Jeanne, papesse du diable

"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."

There is not much one can say about 'Pope Joan' except that it was a huge failure with critics and the public, opening in New York for a brief run of nine days before being yanked into oblivion. This is another of those all-star films popular in the '70s, totally wasting a talented cast--and again, you have to wonder if anyone really read the script before agreeing to do the film. Look at the cast...Liv Ullmann, Trevor Howard, Maximilian Schell, Keir Dullea, Olivia de Havilland, Lesley-Anne Down. The color photography is great and the choral music in the background score is impressive--but the notion that a credible story could be made based on an unfounded legend of a woman who briefly became Pope Joan in the 9th century, is one that would have defeated even the best screenwriter. Given limited release in Europe and only a few showings in the USA, let's hope this is one film that never gets a restoration. No one is seen to advantage--an embarrassment for all concerned. As noted by Tony Thomas in his book, "Films of Olivia de Havilland": "It is a pity to see so many fine actors wallowing in medieval mire."

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!!

I saw the film on TV, quite by chance. I found the film gripping: the story, the atmosphere and the historical detail.

I have no religious interest, but it made me curious to find out more about 'pope Joan'. The film is a work of fiction based on a legend, with very little factual basis.

Nevertheless, one could really get a sense of life in those times (9th century Europe). Poverty, illiteracy, corruption. The place of women. The violence, that life was worth very little.

Sadly, I think much of the world is just like that today, so perhaps it is a little window on humanity.

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.