When principal photography commenced in Rome, it became clear that the city itself would be "starring" in The Sin Eater, 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 Sin Eater. 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 Sin Eater "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 Sin Eater to serve as Alex's church in a deprived New York neighborhood.

The Sin Eater 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 travelled 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 rivalling 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 Kljakoviæ. 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 favourite shooting stage.

Kreka, as he is known to co-workers, designed and built the flat belonging to Alex and Thomas' mentor, Dominic. This space beneath an old dome is layered with years of metaphysical, religious, mythological and spiritual clutter. It becomes headquarters for the trio's investigation and offers invaluable clues in the search for The Sin Eater. A third major set constructed at Cinecitta was Chirac's chamber, a dark underground netherworld where ritual holds more weight than human breath.

Brian Helgeland says, "I've heard it said by directors that in Prague, where we did 'A Knight's Tale,' you make the film you want to make. But in Rome, you make the film Rome wants you to make. Sometimes, Rome knew best."

screenwriter-director-producer brian helgeland
He won a 1997 Academy Award for the L. A. Confidential screenplay. The Sin Eater reunites him with actors Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon and Mark Addy, who starred in his previous picture A Knight's Tale, which he also wrote, directed and produced.

Helgeland's motion picture credits include the screenplay for the 1997 film Conspiracy Theory,," directed by Richard Donner. He also wrote the screenplay for Clint Eastwood's  Blood Work and Mystic River, as well as  Man on Fire.