Review: "The Two Popes" Gives an Entertaining Perspective on History

Scene from The Two Popes

While popes throughout history have been seen as holier than thou figures, there's one thing in director Fernando Meirelles' that feels groundbreaking. For a figure like Pope Benedict XVI, every day is a chance to solve the world's problems. It seems like it would be full of contemplation, wondering how to perform God's will to a public who holds you in higher esteem. However, the moment that seems most striking is not him performing a miracle or presenting a sermon in Latin, but in what he does at the Vatican when doors are closed and the public has gone home for the night. Like most of us, Benedict turns to TV for pleasure with a crime-solving dog show called Kommander Rex. It's a brief moment, but Benedict's joy in the silliness reflects what The Two Popes does so phenomenally well. These are moments that make us human, and sometimes communion is simply gathering together to watch TV. By humanizing Pope Benedict XVI and his successor Pope Francis, the film demystifies two of the stuffier figures in modern culture and gives them a rich, sympathetic, and dimensional personality. 

While this is a story focusing on the two most recent popes, it begins with the passing of Pope John Paul II. As the last major religious figure to die, there is a power to watching what follows. It's the process of electing a new pope, which plays out just like electing a class president. There's a majority vote, campaigning, and the belief that, according to philosopher Plato, the greatest leaders are the most reluctant. What should seem tedious ends up informing how much pressure was always going to be on Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins). After all, Pope John Paul II had served for decades as leader of the church. Benedict would have to be there until his own death, and that raised a bunch of questions. Publicly, he was a celebrated figure for returning conservatism to the church. He was also reviled for presumed ties to Hitler Youth, with many throughout the film calling him a Nazi. The film's first act glances over Benedict's many achievements before getting to the heart of the story: burnout.

What The Two Popes share in common is a sense of burnout. For Benedict, he believes that he's holding back progress in the church. For Pope Francis, then called Cardinal Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce), he wishes to quit his cardinalship in Buenos Aires, Argentina believing that there's nothing he can do. As Bergoglio's past becomes clearer, it is revealed just how similar these men are. They both grew up in a time of controversial oppression, and they both believed themselves incapable of living up to God's will at that time. Forget their ideological leanings, comically prodded through the film that depicts them as an odd couple, they are both men with doubt. How does one possibly be pope with doubt in their souls?

For most of the film, it feels like the only thing keeping Benedict going is his FitBit, constantly yelling at him to get on his feet and keep walking. While he seems reluctant to keep going, he does for the good of the world. It is here that the story begins to become more interesting, reflecting two flawed men that many turn to for spiritual advice. They are seen whistling ABBA's "Dancing Queen," or playing the piano while chatting about The Beatles. These are men who have the familiar interests that we all do, and they begin to bond over these moments. As much as their faith defines them, their form of expression finally opens them up to something more human, reflecting the idea that these pleasures are necessary for life. It's not done to be radical or suggests that either man is a sinner. It's more to show the value in art, of being able to think of celebration at dinner parties or watching football matches while playfully insulting each other's country. These moments they cease to just be popes. They're two friends who see beyond ideology and just see the value of being together.

The story begins with Benedict and Bergoglio discussing their ideology. In some ways, the battle between conservatism and liberalism is something that feels relevant beyond Catholicism. It's something that American politics especially could strive towards with a mutual understanding. To see these two men managing to look beyond it feels like more of a secular miracle. It suggests that we all can learn to love and respect each other if we just listen. It's when going past debates about things that divide that culture can hope to grow. More than being about the faith, the moments that follow are about understanding that struggle has no preference for one way of thinking. It's more about how one works through their problems. Yes, the ending eventually inducts Bergoglio as Pope Francis, but the road there is one full of familiar doubt and questioning that Catholics will recognize. In a way, their time together restores faith and suggests just how much the little things in life impact the big ones.

The script by Anthony McCarten is one of the finest tightropes in modern drama, managing to balance a discussion of religion with secular interests. It is capable of exploring both men's personal beliefs without insulting the other. Benedict can winkingly insult Bergoglio, and there is no sense of offense to the church. By making these two into men, they are allowed to have conversations that feel more natural, coming from a place of humanity and warmth. Not only that but having Benedict in love with silly TV shows doesn't come across as farcical. In fact, it serves well into the film's overall metaphor of how a TV signal is like God granting his wishes. There's poignant subtlety in every detail. Even the fact that McCarten's depiction of the popes appears like a mirror image is an impeccable gift. Thankfully Hopkins and Pryce are capable of being chummy, reflecting the way that two men can become friends despite seeming distant at first.

The Two Popes is a piece of history that seems radical without doing anything exceptional. By painting Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis as men just trying to get along, it shows how society can change and better understand itself. It shows how everyone has their own personal desires that may seem silly but give their life purpose and meaning. This may be one of the first films that end with two popes watching a football match and have it be one of the most heartwarming endings. It's a comedy that manages to take jabs without being mean, and that only enhances the humanity of these characters. Like everyone watching the film, they are full of doubt, questioning their choices on an insular level. The only difference is that their doubt lives throughout history, informing how people see an entire religion. While these men claim to be imperfect, their struggle to be better makes them capable of not only being popes, but good people in general.