A highly acclaimed film whose fictional theme of a confrontation between an abbot and the Vatican over the Latin Mass was to become a reality after its original screening. Trevor Howard makes a striking abbot (he previously played a priest in Ryan's Daughter and a pope in Pope Joan) who faces the wrath of Rome in the shape of trendy American priest Martin Sheen, sent by helicopter to sort out the disobedient brothers. A polished production by director Jack Gold, who two years later was at the helm of The Naked Civil Servant and has more recently scored several successes in the C4 Film on Four series.

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