Parents' Guide to

For Greater Glory

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Epic tale about religious freedom gets very bloody.

Movie R 2012 143 minutes
For Greater Glory Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 14+

Based on 9 parent reviews

Hildegard
Hildegard Adult
April 2, 2019
age 15+

Inspiring story

I love Saint Jose Sanchez del Rio. Padre Christopher is also a saint. The story is very inspiring, but it is also very violent. The war violence itself is mostly kept from being graphic, its the personal violence committed against single people at a time (especially 14-year-old Jose) that makes it so difficult to watch. It's good for education as well, I had heard very little of the Cristeros and this film encouraged me to do more research on them. It's a great film, but hard to watch.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
PHMNHM
PHMNHM Adult
July 5, 2012
age 14+

Great Movie about Religious Freedom!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Between 1926 and 1929, Mexican president Plutarco Calles (Rubén Blades) waged a war against Roman Catholic priests and bishops and their flock, shutting down their churches and sending soldiers to hunt, maim, and kill anyone who dared defy him. Tens of thousands of citizens -- including a young boy named Jose (Mauricio Kuri), who developed a strong faith thanks to a kind-hearted priest (Peter O'Toole) -- banded together to defend their religious freedom in what is now known as the Cristero War. It was a gory and heart-wrenching battle, leaving thousands of Mexicans dead, the countryside littered with their bodies. Leading the charge is a retired army general (Andy Garcia) who confronts his own questions about God as he fights to restore everyone's right to believe.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9):
Kids say (3):

Sweeping in its scope and epic in its storytelling, FOR GREATER GLORY makes no apologies for aiming high. It has an important tale to tell, and it will tell it with as much gravity as it can muster. And it's this earnestness that protects the drama from some of its weaknesses -- clunky dialogue, for starters -- and turns it into a shockingly affecting, thought-provoking watch. Bring tissues, because some of the characters, especially Jose, will break your heart.

But while it's understandable that the filmmakers wanted to make clear how brutal this moment in history was, there's an overdose of violence. It's almost enough to cause post-traumatic stress disorder. No one is spared, not the child at the heart of the story, and not viewers, either, who must suffer through one assault after another. Is all the carnage necessary? It's highly debatable. Had they edited some of it out, For Greater Glory would have been a leaner, meaner, and still affecting revelation.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the Mexicans defied the government to honor their faith, even when threatened with imprisonment or death. Why do you think they did that? Teens: Have you ever fought hard for something you believed in?

  • Talk about For Greater Glory's many brutally violent scenes. How does this kind of violence compare to what you might see in a horror movie? Which has greater impact?

  • Which characters would you consider role models? Why?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate