The Devil's Advocate (1977)

A high ranking Roman Catholic priest, Monsignor Blaise Meredith (Sir John Mills), finds out he has terminal cancer. His faith is tested when faced with imminent death. At the same time, he is asked to travel to a remote village in the south of Italy to investigate a mysterious individual, Giacomo Nerone (Leigh Lawson), who has been named as a possible "saint" because he is said to have performed miracles. Before the Roman Catholic Church proclaims him to be a saint, someone has to play the "devil's advocate", investigate his life and make a case why he should not be a saint. Monsignor Meredith begins his investigations by talking to several people who have met him. He discovers his real name was "James Black". He was a British soldier who had become detached from the British Army (during World War II) and was hiding in this village in war-torn Italy. He began a relationship with a local woman.

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Summary Details
Running Time1 hr 49 min
GenresDrama
FilmmakersRole
Guy Green Director
Morris West Writer
Morris West Writer
Helmut Jedele Producer
Bert Grund Composer
Billy Williams Cinematographer
Stefan Arnsten Editor
Rolf Zehetbauer Production Designer
CastRole
John Mills
Monsignor Blaise Meredith
Stéphane Audran
Anne - Contessa di Sanctis
Jason Miller
Dr. Aldo Meyer
Paola Pitagora
Nina Sanduzzi