Based on a true story, Gregory Peck portrays Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, a high-ranking Vatican official who helps escaped Allied prisoners of war find sanctuary in Rome and outlying areas during World War II. The Nazi commandant in charge of Rome , Colonel Herbert Kappler (Christopher Plummer), tortures and kills many of O’Flaherty’s associates outside the Vatican in efforts to disrupt the priest’s operations. O’Flaherty must also contend with Vatican officials who worry that his actions might compromise Vatican neutrality. When Pope Pius XII (John Gielgud) raises his concerns with O’Flaherty, the priest responds by saying that, as an altar boy, his old Irish priest once told him to “do what is right, come hell or high water, and God will give you the upper hand.” The film’s production values are average (it was made for television), but the performances by the lead actors are outstanding and the story is gripping. The moral courage demonstrated by O’Flaherty and the sacrifices he and his companions endure for their cause are extraordinary, as is an ending so amazing it could only occur in a true story.