The Shoes of the Fisherman

A Ukrainian bishop named Kiril Lakota has spent two decades as a political prisoner in a Soviet gulag. He is released without warning and sent to the Vatican, where he arrives as a stranger to its inner workings. When the Pope dies suddenly, the cardinals must choose a successor, and Lakota finds himself drawn into a contest whose outcome reaches far beyond the church, at a time when the world stands close to nuclear confrontation.

Michael Anderson directed the film, which came after Operation Crossbow in his filmography and before Conduct Unbecoming, Logan's Run and others. John Patrick and James Kennaway wrote the screenplay, George Englund produced, and the large credited cast includes Anthony Quinn as Kiril Lakota, Oskar Werner as Father David Telemond, David Janssen as George Faber, Vittorio De Sica as Cardinal Rinaldi, Laurence Olivier as Piotr Ilyich Kamenev, and Leo McKern as Cardinal Leone. It was made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer with Cinecittà on a budget of about 7 million dollars, runs 162 minutes, and is a drama with thriller elements.

On IMDb the film holds a 7 out of 10 from roughly 4,700 votes, while on TMDB it has a 6.8 from about 89 votes. A small set of critics' reviews gives it 5.8 out of 10, a cooler response than the audience scores suggest.