When principal photography commenced in Rome, it became clear that the city itself would be “starring” in THE ORDER, along with the principal cast. Says Baumgarten: “Remember those pictures that made you feel you were right there with the characters in the midst of Rome’s glory? I think that’s what Brian did with THE ORDER. Why go there if you’re not going to capture the essence of Rome?”
While Rome and the Vatican play key roles in the film, and three of the central characters are connected to the Church, Baumgarten is quick to point out that THE ORDER “is in no way a story about church or religion. It’s a thriller, but don’t forget that some of the scariest fare in film history used the mystery and power of religion as an effective backdrop.”
Baumgarten says the Catholic Church placed no roadblocks before the production. “The Vatican seems to have a very 21st century attitude about us. Like the audience, they know this is just entertainment, and inconsequential in light of their mission and their challenges these days. So they chose to turn their eyes away to more important concerns.”
Cast members were instructed by experts in performing religious rituals, speaking Latin, donning vestments, Vatican deportment and even conducting exorcisms. One parish in Italy actually opened its sanctuary’s doors to THE ORDER to serve as Alex’s church in a deprived New York neighborhood.
THE ORDER was filmed entirely in Italy. Notable Rome locations included lavish old Palazzo Taverna, serving as the interior of the film’s mansion; and Villa Adriana (the Emperor Hadrian’s villa), a gigantic wonder of the ancient world where the art department created a haunting cemetery from scratch for Alex to secretly bury his defrocked mentor in holy ground.
The movie makers traveled to the lavish Villa Aldobrandini, which served as the exterior of the title character’s home. The private residence was constructed centuries ago by papal relatives.
The unit moved to the south of Italy for a week in Napoli and adjoining Caserta to take advantage of two magnificent palaces. Caserta’s incredible Royal Palace, a House of Bourbon concoction rivaling Versailles and famed as the world’s first royal palace, doubled for Vatican interiors as Alex pleads for an investigation into the bizarre possibility that the practice of sin eating may have survived into modern times. Another Bourbon hangout, Palazzo Reale in the heart of Naples, provided bedrooms for a British millionaire begging The Sin Eater for salvation.
Returning to Rome at the halfway mark in the schedule, the filmmakers checked into fabled Cinecitta Studios, where legendary Italian filmmakers like Fellini turned out masterpieces and where international epics such as “Ben Hur,” “Quo Vadis,” “War And Peace,” “Cleopatra” and “8 1/2” were made.
Because the Catholic Church would never allow a film company to trudge into hallowed St. Peter’s, the cathedral became the primary challenge and crowning achievement of production designer Miljen Kreka Kljakovi_. Giant statues by Bernini and other great sculptors of the past were meticulously reproduced in Styrofoam by master craftsman Giovanni Gianese, head sculptor. They towered over faux marble floors, columns and altars, dazzling even those most familiar with the Vatican. This masterpiece set was constructed on Cinecitta’s largest interior space, Stage Five, which was Fellini’s favorite shooting stage.
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