Movie cover. PHOTO/CCOURTESY
The Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church, technically or directly, a leader of more than 1.4 billion people. This almost makes him one of the most famous and powerful people in the world. Because of this, the Pope is a common fixture in art, that is theatre, film, literature and television, among others.
Throughout history, the Pope has either been a primary or main character in films and television series. Most of the time, these have been films about unwilling candidates becoming Pope or those who became popes by mistake. And you cannot blame filmmakers for making or writing these storylines about the papacy, a lot about being a Pope has been described by many as cinematic, think about the conclave where one cardinal ends up being elevated to the position; much of the detail and secrecy involved indeed makes good cinema. In return, films have helped people understand the Catholic Church, even when at times the dramatics alter what exactly happened or creates an alternative view of events.
For instance, Two Popes, where Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins play the two now dead popes Benedict XVI and Francis, they made it look like in 2005, Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had campaigned to be selected as the next Pope, yet on the contrary, the man had even asked Pope John Paul II to retire him, twice. However, even with the inaccuracy, there was something to learn about the two popes through the film.
In fact, in the wake of Pope Francis’ death, most people sought the help of Conclave to understand what happened in such a gathering of cardinals. And the film does a good job of explaining the process even when they indeed use up their creative liberty in the process. For instance, the twist of a cardinal no one knew existed; the Catholic Church may operate in secrecy but such a cardinal cannot exist without the knowledge of the larger church members especially the leadership. Besides Conclave and Two Popes however, here are other films directly inspired by the papacy or selecting a Pope.
We Have a Pope
Initially titled Habemus Papam, this is an Italian-French comedy which follows a newly appointed Pope who refuses to execute his papal duties. A therapist is summoned to interact with the Pope to understand the reasons behind his refusal.
The Shoes of a Fisherman
This is a story of a man who did not even want to be a cardinal. He is reluctantly made a cardinal and when the Pope collapsed and died, he was an outsider during the election. However, after a tie between the two leading candidates, he is elected as a compromise candidate. He soon realises that much depends on him.
Pope Joan
If you have read about papacy and conspiracy theories, you will know that some people believe that once, a woman sat on the papal throne. Joan has been a subject of literature, theatre, television and film.
In the film Pope Joan, she’s depicted as a woman who disguised as a man, climbed through the ranks and eventually became the Pope. The film surprisingly performed well and was in the top 10 in the Italian box office, even the criticism of the film from the church was not as harsh.
The Pope Must Die
This film did not get any easier. Released in 1991, The Pope Must Die is also a situation of unexpected papacy. The comedy follows a low ranking priest whose name is mistakenly suggested but ends up in a battle with a Mafia trying to kill the next Pope.
The Pope Must Die struggled to have an effective promotion in the US and the UK because every media house they approached believed the film was blasphemous and offensive… how times have changed.
The Young Pope
Well, this film gives America what America wants, an American Pope. After a surprising turn of events, Lenny Belardo becomes the first American pope in history and begins to change things to suit his own needs after assuming authority.
