alianiara Even as a feminist, I could not stand a movie so ridiculously and awkwardly narrated in a so-called feminist's perspective while all other aspects are neglected. As if had Johanna been born a man, she would have smoothly made her way to the chair of saint peter and become the greatest pope of all time.Johanna was first and foremost a human being, with flaws and limitations, facing obstacles far more complex than that of her female identity.(poverty being one) The men in this movie, were either female-friendly saints or unreasonable prejudiced beasts. No reason were given to why they were such, nor were there any transitions of any kind.I know it is difficult to tell a biography story within two hours, but I still have to say it was not very well timed. Nor did give a good focus on Johanna's character. Yes she was a woman, she wanted to do good in the world, but that is applicable to millions of people in history. As a modern woman I wasn't even born so confident to believe that I am no less than a man, but our heroine was so genius that she didn't need to struggle a bit realize her strength. As a story about a pope, it is so superficial on religious matters that it didn't even bother to quote a few lines that we haven't heard of. no wonder there isn't any religious community seeking trouble about this movie---it's not even worth it.This movie really won't serve as a good example of a feminism movie.

Caryn Wesner-Early I'd vaguely heard of Pope Joan, but didn't know until looking her up this morning that she almost certainly didn't exist; I don't know if I would have watched the movie, knowing it was based on a novel I hadn't read. It was kind of slow-moving, and didn't have the lush costumes that are often my favorite part of historical movies, but it did have the most accurate portrayal I've ever seen of life in the middle ages. At the beginning of the movie I was surprised to see the title character's mother giving birth right in front of two other children, but then remembered that, just as people were conceived in full view of the household, they were born that way as well. As the movie went along, there was nothing missing but the smell! Several years of watching The Highlander didn't give me as graphic a view of what a beheading must actually look like as this movie did, and other details were just as they would have been. I'd recommend this movie most heartily to history majors and anyone who thinks the vanished past was glamorous.

Armand The story is old. The details are spices of dusty legend. The tragedy of a Roman Church "accident" is chapter of many conspiracy books. But, behind that things, "Pope Joan" is a beautiful film. And this fact is important.For costumes and atmosphere, for extraordinary John Goodman and for the art of details, for the basic fact than the IX-th century is another XXI century, for the perfume of serenity and the force of a myth to be stronger than reality. For the feeling than Joan exist without any testimony. For the spring air and grass smell. For the art to destroy clichés. For remember of essential values of human circle and the end as fly of ash bird. For the warm impression . Historic movie, it is in fact a parable. Like many who sleeps in our memories.

nicco77 It is for sure one of the best movies about ancient history and educated women that I seen so far, what makes this unique is that Joan strives to excel in religion and science. She comes from a traditional middle-ages background where women are uneducated so she has to learn how to look and act like a man to be able to follow her passion, this creates a constant struggle to hide her true gender.Her intelligent and strength in human character shines through the canvas and what she manages to accomplish in her lifetime was phenomenal!