After the famous Italian director Paolo Sorrentino created the mini-series Young Pope for the HBO channel about the vicissitudes of the fate of the fictional modern Pope taking his first steps in the Vatican, many came to the conclusion that it is difficult to be a young father, but even more difficult to be young Dad.
By the way, in the entire history of the film industry, the Pope repeatedly appeared before the audience in controversial images. So the movie about the Pope with Jude Law is not the only exception.
The youngest in church history
The protagonist in the project Paolo Sorrentino was played by the prohibitively charming Jude Law. His character Lenny Belardo is very unusual. Not only is he the youngest in history, but he is also the first American to receive the title of Pope. The narration of the mini-series begins on the first day of Lenny's work, preparing to wage a struggle for power within the closed and mysterious state of the Vatican.
The acting ensemble of the picture is impressive, in addition to Lowe, Ludivine Sagnier, James Cromwell, Cecile De France and Diane Keaton are involved in the show. The brainchild of Oscar-winning Sorrentino has extremely positive reviews from critics and an IMDb rating of 8.40, which suggests that this is one of the best films about the Pope.
The development of the image of the pontiff in the movie
Films about the Pope, the list of which is presented in this publication, clearly demonstrate two main vectors of development of the image of the pontiff in cinema - his absolute humanization and his unconditional overthrow to a caricature.
For example, in the movie “Fisherman’s Shoes” (1968), the public is represented by Lviv Archbishop Cyril I (Anthony Quinn), a former Gulag prisoner who was destined to become a reformer of the Catholic Church. The picture was prophetic, 10 years later the title was awarded to John Paul II, who was of Slavic origin.
The film about the Pope "Pope John" (1972) is based on the story of a woman who managed to ascend the throne under the name of John VIII. This is not the only film project in which the viewer can see a pontiff woman. There is another film, “John the Woman on the Papal Throne,” filmed by the novelist Donna Cross, positioned by critics as a hymn to feminism.
Dad mod and fugitive
In Federico Fellini's work “Rome” (1972), the Pope appears in one of the episodes during the church fashion parade in the Vatican. Because of this scene, the picture was subjected to severe censorship and fierce criticism.
In the film about the Pope “Saving Grace” (1986), the image of the first pontiff (Tom Conti) was created according to the canons of the Disney character. He is brave, gracious and innocent, coming to the aid of the afflicted and destitute. By the standards of harsh reality, Pope Leo XIV is too perfect to be believed.
The most provocative incarnations
The list of paintings about the Pope will continue with the tape “The Pope must die” (1991). The main character, Fat Papa (Robbie Coltrane) accidentally ascends the throne, which does not prevent him from zealously joining the fight with the Mafia and the rotten bureaucratic apparatus of the Vatican. He was charged with one bad habit, he liked to eat hearty and tasty food.
Pius XII in the film "Amen" (2001) turned out to be the most silent in the history of cinema. The picture is based on the infamous play “Deputy” by Rolf Hohut. The pontiff in the tape is exposed in a disadvantageous light as a coward and a spineless personality.
In the novella “Manuel di Oliveira” “The only meeting”, included in the Cannes almanac “Everyone has his own movie” (2007), Pope John XXIII appears in the guise of a real joker, laconic, but bitingly conducting a dialogue with Nikita Khrushchev.
Double and balcony acrobat
In the film about the Pope, “Mr. Loneliness” (2007), the key character becomes the double of Benedict XVI (James Fox), who lives in the commune of imitators of celebrities. For him, the biggest punishment is washing with soap.
The tape “Pink Panther-2” (2009) presents a unique spectacle to the audience. It is unlikely that in reality you can see a pontiff hanging on a plywood pillar, even if not real. Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Steve Martin) disguises himself as a holy father, who, due to his absent-mindedness, soon falls out of the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in front of a crowd of believers.
The most spectacular images
The list would be incomplete without mentioning the series “Borgia” (2011). The vicious cunning Rodrigo Borgia (Jeremy Irons) takes the sacred throne through intrigue, blackmail and bribery. Pope Alexander VI is obsessed with power and concern for loved ones. He is both a manic poisoner and a person burdened with an excessive burden. Irons embodies the image of the Pope with the grace of a trickster.
In the tragicomedy “We Have a Dad!” (2011) Nanni Moretti, who dreamed of becoming an actor, by the will of fate is elected the head of the Catholic Church, which provokes his escape. The tape is rightfully considered the benefit of 85-year-old Michel Piccoli.
It is not surprising that people who sincerely believe such film production offend. Such a viewer audience should be recommended to view the dock. the film about the Pope "Pope Francis - the man of His Word", approved by the Catholic Church. The picture was created by a three-time Oscar nominee Oscar Wim Wenders. The narrative style of the project is positioned as a personal journey with Pope Francis, different from the typical documentary biopic.