at the time of the film's release; if nothing else, the internal workings of the Church are shown in a very unflattering light indeed. Byrne excels as the skeptical priest, as does Arquette as the tortured young woman. All told, Stigmata is a rather uneven effort, but one with a thought-provoking combination of theology and thrills served up in a thoroughly modern, stylish package. Fans of TV's Ally McBeal will recognize Portia DeRossi in a supporting role. --Jerry Renshaw
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - GOD IS LOVE
In French we say "Dieu est amour" (God is love) and we all understand that what "is" (reality), is important. I think the movie addresses this issue in a very interesting way. I was concerned by the way the universal church is portrayed, for one must never forget that Jesus said to Peter, "Peter you are the rock and upon this rock I will build the church" etc... The church is the house of God and God is love (Dieu est amour).
Rating:  - Excellent Acting
I give STIGMATA 4 stars for the quality of the acting. The film itself could have been so much more than it is. All the ingredients are there. For those who want to automatically call it an EXORCIST rip off, it certainly is not. The story is very different and fully based on the presence of the stigmata.
The story is original, believable and much effort is put into the special effects. But the script does not totally flow and the scares and suspense just aren't really there. Maybe it is overproduced. Again, the acting is superb. patricia Arquette has an acting tour de force as Frankie, the young woman who is stricken by the stigmata as is Gabriel Byrne as Father Kiernan the investigative priest sent to study her. They also play very well off each other. Also, each scene in which she is stricken by another sign of the stigmata is very efefectively shown.
But all the other pieces just don't mesh. I think the producers and writers took on too much and didn't give the movie and storyline the dedication it deserved. It is certainly not a bad movie and has some of the best acting you will ever see. But Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne are certainly let down by the material they are given. They carry it as best they can.
Had this film been handled more carefully it could have become a very important, popular film with a message that put it in the same genre as THE EXORCIST but kept it a standout film in its own right. People see the clips etc. and ... Read More
Rating:  - not very significant
Stigmata isn't painful, but it does have the stigma of not being very good. It is a horror film but in this case the monster that terrorizes our young protagonist is Jesus Christ--or someone carrying a message from him. It compares to The Exorcist and The DaVinci Code, but is not as good as either. By straddling the two genres of horror and dramatic Vatican thriller, it succeeds at neither. The stigmata scenes aren't scary and they overuse sloppy special effects. Why is there always water dripping, and why does Frankie Paige, a hairdresser in Pittsburgh, always smell flowers whenever she is having an episode? And how do two hairdressers living together afford such a large albeit somewhat scummy but artfully decorated loft?
The film is based on an interesting premise, that the Vatican is suppressing certain gospels that have turned up by Peter, Mary Magdalene and even Judas. This plot pivots around one written by Thomas--and such a text does exist though its veracity is questioned. The film, however, is a little sloppy with the details, claiming it was written in Aramaic, a language spoken in Jesus' day, but it is actually in Coptic, an ancient Egyptian language based on the Greek alphabet. Here is a quote from Stigmata that was taken from The Gospel of Thomas, verse 77:
-------------------------
[Frankie is possessed by Father Alameida]
Frankie: Jesus said... the Kingdom of God is inside you, and all around you, not in mansions of wood and stone. Split a piece ... Read More
Rating: - Excellent
The quality and arrival of this product was rated by me as being in excellent quality and excellent arrival time.
Rating: - Excellent
Excellent, fast and economic, I would like to buy this movie for a long time, and I found here and a good price....
Browse for similar items by category:
|
![: Stigmata [Region 2]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71VE1NTTWNL._SL160_.gif)