Written by Perrin Smith, Image courtesy of Savannah Film Fest
When beginning a movie about the Catholic church, you’re usually expecting to see a film about the many abuses that have taken place within the religion. Abuses that, up until recently, have only been heard by the vast walls of the Vatican. Films like “Doubt” and “Spotlight” do a masterful job of bringing these abuses into the light and out of the whispers of the Papal staff, but this isn’t a goal of “The Two Popes.” There’s no grandiose plot of exposing anything, no quick-paced dialogue meant to emotionally drain you. This film is about two very different men, two Popes, sitting in the ornately decorated halls of the Vatican, and discussing their takes on love, politics, and religion.
It’s 2012, and it’s the final days of Pope Benedict XVI’s Papacy, and the soon-to-be-chosen Pope Francis is wishing to retire. That’s the entire plot of “The Two Popes,” but that’s nowhere near all it has to say. So how does this film make such a statement about the state of modern society and, arguably, have more immediate resonance than other films centered on Catholicism? Well, “The Two Popes” isn’t a film with a dramatic plot, it’s a conversation about all of the most disagreeable topics floating around today. These are two men who can’t stand to be around each other, two men who both think that the other is ruining an institution they care deeply about – sound familiar?
“The Two Popes” focuses itself on these disagreements, that’s where the beauty of the performances given by Jonathon Pryce and Anthony Hopkins shine the most. But the content of the story isn’t on them, and that’s what makes it so excellent. This is a film about breaking the norm. There’s a particularly enjoyable scene where the song “Dancing Queen” by ABBA plays over the College of Cardinals as they vote on the new Pope. That’s shocking, that’s different, and a different voice is exactly what “The Two Popes” is trying to be. This is a film focused on the power of rejecting what’s normal and bringing two very conflicting ideas together.
The film jumps between times, going from 2000’s to the 1950’s and then up to the 1980’s. It blurs the line between fiction and reality by including real archived newscast footage of reporters standing outside the Vatican City awaiting the announcement of the new Pope. It’s a film that features so many blurs and direct references to reality that you begin to forget that this is, after all, just a movie. You begin to believe and accept that this is reality, and that makes the message of unity behind the film all the more biting.
“Unity is the dynamite that blows down walls.” This is a line spoken by Pope Francis and echoed later in the film by a montage of walls set up around the world. The message is clear: dividing ourselves will never solve anything. This is a message so pertinent to now, so obviously meant to boom out to the audience and spur a change in our global behavior. We should be hearing the voices of people we disagree with, because even the most beloved people, even Pope Francis, are not always so amazing. Regardless of who you are, what you believe, there’s always common ground to be gained, and sometimes we need to be reminded of that.
