"Ignacio de Loyola" traces the life of St. Ignatius from childhood up to his exoneration at the Inquisition at Salamanca in 1537, and subsequent departure for a university in Paris to further his studies. In between he experiences a transformation from a soldier of the king to a soldier of Christ.
It is an intense transformation, having pledged his life to a princess then switching allegiance during his recuperation from a battle wound to a life in the service of God. His wound left him with a limp, a mark of dishonor since he could no longer soldier. It is here that the narrative acquires interest, as the earlier battle scenes had an artificial quality, as though filmed on a sound stage. It takes off as he finds his true calling and is accompanied by some excellent, well written dialogue, especially in some admirable speechifying instances. The overall quality of the script sets 'Ignacio de Loyola" apart from most other films made nowadays and accounts for my rating.
This movie will probably get a bad rap from critics due to its religious nature, but "Ignacio de Loyola" is about much more than that. It is about change, a change of mind and of lifestyle, a change of values and the discovery of what was front and center all the while, what really counts in life. Ignatius Loyola is a saint, but came by it the hard way - steeped in the temporary and ignoring the spiritual. We can all relate to that.
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