Marcelino Essay Research Paper The catalyst for

Marcelino Essay, Research Paper

The catalyst for the intense drama that follows is this scene: One exasperated monk, trying to instill discipline in a beloved orphan boy, conjures up a rule. He exclaims, “You must NEVER climb this stairway!” to the attic.

The monk, Brother Francisco, is the dominant parent-figure, among the twelve Italian Franciscan monks, in an Hispanic land, who have adopted the youngster, Marcelino, at infancy.

Marcelino, being a child, curious, mischievous, climbs the stairs. In the attic, what he finds there, how he responds, ultimately forces the humble, bewildered monks to confront the mystical center, of their faith.

In many ways, this film subtly emanates the very spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. It’s as if I am glimpsing what Francis must have been like as a joyous child, and as a soul, early in life, opening to Love. The aptly named Brother Francisco eagerly embraces the abandoned infant, nurtures him, as Francis would do, for the varied creatures of nature. The film’s Brother Francisco is, fittingly, the first to witness an extraordinary occurrence in which Marcelino is involved.

Even if you are not Christian, the purity, generosity, exuberance, of this boy, might touch you. His deep-felt yearning to have a mother, to know his own mother, stirs my heart. It might be wise for adults to be on hand, if children watch this film. Some aspects could be misinterpreted, promoting unnecessary fear of loss, or even, of God.