Le Saint Office (1974) : distribution, intrigue et streaming

Released in 1974, Le Saint Office is a drame and histoire film directed by Arturo Ripstein, running about 127 minutes.

What it’s about. The long arm of the Inquisition, or the "Holy Office," reached at least as far as 16th-century Mexico (known as New Spain at the time). Many Spanish Catholics of Moorish or Jewish origin found it expedient to flee to the New World to escape the suffocating attentions of the Inquisition. In Spain, simply being descended from these suspect peoples is sufficient to guarantee a gruesome death by immolation. In the New World, it took slightly more. This 1974 Mexican film deals with the suffering of one family of conversos who are secretly practicing Judaism and are betrayed to the Inquisition by a family member. Interestingly, a small family clan of such secret Jews was discovered in New Mexico as recently as the late 1980s. They managed to keep their faith a secret for nearly five hundred years.

Who’s in it. Le Saint Office stars Jorge Luke as Luis de Carvajal, Diana Bracho as Mariana de Carvajal, Claudio Brook as Fray Alonso de Peralta and Ana Mérida as Francisca de Carvajal, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.2/10, Le Saint Office has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Le Saint Office page.

If you liked it. Fans of Le Saint Office tend to enjoy Les Évadés, Le Parrain, La Liste de Schindler and Le Parrain, 2e partie.