Movie Review: The Two Popes

When a friend recommended The Two Popes on Netflix to me, I was not even aware of its prestige of being an Oscar nominee. I was prepared merely for a story about the two pontiffs I had always held in high regard. With a certain amount of knowledge about their backgrounds, I was curious to find out how close the film was to the truth.

The film centers on a number of conversations as it follows Pope Benedict XVI in his attempts to convince Cardinal Bergoglio to reconsider his resignation as an archbishop while he expresses his own wish to abdicate the papacy. The scenes are crafted to humorously play off what is already known about what will finally happen to the two men. The well-designed dialogues throw light on their interesting personality traits, Pope Benedict’s adherence to established traditions and values in contrast with the Cardinal’s liberalness and flexibility. Big close-up shots are used where facial expressions do better than words to illustrate the change in their inner thoughts as the conversation goes on. Though divided in their opinion about the distinction between change and compromise, their mutual understanding becomes more observable as the story unfolds. And, much to the delight of the audience, they finally compromise on the need for bridges rather than walls to be built between people.

Humour is used to lend credibility that the two pontiffs are human beings just like the rest of us. At the very start of the movie, Bergoglio is heard booking his own flight, which is taken for a joke about a forged identify. Then there is a scene with the two men watching a televised soccer match together, each cheering for his national team and another showing them enjoying a home-delivered pizza lunch. It is interesting, too, to see Cardinal Bergoglio take an attendant by surprise with a sudden casual question and then refuse a chauffeured car service in favour of a trip by train. When Benedict approaches the cheering crowd, Bergoglio stops the body guards going after him, thus allowing him to enjoy the moment he has long been deprived of. All these incidents convince the audience of the cheerful side of life behind the scenes at the Vatican. 

On the other hand, a more serious approach is used to show that they are not faultless or immune to criticism. With the use of black-and-white flashbacks, The Two Popes provides a few glimpses of the young Bergoglio’s life in Buenos Aires during the Argentina’s junta rule in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. This detail about his past mistake serves to explain why he turns down Pope Benedict’s invitation to take over his papacy. And the most touching moment is when Pope Benedict makes his confession to Bergoglio in a half kneeling position.

One important aspect of The Two Popes is the scenery -- the spectacular locations chosen for the Papal Palace, the pope’s summer residence and the Sistine Chapel. The actor playing the role of Pope Francis appears at the very window where the real Pope greets the immense crowd in St. Peter's Square. Besides, though filming is limited only to the grounds of the Vatican, the detail of its insides is faithfully represented with a number of rooms recreated, including the Room of Tears, Vatican offices and the Sistine Chapel. The replacements, as I see it, well serve the purpose even for viewers who have visited the Vatican themselves. 

I enjoy the film though there is some criticism about its being fictitious and for not accurately representing Pope Benedict and Pope Francis. The brilliant performance of the two leads is reminiscent of the real popes. And this is reason enough for watching the movie more than once.

picture from:
https://konica.al/2020/01/mos-e-humbisni-historine-e-vertete/