Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara

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Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara

Released May 24

2h 14m

History

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

70 Reviews

82%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

In 1858, in the Jewish quarter of Bologna, the Pope's soldiers burst into the home of the Mortara family. By order of the cardinal, they have come to take Edgardo, their seven-year-old son. The child had been secretly baptized by his nurse as a baby and the papal law is unquestionable: he must receive a Catholic education. Edgardo's parents, distraught, will do anything to get their son back. Supported by public opinion and the international Jewish community, the Mortaras' struggle quickly take a political dimension. But the Church and the Pope will not agree to return the child, to consolidate an increasingly wavering power....

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Critics Consensus

Based on indefensible truths,Kidnapped tackles institutional abuse with cinematic pomp and political circumstance.

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Richard Whittaker

Austin Chronicle

Bellocchio should be credited for shining a light on a forgotten pivotal event, but the real Mortaras deserve that light to be a little less dull.

Rated: 2.5/5

Jun 20, 2024

Full Review

Anne T. Donahue

Globe and Mail

A testament to the insidiousness of systemic abuse, Kidnapped illuminates the tragedy of unchecked power exploited by men.

Jun 12, 2024

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Sergio Burstein

Los Angeles Times

A top-notch film that no film buff, who so admired being one, should miss. [Full review in Spanish]

Jun 12, 2024

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Denise Pieniazek

Puesta en Escena (AR)

Without a doubt, this incredible true event that shows the antiquity of anti-Semitism and the brutal conversion attempts that the Jews suffered, deserved to be brought to the big screen.

Rated: 9/10

Aug 22, 2024

Full Review

Nate Tinner-Williams

Black Catholic Messenger

Even the victims of religious prejudice are apparently not immune to its viral effects. Perhaps there is a lesson for the Church today in the film’s message, ham-fisted though it may be.

Rated: C

Aug 10, 2024

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Abe Friedtanzer

Film Factual

In its portrayal of the inflexibility of those who purport to serve divine will, this film is both extremely effective and chilling.

Rated: B

Jul 24, 2024

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Nancy

I loved this movie. Whether you are Jewish or Catholic, you will find it so very interesting. Great acting

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/10/24

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Alec B

It is a fascinating examination of this event and one that doesn't find easy heroes or villains. The depiction of Mortara's seemingly random shifts from fanatical Christianity to an almost equally fanatical rejection of it is one of the movie's bolder decisions.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/10/24

Full Review

John S

KIDDING AROUND Kidnapping is a crime, and so is "Kidnapped". Truly astonishing how a truly astonishing story translates into a truly astonishing piece of passable cinema on the big screen. A young Jewish boy, secretly baptized into the Catholic faith by his babysitter, is abducted from his family under religious rule. Crazy, but this is 1857 Bologna, 1857 Italy, and 1857 Pope. The film is presented in grand oil painting style, with golden lighting, velvety robes a flowing, and evil lurking in the shadows. Looks great. Plays, not so much. Hard to imagine a juicier topic handled with such a soft touch. Everyone involved seems detached of real emotion, instead relying on business like restraint, especially in what should be an inflammatory kidnapping scene. Weird. The set up is tantalizing enough to give hope, but steam is lost quickly as "Kidnapped" starts to spin its wheels while going nowhere slow. A tale as such, and it is a true one, begs for a grand, epic treatment, where religion, country and family come together in a clash of Biblical proportions. Instead we get an educational history lesson with easily forgettable characters. - hipCRANK

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

07/03/24

Full Review

JeeHwan L

I watched this movie in Busan International Film Festival. I watched with more than 500 people, and every people make serious face after the movie. This movie make me think a lot about Catholic

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/29/24

Full Review

C S

All kinds of emotions throughout and educational on the Jewish and Catholic faiths in the 1800s. The ending made me truly appreciate my faith.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/14/24

Full Review

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Marco Bellocchio

Director

Fabrizio Gifuni

Actor

Filippo Timi

Actor

Fausto Russo Alesi

Actor

Paolo Pierobon

Actor

Leonardo Maltese

Actor

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Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In 1858, in the Jewish quarter of Bologna, the Pope's soldiers burst into the home of the Mortara family. By order of the cardinal, they have come to take Edgardo, their seven-year-old son. The child had been secretly baptized by his nurse as a baby and the papal law is unquestionable: he must receive a Catholic education. Edgardo's parents, distraught, will do anything to get their son back. Supported by public opinion and the international Jewish community, the Mortaras' struggle quickly take a political dimension. But the Church and the Pope will not agree to return the child, to consolidate an increasingly wavering power....

Director: Marco Bellocchio
Producer: Beppe Caschetto, Simone Gattoni
Screenwriter: Marco Bellocchio, Susanna Nicchiarelli
Distributor: Cohen Media Group
Production Co: Ad Vitam, IBC Movie, RAI Cinema, Kavac Film, The Match Factory
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): May 24, 2024, Limited
Release Date (DVD): Jul 2, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $36.5K
Runtime: 2h 14m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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