The keys of the kingdom - the gates to heaven
The voice of religion is essentially simple. An expansion of consciousness, an all embracing empathy, a deep sense of justice and equality that transcends boundaries of color and culture; and a vision of God that is closely tied to earth, however transcendent its metaphysics may be. The thousand fragments of established religions try to bury this honest truth under rubbles of theology, customs and inane morality: the Catholic versus protestant; the Shia versus Sunni, the Hindu versus Buddhist - these are but variations of a single universal theme of oneness emphasized and practiced in different denominations. A J Cronin’s novel “the Keys of the kingdom” written in 1941 captured the essence of this doctrine in the life of a Christian missionary, sent to far eastern China to establish the word of God among “natives”. It proves to be an uphill struggle for the young handsome priest Francis to enter the realms of faith and trust in the hearts of practical Chinese, whose philosophy of Confucianism have taught them to be prudent, wise and worldly before being spiritual. In the midst of poverty and civil war, they see Christian missions as only a means to satisfy their bellies and purses, and have scant regard for the doctrinal infusions and digressions of Christian faith. But the simple toil, honesty and diligence of father Francis, along with his trusted inmates soon transform the skepticism of his town into loving adoration; and a beautiful church, study and community develops under their loving care and embrace. The novel traces in simple terms the directness of human compassion and love in times of violence and unrest. Cronin, with moving sensitivity, presents a tale that attempts to establish that innocent and unyielding faith in the goodness of life, without the polluting mixture of ideology is enough to penetrate the deepest mysteries of religion. The inner promptings of one’s heart is often a truer guide to God than the committed exhortations of myriad holy texts.
This book was adapted into a movie in 1944, featuring the charismatic, young and debonair Gregory peck in the role of Father Francis Chisholm. This was only his second screen appearance in a long and illustrious career. Even here, one can see the unsure steps of a promising actor learning the nuances and rudiments of acting. His handsome figure is evident, even then, under the robes of a priest; but the nonchalant grace and screen presence that he later came to develop, symbolize and so passionately personify, still lay latent and was just beginning to sprout in this performance. That is natural enough! How often does a budding actor get to play a serious role of a pious priest groveling in dust, blood and heat with no romance, after debuting as a dashing soldier saving his lady love in his first movie “Days of Glory?” The Academy of Motion pictures acknowledged his effort and gave their nod for Best actor - the first of his five nominations. He would later win this coveted prize for his meticulous performance in “To kill a mocking bird”, arguably, one of the greatest Hollywood movies ever made.
In my opinion, “The keys of the kingdom” is one of those rare movies, which did more than mere justice to the book. I thought that novel was a trifle too long, with unnecessary peregrinations into secondary plots. The film, however, captured the essence of Cronin’s vision with poignant brevity and honesty. If one reads the book, after seeing the movie, the story would read better. Also, the Black and white cinematography lent a depth to the tale, which color, otherwise may not have been able to provide. The lilting background score by Alfred Newman; interspersing Chinese tunes with Irish violins, provided a wonderful background to the unfolding drama. In all, it is one of those satisfying movie experiences, where things are kept simple and straight. In an age where the measure of a film lies in its extravagance, “The keys of the Kingdom” provides a nostalgic trip back in time, to the good old days, when dialogues, story and theme was as important, if not more, than the artists themselves..
On a final note, I like the title of Cronin’s book. In Mathew 16:19 of the Bible, Jesus hands over his spiritual mantle to Peter with these words:
‘I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’..
It was with this wonderful blessing that the Christian church was consecrated by Peter. Words of universal wisdom; Timeless, and yet so humane….
God bless…
This book was adapted into a movie in 1944, featuring the charismatic, young and debonair Gregory peck in the role of Father Francis Chisholm. This was only his second screen appearance in a long and illustrious career. Even here, one can see the unsure steps of a promising actor learning the nuances and rudiments of acting. His handsome figure is evident, even then, under the robes of a priest; but the nonchalant grace and screen presence that he later came to develop, symbolize and so passionately personify, still lay latent and was just beginning to sprout in this performance. That is natural enough! How often does a budding actor get to play a serious role of a pious priest groveling in dust, blood and heat with no romance, after debuting as a dashing soldier saving his lady love in his first movie “Days of Glory?” The Academy of Motion pictures acknowledged his effort and gave their nod for Best actor - the first of his five nominations. He would later win this coveted prize for his meticulous performance in “To kill a mocking bird”, arguably, one of the greatest Hollywood movies ever made.
In my opinion, “The keys of the kingdom” is one of those rare movies, which did more than mere justice to the book. I thought that novel was a trifle too long, with unnecessary peregrinations into secondary plots. The film, however, captured the essence of Cronin’s vision with poignant brevity and honesty. If one reads the book, after seeing the movie, the story would read better. Also, the Black and white cinematography lent a depth to the tale, which color, otherwise may not have been able to provide. The lilting background score by Alfred Newman; interspersing Chinese tunes with Irish violins, provided a wonderful background to the unfolding drama. In all, it is one of those satisfying movie experiences, where things are kept simple and straight. In an age where the measure of a film lies in its extravagance, “The keys of the Kingdom” provides a nostalgic trip back in time, to the good old days, when dialogues, story and theme was as important, if not more, than the artists themselves..
On a final note, I like the title of Cronin’s book. In Mathew 16:19 of the Bible, Jesus hands over his spiritual mantle to Peter with these words:
‘I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’..
It was with this wonderful blessing that the Christian church was consecrated by Peter. Words of universal wisdom; Timeless, and yet so humane….
God bless…
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