This film draws from an odd real-life event, recounting the experiences of young Edgardo Sala who was contentedly living with his Jewish parents and siblings in Bologna until an official showed up one night to inform them that he would be taken away. The reason? Apparently, years before when he was just a baby, he had been baptized and therefore needed to be cared for by the church. Despite their arguments and objections, he was quickly sent to Rome and placed in a Catholic school where he underwent considerable religious instruction – even attracting attention from Pope Pius IX (Paolo Pierobon). The narrative largely focuses on the trial of Papal Officer Feletti (Fabrizio Gifuni) many years later after Bologna had become part of Italy. These legal proceedings are then employed to reveal portions of his history and examine who should be held accountable for actions carried out under the authority of the government. It’s not entirely clear why the Pope would take an interest in a young Jewish boy, especially given that the Papal States were steadily losing power, but Marco Bellocchio utilizes a capable ensemble cast and restrained dialogue to create a well-crafted story about the waning influence of the papacy and the insignificant hopes of one family and a little boy. The central character eventually finds himself torn – his affection for Jesus clashes with his feelings for his family and the importance of the Talmud from his childhood. I confess, I struggled to grasp the Pope’s motivation in this situation.

Source on TMDB