The Two Popes
Is This What Organized Religion Is About?
by Jeff Jordan
Each Month Milwaukee Film Festival Members have the opportunity to see a film for no charge. During the annual Festival, the film's title is kept secret. This year, I was thrilled to see "The Two Popes."
The Backstory
With the problems of its historical inability to deal with pedophile priests, Catholic women flaunting prohibition of practicing birth control, and fewer men and women becoming celibate members of the Catholic Orders of priests and nuns. Add to that the politicization of the tenets of the church between the liberal and conservative branches and you have the potential of a schism.
Presently in the United States, the Catholic Church is running scared, and the only thing that might be holding it together is Pope Francis, a prelate, who is clearly in the camp of the compassionate priests. Pope Francis is a man who washes the feet of sinners, rejects the opulent perks of the papacy, and works to tear down the walls between the church hierarchy and its flock. How did he come to a position, he had tried so hard to avoid?
The Two Popes Bio-Drama
This film is based on real events. In this depiction, we witness events surrounding the passing of the torch of the papacy from Pope Benedict to Pope Francis. It is a riveting drama. So much goes into staging a film about an event where most of us know the outcome. While the viewer could easily get lost in the grandeur of the Vatican, where these events occurred and where the movie was filmed, the acting by Anthony Hopkins, as Pope Benedict, and Jonathan Pryce, as Pope Francis was more than enough to pull you into the drama.
These men were so far apart on their definition of what direction the church should go that their arguments in defense of their beliefs could make you believe that they were reading different handbooks.
Benedict was a conservative preservationist who believed that the rules were beyond doubt. Francis challenged the wisdom of damming the flock, which was becoming smaller by the day. Their parishioners are leaving the church in growing numbers or flaunting their disbelief by publicly condemning the church for its failures.
The dialogue between these two characters is fascinating and compelling. If there is a lesson in this tale, it is only through understanding and forgiveness can we overcome our differences. The two men shared with each other the horrible things that shaped their beliefs and actions. It was when they could understand and forgive each other's worst conflicts, that the situation allowed the outcome we all know. Now we know why.
This film will be on Netflix in December. It was shown at the Milwaukee Film Festival with special permission. It's limited theater showing earned a 7.7 out of 10 on IMbd and 90% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes
Is This What Organized Religion Is About?
by Jeff Jordan
Each Month Milwaukee Film Festival Members have the opportunity to see a film for no charge. During the annual Festival, the film's title is kept secret. This year, I was thrilled to see "The Two Popes."
The Backstory
With the problems of its historical inability to deal with pedophile priests, Catholic women flaunting prohibition of practicing birth control, and fewer men and women becoming celibate members of the Catholic Orders of priests and nuns. Add to that the politicization of the tenets of the church between the liberal and conservative branches and you have the potential of a schism.
Presently in the United States, the Catholic Church is running scared, and the only thing that might be holding it together is Pope Francis, a prelate, who is clearly in the camp of the compassionate priests. Pope Francis is a man who washes the feet of sinners, rejects the opulent perks of the papacy, and works to tear down the walls between the church hierarchy and its flock. How did he come to a position, he had tried so hard to avoid?
The Two Popes Bio-Drama
This film is based on real events. In this depiction, we witness events surrounding the passing of the torch of the papacy from Pope Benedict to Pope Francis. It is a riveting drama. So much goes into staging a film about an event where most of us know the outcome. While the viewer could easily get lost in the grandeur of the Vatican, where these events occurred and where the movie was filmed, the acting by Anthony Hopkins, as Pope Benedict, and Jonathan Pryce, as Pope Francis was more than enough to pull you into the drama.
These men were so far apart on their definition of what direction the church should go that their arguments in defense of their beliefs could make you believe that they were reading different handbooks.
Benedict was a conservative preservationist who believed that the rules were beyond doubt. Francis challenged the wisdom of damming the flock, which was becoming smaller by the day. Their parishioners are leaving the church in growing numbers or flaunting their disbelief by publicly condemning the church for its failures.
The dialogue between these two characters is fascinating and compelling. If there is a lesson in this tale, it is only through understanding and forgiveness can we overcome our differences. The two men shared with each other the horrible things that shaped their beliefs and actions. It was when they could understand and forgive each other's worst conflicts, that the situation allowed the outcome we all know. Now we know why.
This film will be on Netflix in December. It was shown at the Milwaukee Film Festival with special permission. It's limited theater showing earned a 7.7 out of 10 on IMbd and 90% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes
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