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Absolution (1978)

One man, two boys... one deadly game.

DramaThrillerMystery

At a Catholic boys' school, domineering disciplinarian Father Goddard rules over his pupils with an iron hand. When one of his teenage charges confesses to murder, the dogmatic but deeply repressed Goddard finds his faith challenged and his life spiralling dangerously out of control.

Release Date
June 5, 1978
Runtime
1h 35m
Rating
6.5/10 (45 votes)

Director: Anthony Page

Cast: Richard Burton, Dominic Guard, David Bradley, Billy Connolly, Andrew Keir, Willoughby Gray, Preston Lockwood, James Ottaway

Production: Bulldog, Enterprise Pictures, Trans World Entertainment
catholic schoolcatholic priestboys' schoolconfession booth
IMDb
Full Cast (34 people)

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Reviews

talisencrw - 8/10

I saw this in horrific conditions from the moderately intriguing and extremely entertaining 'Drive-In Movie Classics' pack of 50 films on 12 double-sided DVDs. Ten minutes were cut from the film and it was pan-and-scan--specifically spliced to get it to fit into a two-hour TV-spot with commercials. Still, it was an exceptional work, and I'm extremely curious for two reasons--why it was shelved for...

March 4, 2016

CinemaSerf - 7/10

I wonder what it must have been like for Dominic Guard to play this really pretty manipulative role opposite Richard Burton. Whatever nerves or awe he may have felt is very well disguised, though, as he turns in a super performance as the young student "Benjie". His teacher - "Fr. Goddard" (Burton) is a man of profound faith and little tolerance of, or interest in, his students. The former alights...

April 4, 2022

Wuchak - 6/10

_**Burgeoning iniquities underneath the surface at a boys’ religious school**_ A strict schoolmaster at a Catholic boarding school in England named Goddard (Richard Burton) favors one student, Benjie Stanfield (Dominic Guard), but seems to loathe his awkward misfit ‘friend,’ Arthur Dyson (Dai Bradley). Meanwhile Benjie befriends a vagrant hippie (Billy Connolly), a relationship of which Goddard...

June 24, 2022

Absolution

Absolution

One man, two boys... one deadly game.

One man, two boys... one deadly game.

6.5
95 min

At a Catholic boys' school, domineering disciplinarian Father Goddard rules over his pupils with an iron hand. When one of his teenage charges confesses to murder, the dogmatic but deeply repressed Goddard finds his faith challenged and his life spiralling dangerously out of control.

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Production Info
StatusReleased
Original LanguageEnglish
Release Date6/5/1978
Director & Writers

Directed by

Written by

Produced by

,

Spoken Languages

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Cast

Richard Burton

as Father Goddard

Dominic Guard

as Benjamin 'Benjie' Stanfield

David Bradley

as Arthur Dyson

Billy Connolly

as Blakey

Andrew Keir

as Headmaster

Willoughby Gray

as Brigadier Walsh

PL

Preston Lockwood

as Father Hibbert

JO

James Ottaway

as Father Matthews

More from Anthony Page

Images

Absolution poster
Poster
Absolution backdrop
Backdrop

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Absolution about?

At a Catholic boys' school, domineering disciplinarian Father Goddard rules over his pupils with an iron hand. When one of his teenage charges confesses to murder, the dogmatic but deeply repressed Go…

How long is Absolution?

1h 35m

When was Absolution released?

June 5, 1978

Who directed Absolution?

Anthony Page

Who stars in Absolution?

Richard Burton, Dominic Guard, David Bradley

What genre is Absolution?

Drama, Thriller, Mystery

What is Absolution rated?

R

Is Absolution available to stream?

Yes, on Amazon Prime Video and fuboTV