▁other ▁than ▁the ▁film maker ' s ▁pre jud ices ▁is ▁beyond ▁belief ." ▁ ▁Peter ▁Stack ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Chron icle ▁called ▁it ▁" an ▁exception al ▁movie ," ▁" power ful ▁drama ," ▁and ▁" a ▁curious ly ▁insp iring ▁statement ▁about ▁faith ▁and ▁mor ality ." ▁He ▁added , ▁" This ▁film ▁is ▁extraordinary ▁for ▁the ▁them es ▁it ▁expl ores — s ometimes ▁with ▁del icious ▁humor — be yond ▁the ▁obvious ▁. ▁. ▁. ▁The ▁movie ▁becomes ▁a ▁fasc in ating ▁g limp se ▁at ▁a ▁vast ▁subject — int ol er ance ▁vs . ▁understanding . ▁There ' s ▁some ▁pre ach iness ▁in ▁Pri est , ▁and ▁yet ▁you ▁go ▁away ▁feeling ▁the ▁em brace ▁of ▁something ▁lov ely ▁and ▁spiritual ." ▁ ▁Gary ▁K ami ya ▁of ▁The ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Ex am iner ▁observed , ▁" After ▁watching ▁this ▁film , ▁you ▁feel ▁as ▁if ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁had ▁ham mer ed ▁every ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁ 9 5 ▁th eses ▁onto ▁various ▁parts ▁of ▁your ▁an atom y , ▁using ▁d ull ▁th um bt acks . ▁And ▁although ▁Pri est ▁is ▁not ▁without ▁intelligence , ▁humor ▁and ▁path os , ▁in ▁the ▁end ▁it ' s ▁little ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁t endent ious ▁mel od rama . ▁One ▁can ▁sympath ize ▁with ▁[ its ] ▁progress ive ▁politics ▁. ▁. ▁. ▁and ▁still ▁feel ▁that ▁director ▁Anton ia ▁Bird ▁and ▁screen writer ▁Jimmy ▁McG overn ▁have ▁made ▁things ▁much ▁too ▁easy ▁for ▁themselves