A true story from 1943-45 during WWII was the basis for J. P. Gallagher's book "The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican", and this 1983 classic film. This is the story of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, a Catholic priest who organized a network of underground sanctuaries to save thousands of Jews and Allied POWs from the Gestapo in Nazi occupied Rome.
Gregory Peck plays O’Flaherty. Christopher Plummer plays Colonel Herbert Kappler, the ruthless Nazi commander, who becomes obsessed in catching O’Flaherty red handed in his activities. Although the Vatican and Pope Pius XII are the backdrop for the story, the movie is about the cat and mouse game between the protagonist (O’Flaherty) and his antagonist (Keppler).
The Scarlet and The Black is an inspirational tale of moral courage, human spirit, sacrifice, compassion, forgiveness and altruism. The movie ends in a startling and true showdown in a very significant setting. As a true story, The Scarlet and the Black is an unforgettable drama of moral courage and good over evil.
