Parable
Diocesan Press Service. May 6, 1964 [XXI-A]
A parable, as defined in Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, is a short fictitious narrative from which a moral or spiritual truth is drawn - and that is exactly what the much-discussed motion picture, Parable, is.
An imaginative script written and directed by Rolf Forsberg was produced by Fred A. Niles for the Protestant Council of New York to be shown at the World's Fair in the Protestant and Orthodox Center. In 23 minutes, artfully photographed in color, the narrative glimpses life in an international circus. The various characters see the action of Christ in the figure of a harlequin or mime. On this point the film has met with controversy which for a time threatened its presentation to the public.
The film is provocative: certainly the heart of the Christian message is there. It raises significant questions; discussion is inevitable. It is a bold stroke, and a valuable one, for the Protestant Council of New York.