Jeanne, papesse du diable

SHE...WHO WOULD BE POPE

A must-see film. Franco Nero is so gorgeous in period dress (remember CAMELOT) he should never be seen in anything but costume drama. When he appears on screen you can feel his charisma... He's the love interest, and you can't help but envy the actresses who worked with him, but it's a woman's story and it is Liv Ullmann as the woman who would be - and probably was - the Pope, who carries the picture. As an actress she can do almost anything and in this picture does it most eloquently. She's touchingly vulnerable as a young girl, imperious as the Pope, heart-breaking as a desperate woman facing an impossible end. It contains all the best ingredients of a film. A fabulous movie, not to be missed!!

A persistent rumor which has lasted for centuries is that there once was a Pope who was secretly a woman and she was later dubbed 'Pope Joan". There is no evidence to support the 13th century rumors about this 9th century 'Pope'...but with rumors and conspiracy theories this isn't surprising that it persists. One reviewer even praised it for its historical accuracy...not realizing it was fiction. What also isn't surprising is that the notion of a lady Pope resulted in several movies about this supposed woman...I counted at least four as well as a musical.

I should point out that there are two versions of the movie. One is the original one which met with little success in theaters as well as a truncated version which elminated some of the flashback scenes. Sadly, the only version I could find was the truncated version...though the re-edited version was called "The Devil's Imposter" when it was later released...and this one DID bear the title "Pope Joan"...even though about 30 minutes of the original movie is missing.

So, if I ignore that the film is based on a myth and the version I saw was truncated, was it still worth watching? Well, maybe. You should be warned that the film is pretty depressing and war, death and the like are the sorts of things you'll see in the film. Additionally, the rape and masturbation scenes were handled poorly...being vague and confusing more than anything else. It also was VERY earnest...perhaps too much so. These all turned me off and I thought that at least a myth could be more fun to watch.

There is a novel (Pope Joan/ I Papissa Iwanna) by Greek writer Emmanouil Roidis (1836-1904). It's written at the language of those times. Papissa means a woman Pope. Only now there are women in churches. Writer lived at Syros (Ermoupolis). There were many Catholics in that Greek island. This novel was not loved by church... And the writer was a blasphemy for the church exactly for this reason. The film's story is relative to this novel? John Briley knew Roidis' novel? IMDb's review don't say anything about this. If someone knows about it, please write... You can see about the novel and the writer in internet. There 're many relative sites. I 'm waiting for any answers about this. Thank you!

I found the film version of the Pope Joan story compelling viewing because it conveyed the force and importance of Joan's spiritual calling yet portrayed her as an breathing human being (this may be somewhat ironic since it is possible she is only a legend). Here is a woman who hears God's voice and the voice of carnal longing. She is neither the lowly whore nor the ethereal virgin. Also, it is refreshing to see films where spirituality and belief in God are taken seriously.

I found the performances to be excellent, especially those of Liv Ullman and Trevor Howard. Ullman is very good at portraying the vertical pull of spirituality and the wrenching ambiguity of living in the material world. Trevor Howard's performance was utterly convincing. Also, Susan Winter had a quiet presence about her in her brief performance as the young Joan, which impressed me. What a tenuous thing to be a young girl in the Medieval age - what a microcosm she is of all human existence.

This film has its flaws, most notably the disjointed editing and jarred pacing. I do not quibble, however, with the less than ideal sound quality of the dialog or the occasional white lines which momentarily appear on the screen now and again because when I watch a film, I accept the film on its own terms; I do not wish it was something it isn't - a film made on a modest budget in 1972 should not be expected to look and sound like a mega-budget blockbuster filmed in 2006. On the whole, this movie is a success.

Cautionary note: not a movie for kids.

"What a surprise! Not only the story, but what a cast! Liv Ullmann, Trevor Howard, Olivia de Havilland, Maximilian Schell, Franco Nero, Leslie Ann Down! And the texture of the movie - the crude medieval villages, the halls of the ancient Vatican, the incredible 10th Century nunnery, the countryside of Saxon Germany, in peace and war, scene after scene that could never have been shot in Hollywood. But the greatest discovery is the performance of Liv Ullmann. If anything ever deserved an Academy Award. She creates more passion and sexual desire with her eyes and the movement of a hand than the whole pantheon of current sex goddesses could with all their bodies and a ravishing musical score behind them. And when it comes to tragedy and fear those same eyes dig so deeply into the soul they leave a mark that haunts you for weeks. This is a wonderful, wonderful picture."