"Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man." (Rabindranath Tagore) "We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today." (Stacia Tauscher)I have selected two quotes which, at first sight, have little to do with the film. However, when we look deeper at this Spanish classic, the 1955 winner at Cannes and Berlin festivals, we are led to draw a conclusion: it's a movie about a CHILD, a friend of God who, by being fully himself, did not have to become mature in order to address adults and enrapture them with awe and beauty. The thing that has touched me most in this religious classic is its simplicity. A religious theme depicted in movies may absorb different manifestations of spirituality. You can preach something and you make others hear powerful slogans. But conveying values without love has occurred barely useful. Instead, you can address hearts and you make others feel it so intensely that no additional explanations or lectures are necessary. Simplicity is something that touches various people and, meanwhile, something paradoxical: we own it as innate and yet, we lose it somewhere forgetting that this simplicity of life can constantly renew us. Where can we find it more than in such an ingenious, partly naive yet touching story about a child? THE MIRACLE OF MARCELINO (1955) written by Jose Maria Sanchez Silva and directed by Ladislao Vajda is a movie of such influence. The opening sequence is marked by crowds of people who head for a town located in the picturesque landscape of Spain. One monk (Fernando Rey), however, chooses the opposite direction in his journey because he is going to visit an ill child. This is a festival of Marcelino, his feast day which makes so many people celebrate. "Do you know who Marcelino was?" becomes a question addressed to the child in her bed and to viewers in their seats alike. He will be our little protagonist - an orphan boy with such a sweet sounding name who was abandoned as a baby at the gate of a monastery and looked after by twelve Franciscan monks. The flashback brings us to the 19th century Spain and its unique story. Is it a legend? an adventure? a fairy tale or a miracle? As people helped brethren rebuild the monastery, God helps them tackle the dilemma of what future to 'invest' for a crying baby at the gate. Although there are some people who would adopt the boy, including the mayor of the town, brethren know what it means to be good (note the scene at a blacksmith's). They decide to keep him at the monastery as the thirteenth one among them and baptize him Marcelino. From this day on, a great adventure begins for all of them, an adventure filled with the supernatural, awesome experience...The film beautifully handles the core idea of a child that has a spiritual power to change people around him. Many religions stress the aspect that even little children may achieve the heights of spirituality. 5 year old Marcelino (Pablito Calvo) is such a sympathetic protagonist because he owns all childlike characteristics. When he learns, he is curious, when he prays, he is joyful, when he plays, he forgets about the world. There is a lovely scene that presents his everyday activities through a song. At the crucial moment of the film, he shows no fear - he knows who is talking to him. Yet, how can he be afraid of a Friend? Let me highlight one psychological aspect.Although Marcelino seems to have much fun in his everyday life, there is one dream that absorbs him: MOTHER. The little boy is among twelve men but he has no mum. When encountering a woman (Manuel's mother), he is lifted up. His eyes sparkle at once and he imagines the bliss of being in Manuel's shoes, bliss of having a mother (mind you the meaningful name, Manuel, in the course of later events). He immediately creates a friend in his mind whom he never meets. He plays with him, he talks to him...as long as it occurs that there is Someone who can fill this need for true friendship in his little heart. This aspect is important since there have been many critical views that religious films barely carry any psychological development. MARCELINO proves otherwise.Fantasy blends with reality, mysteries with facts and a legend with a historical background. That is also what makes this film so captivating. The scene when he climbs the 'forbidden staircase' and discovers the attic is one of the best moments in the film. Each single detail plays a role in the inner experience, explains a lot: near the stairs, we read the excerpt from Psalm 33 "Humiles Spiritu Salvabit" (God will save the humble of spirit); the close-up of Christ's hand, though considerably influenced by the cinema style of the period, supplies the moment with mystery and piety. HUMOR: Brethren's behaviors and Marcelino's tricks draw our attention and amuse us. One of the most hilarious moments are the missing slices of bread. Moreover, the town sequence offers some moments of laughter. At the same time, the artistic pluses are executed in cinematography and music. But who deserves the credit for being the best Marcelino on screen is PABLITO CALVO. He gives a powerful performance skillfully avoiding the danger of shallow sweetness. His character moves us as a saint child but still a CHILD. Note the subtlety and mystery of the scenes when Marcelino talks to Jesus. We see the boy's face marked by various feelings: from surprise and a little confusion to confidence and peaceful communion.MARCELINO PAN Y VINO is one of the most beautiful religious films ever made, a religious classic that you may watch with heartfelt attitude. Glorious simplicity where 'the small' equal to 'the greatest' in humanity.

The film starts in a long flashback narrated by a priest(Fernando Rey), he tells how an abandoned baby is picked up by monks residing in a monastery ruled by a humble Father Superior(Rafael Rivelles). The little boy named Marcelino(Pablito Calvo) who lost his mother and became a pure and simple of heart kid devoted friend of Crucified Jesus.Meanwhile, he gets into mischiefs, he plays and puts nicknames to monks, as Brother Door(Antonio Vico),Brother Cookie(Juan Calvo), Brother Bad(Mariano Azaña), Fray Giles(Juanjo Menendez) and Brother Ding Dong(Joaquin Roa).But in a touching scenes, Marcelino finds at the loft to Jesus and gives him bread and wine, then happen an ecstasy at the final.This a sensible and feeling movie full of mirth,humor touches, and enjoyable message based on novel by Jose Maria Sanchez Silva.At the same time the film gives us an agreeable panorama about monastery life, its pity and goodness; furthermore, the oration, sacrifice, work,companionship and various situations happen in monastic existence.Its perfect developing resides on superb characters well played by all casting monks and the sympathy, simplicity of Pablito Calvo-Marcelino. Musical score by Pablo Sorozabal responds appropriately to the ambient, originating a religious atmosphere . Precious and luminous cinematography by Enrich Guerner(Vadja's ordinary)who give us an accurate scenario of the times is developed . The motion picture is excellently directed by Ladislao Vadja, born in Hungary, he's author of magnificent movies, such as 'The Bait', and 'Cord of prisoners', and three with Pablito Cavo: 'An Angel over Brooklyn'( along with Peter Ustinov) and 'Uncle Jacinto'( with Antonio Vico). In my opinion this is one of the best films to come out of Europe in the decade of the 50s.The picture touched the hearts of numerous spectators around the world. Rating: Above average.

This is by far one of the best family friendly movies I have ever seen. The first time I saw it I was 8 years old and with my dad watching on an old reel to reel, it was his favorite movie also as he felt connected to it because he grew up in a boarding home for fatherless boys. The sound was terrible, the dubbing was way off, the footage was grainy to say the least, and there were a number of cracks in the reel. Despite all those imperfections, I loved every second of this film. For the longest time I could remember every detail about the movie but its name. I wanted to see it again but had very little information to research. One day I described the movie to a friend (this is something I always have trouble doing because I get so choked up), the friend jumped up and said "thats my dads favorite movie, he grew up an orphan" We went to her dad and he knew the name of the movie right away, from there it was just a question of finding it on media other then reel to reel. The first copy I picked up was on VHS, picture quality much better then the reel to reel but still bad. I was going to burn a back-up copy of my VHS version on DVD, but for a movie this great, I will just buy the DVD version, maybe the DVD will be a little better then the VHS version, at least I know I will have the DVD version for a lifetime. Regardless of the quality of the picture, you must see this film

First of all I'm not religious. The first time I saw it as a child I didn't really think about religion and stuff like that. My grandmother, Catholic, recorded this show when it was on the television so I could watch it. And boy, it truly is a moving movie. I did cry, and I still do when I see the last part of the movie. Yet it's not a sad movie. I cry because it is so beautiful that Marcelino gets what he wants and therefore has to leave this world. I still do not believe in stuff like that, but it would be great if it were all true.Why do I rate this one 10 out of 10? Because it is beautiful and it sticks. I know every single thing that happens in this movie, even though it has been 10 years since I've last seen this movie. Unlike some of the violent, graphic movies like Pulp Fiction and Boondock Saints (which are great) this one is great without being violent nor graphic. True classic. Amazing. Masterpiece.I'd love to get this one on DVD sometime in the near future.