Take away all the supernatural mumbo-jumbo from The Order and a simple mystery remains -- who killed the mentor of  New York City priest Alex Bernier, and why? Alex, played with brooding sadness by Heath Ledger, must travel to Rome to find out. Facing internal as well as external demons, he discovers evil in the least expected places. And he meets the Sin Eater, a man who uses an ancient ritual to devour the sins of people before they die.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention I was raised as a Catholic. While growing up, I loved the mysterious atmosphere surrounding the Mass celebrated in Latin. That's probably why Ledger's character drew me so deeply into the film's opening scene. Here's a priest who's still saying the Mass in Latin -- and with his back to the congregation. I admired him immediately.      

Alex's dedicated search for answers also intrigued me. However, because of its dark and shadowy cinematography, the movie obscured much of his investigation. My eyes still hurt from straining to see more clearly what was happening during the priest's encounters with such obstacles as two "demon spawn" in the cemetery or those hooded figures in catacombs beneath the Vatican. Yes, I know this filmmaking technique is supposed to create an eerie feeling, but give us a break. Movies are primarily a visual art.

Written, directed and produced by Brian Helgeland, The Order emerges as a far cry from A Knight's Tale, his previous film starring Ledger. It's quite a jump from rollicking comedy to religious thriller, but Helgeland deserves credit not only for taking the risk but also for involving three of his A Knight's Tale cast members in the process. In addition to Ledger, the lovely Shannyn Sossamon and funnyman Mark Addy appear in The Order. Sossamon's character fell in love with the young priest during an exorcism and follows him to Rome. Addy portrays a fellow priest who is also Alex's best friend.   

Other cast members include German actor Benno Furmann as the Sin Eater and Peter Weller as an ambitious cardinal. While Furmann needs to project more menace in a role crying out for the likes of Willem Dafoe, Weller (RoboCop) finds the right combination of arrogance and manipulation for his unsympathetic character.

Religious thrillers like Bless the Child and Stigmata usually leave me cold. But The Order's moral dilemmas -- highlighted by the intensity of Ledger's performance -- really got to me. I  only wish I could have seen this movie more clearly than "through a glass darkly." 

(Released by 20th Century Fox and rated "R" for violent images, sexuality and language.)