Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012)

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I swear, this really will make you feel even more angry at the catholic church for not admitting the wrongdoings of their priests who molested children for absolutely no reason. One of the men were so brave to show up to Murphy's house and tell him how he was such a disgusting pig for touching them. I swear I would shut abuse too since he is a dirty pervert who should be hanged and I can tell ya, I bet he p*ssed his pants every day he got up the first thing. His deaf housekeeper was such a b*tch for pushing one of the men away from Murphy, that woman must really worship this guy. Seriously, it doesn't matter if she was deaf or not, she should wake up to reality and think of how child sexual abuse is a serious crime here. I honestly thought Terry Kohut, Gary Smith, Pat Kuehn and Arthur Budzinski are just wonderful men who came forward this dark secret they had from long ago. They are survivors and they should realise how lucky they are to be alive today to tell the tale. This documentary is a good example of what went on during those times and like, you need to see it y'all, it is one to watch!

What good is a movie about DEAF people if it isn't captioned? I was really looking forward to seeing this documentary as it presents a view about a particular group of individuals that are hidden behind the scenes of the issue of sexual abuse within the church. I could not watch it. At first it shows students in an oral/aural setting in school so I waited to see if it would then go on to interviews in ASL (American Sign Language). Indeed it did, the individuals who were interviewed used ASL but if there were questions being asked, the interviewer was not on screen signing the questions to them. Then it goes on to show interviews with another individual and church scenes and there is no open or closed captioning. This is an important issue that needs to be seen/heard and is finally brought out into the open audience and yet without captioning, it is closed to the very community to which it is addressed. I am very disappointed that I was not able to watch this documentary because it has not been made accessible to the Deaf community by providing captioning for us. This is 2015, there is no reason why captioning could not be provided for this documentary.

From acclaimed documentarian Alex Gibney, comes a potent examination of the history of sex abuse and paedophilia within the Catholic Church. Told through the eyes of victims, Gibney follows the murky trail of sex abuse from Wisconsin all the way up to the Vatican.This is not for the faint hearted or easily disturbed. That we may understand the term 'documentary', speaks volumes of how successfully Gibney has reinvented the genre, creating something that is as much horror as it is non-fiction. We are plunged into the dark recesses of traumatic experience, and exposed to the sheer scope of institutionalised child molestation. Revelation after revelation, horror after horror, we witness very real and powerful emotion on screen, producing a 'documentary' that enthrals and terrifies.The inclusion of Terry, Arthur and Gary, 3 victims integral to the first known case of protest against clerical sex abuse in the US, is a genuine masterstroke. This level of realism is perhaps expected of the documentary format, however, Gibney's overall production results in something much more effective. From confession-booth like interviews to complex animated graphics, Mea Maxima Culpa is educational yet highly creative. Aside from the cinematographic merits and qualities of story-telling, significant effort is made to defrock hidden truths of organised child molestation and the lengths taken to cover it up. The trail from the pulpits of Milwaukee to the highest echelons of the Vatican is made to seem more concrete than ever before.Verdict: Expertly constructed and magnificently told, Mea disturbs ones very core. Gibney has exquisitely created an amalgam of documentary and horror with a profound respect to the stories of its protagonists. Prepare to be infuriated, terrified and astounded without rest. Essential viewing.

This is an excellent documentary on how the Catholic Church has let down its people. Child Sexual abuse has long been a problem in the Church. That's not to say that other religions have had their problems too. It focuses on how sexual abuse, especially in deaf community and it was so rampant. The film gives great insight on how the Catholic Church succeeded in creating a massive cover up. It evens show how Pope Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Ratzinger played a vital role in covering up the abuse happening worldwide. The film may make you bitter, even angry, but for those of us who are Catholic it's an amazing outpouring of sadness. I found myself doing more research on this subject. The victims in the film pour out their heart and souls, and even though they were deaf and they signed their lines, you are offered the opportunity to hear what they are saying with excellent guest star voices. Even the use of photography where the zoomed in on the hands signing was awesome, I felt their grief through their sign language. The cinematography is excellent and the use of old film footage makes you feel like you are there. In my opinion a must see film, especially if you are Catholic. It sends a clear message that the Church has a long road ahead in rebuilding its trust with its congregation.