Priest Vallon is Irish so I'm assuming he is a Catholic priest? If so, how is it that he has a son? I know it's possible, but as a ordained priest, he could not be married right? So is it just that maybe he became a priest after his son was born? Or he was priest but left and is now just regarded as priest by his peers? Or maybe Amsterdam isn't even his son, just an adopted orphan? It was just a little confusing to me.
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Correct.
Its his nickname, presumably due to his devout religious nature.
If at first you don't succeed, you're not Chuck Norris
mikeyjsc, I think you might be taking his name too literally. I thought he was referred to as Priest as a sort of mocking toward his Catholicism.
shareThat's kind of what I thought, but he appeared to be dressed like one, so then I thought maybe he is/was.
shareYeah, it's an easy assumption. But knowing that he was fighting a war, not only about nationality but about religion(as Bill mentions later), we can tell that he sports his priest attire as a symbol.
This ain't my first tea party...
Did he not wear a white ribbon under his black collar which is a symbol of priesthood during the opening sequence after shaving?
Sorry for the terminology but I don't know what that small piece of garment for priests are called.
Anyways, if so, doesn't that indicate he is an actual priest?
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It's called a clerical collar or a white strip.
Is it sad that I am Catholic, have seen this movie tons of times, and never even made that thought?
I drink yo milkshake!
Either he wasn't a real priest, or he just wasn't a nutcase who thought that sexual abstinence for humans makes sense.
Also, and this is just a wild thought....he could've adopted the boy. Wouldn't be unreasonable considering how many people were keeling over. I don't believe it personally, but who knows?
share@ OP,
You raise a good point. This is one of the things that I didn't like about the movie, that it made rediculous charicatures about Irish Catholics and gave characters names like this, having him dress up in a priest outfit and walk around carrying a stone Celtic Cross.
http://www1.assumption.edu/users/mcclymer/us%20survey/deadrabbit.jpg
^ That is a drawing of a dead rabbit that someone in the 1800s drew.
If the movie was going to use stereotypes about the Irish, then at use regular stereotypes, giving them real Catholic names instead of throwing around terms like "Monk" and "Priest"
Yeah but nicknames are so much cooler though. Usually, whatever walk of life it is, whether it be sports, war, combat, business... when you get that good (or at least get that notoriety), you usually get nicknames.
So for key characters to have reknowned nicknames within their community, just signifies they're bad @$$. It's a creative decision I quite liked; I definitely totally dug "Priest" "The Butcher" etc.
He's not an actual Catholic preist in the film. He is obviously a "father" to the Irish in the film and therefore got the nickname "Priest". His preist-like garb is a gang costume. His clerical collar is clearly a type of leather armor to wear in combat to prevent his throat from being cut. If you had kept your eyes open during the film and paid attention you would have figured it out for yourself.
shareKnightwind, that was very rude. I have a college education and yet I hadn't figured it out completely. I attribute that to the character not having enough scenes so that we could get the whole picture. No question is stupid because we all come from different walks of life, dude!
Also....had it not occurred to anyone that priests and nuns have not always chosen to be celibate? Hel-LO!! Thorn Birds, anyone?
A hefty number of priests in our current time are not even celibate. There are more than a few prepubescent boys who can attest to this!
share"No question is stupid" Not true at all!
shareThere is a point on the movie, I think under the picture of him in Bill's place, and it calls him "'Priest' Vallon" so it is definitely a nickname.
share^ was just going to add that on Bills mantle the word Priest has quotations.
And unless I'm mistaken in the picture on Bills mantle even though it's a drawing he's not wearing clerical garb. I agree with a lot of people on here. He was a leader and father to the people and probably wore the garb as a symbol of Irish Catholicism.
Your's sincerely, General Joseph Liebgott
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The five points were a very wild and corrupt area. Even if he was a legitimate priest and broke his celibacy vows, he would still be more respectable than most of the leaders in the area. I definitely think Amsterdam was his biological son.
share