dromasca
Papacy and its institutions have attracted film makers in many different ways. The Vatican or its clones have been used as sets and stage for many movies in genres ranging from historical movies to crazy comedies. Nanni Moretti's 'Habemus Papam' tries to be more and different. It tries to say something important about the burden of supreme office of the Catholic Church, while telling a story that hesitates between social satire and comedy of situations.A pope is dead, and a new pope needs to be elected. The college of cardinals gets together, doors close, cardinals start the election process. After a few inconclusive rounds, cardinal Melville (Michel Piccoli) is the unexpected winner. White smoke. The pope is to be announced and should bless the crowds gathered in the piazza in front of the San Pietro. However, there is a problem. The new pope seems to have second thoughts. The burden of responsibility? Stage fear? A shrink (Nanni Moretti himself), the best money can buy, is called in help. And then the pope runs away. Maybe he is looking to get back to his secret vocation for acting in theater, repressed in childhood? Maybe he will be convinced to get back, after revisiting his responsibilities?The premises are exceptional for a very interesting film, maybe for more than one. This is actually the problem with 'Habeamus Papam'. Nanni Moretti seems to not have decided which film to make. The characters comedy with the shrink trying to psycho-analyze the pope, and the bunch of semi-idiots with teenager behaviors which seem to compose the cardinals crowd? The situation farce where a member of the guard plays the shadow of the pope to mask the fact that the head of the Catholic church just ran away to try to face real life? The drama of the man facing a huge burden and questioning whether he is ready to undertake it, doubled by the conflict between life as it happens and the deformed reality lived by priests? Each of these succeed to some extent, especially the later due to the superb acting of Michel Piccoli. The ensemble does not work as one movie.
rossangela
***this review may contain spoilers*** The other reviewers, in my opinion, focus too much on the minutiae of this story. I must admit my first reaction to the film is that it lacked coherence and punch. However, in the middle of the night, awakening with my own "road to Damascus" (as one reviewer said)regarding this film, I realized that the story elements served to make the statement that the authority and credibility of the Catholic Church in the 21st century is about to undergo a complete transformation, if not collapse. With all the sexual abuse scandals worldwide, the lack of appropriate consequences for the bishops and cardinals who protected those offending priests (see Cardinal Bernard Law, who was given an important position in Rome, after leaving Boston in disgrace), and the appalling treatment of and attitudes towards women all point to an institution that can only survive as long as a belief in the concept that the pope is "god's representative on earth" prevails. Within the context of this film we see that the newly elected pope is just a human being like any of us, and maybe only men, not god, have chosen him to lead. When the infallibility of the pope is called into question, then the whole thing begins to unravel. This belief in the pope's infallibility is what the authority of the Catholic Church rests upon. If he's just another guy, does he have the moral authority to make pronouncements about gay marriage, women as priests, celibacy of priests, birth control, and so many other controversial issues. At the end of the film, when Melville finally leaves, the cardinals are completely aghast, showing absolute shock in their reactions, covering their mouths in horror, realizing that their world is about to drastically change. It is no longer "business as usual." I think Moretti knew that this is exactly the message he was unleashing with this film. And to him, I say Bravo!! By the way, I was raised Catholic, have a sister who is a nun, and I attended a Jesuit university, until I was told upon entering a pre-law class on the first day of school that "all you women -- you go to the back of the room. You get a C for the term." There are many, many good people who follow the Catholic faith. But I am referring to the male hierarchy which, since the beginnings of the church, have used all kinds of means to grasp and stay in power. This film takes a little of that power away from them.
Chris_Pandolfi
No matter how capable we are in life, there are some responsibilities we're simply not able to assume. "We Have a Pope" tells the story of a man who comes to this realization after several days of soul searching. His name is Cardinal Melville (Michel Piccoli), who's part of a conclave gathering in Rome following the death of John Paul II. After several tedious and psychologically grueling rounds of voting, he's elected Pope by a substantial margin. His initial reaction appears to be speechless surprise. But then comes the morning he's to be introduced to the faithful, who have gathered by the thousands in St. Peter's Square; the instant the Cardinal Protodeacon exclaims, "Habemus Papam!" to the cheering masses, Melville has a screaming panic attack and retreats to an inner chamber within St. Peter's Basilica.The spokesman for the Holy See (Jerzy Stuhr), who obviously understands the importance of good PR, attempts to buy time by announcing to the press that the new pontiff needed time for prayer and reflection before taking office, and that he should be making an appearance in a few hours, at which point his name will finally be revealed. Needless to say, it doesn't go as planned. What's worse, the College of Cardinals must abide by the laws of the Church, which clearly state that, until the Pope actually appears on the balcony and addresses the people, the election is not officially over. This means that the entire conclave cannot have any contact with the outside world. This is normally an endurable event. In this case, there's no telling how long Melville will take. It could be days, weeks, perhaps even months or years.The College, desperate to bring Melville out of his depression and lethargy, make a last-resort appeal to Professor Brezzi, a psychoanalyst (Nanni Moretti, also the film's director and co-writer). Unfortunately, he's so restricted by bureaucratic rules that he cannot adequately do his job. He's forbidden to ask Melville questions regarding his past or anything even remotely related to sex. Dreams are okay, but only with extreme discretion. And he must do all this in the presence of the entire College, who must hear everything that passes between them. The kicker is that, because Brezzi has actually spoken with the pontiff, he must now remain within the Basilica, cut off from the outside world. In the meantime, the spokesman orchestrates a secretive mission to transport Melville to see Brezzi's estranged wife, also a psychoanalyst (Margherita Buy). The College will be led to believe that Melville is in room by having a similarly built guard wander through his bedroom and occasionally ruffle the curtain.At this point, the film becomes increasingly unclear in its intentions, with scenes that address the overarching issue in odd ways. Immediately after Melville sees Brezzi's wife, he gives the spokesman the slip and begins wandering the streets of Rome, desperately trying to figure it all out. We learn, albeit vaguely, of Melville's failed ambition to be an actor; we even get a few fleeting references to his mother and sister, the latter successful in becoming an actress. Meanwhile, Brezzi organizes an indoor volleyball tournament for the College, each team divided by continent. His reasons for doing this aren't made explicit. Presumably, it's to alleviate his own boredom and restlessness while at the same time providing the College with some physical activity. However, his dialogue suggests an ulterior motive, perhaps driven by his own hostile feelings. He seems resentful, for example, that he separated from his wife, who he believes was in competition with him over being the best psychoanalyst.What this has to do with Melville's crisis of conscience, I'm not exactly sure. It could be that, like Melville, Brezzi feels inadequate in his field of interest. However, his failure to diagnose and treat Melville was the result of imposed religious restrictions, not professional incompetence. Here's some food for thought: Brezzi tries, unsuccessfully, to convince the cardinals that all of Melville's depression symptoms are mentioned within the pages of the Bible – the only book they would give Brezzi access to. Meanwhile, the spokesman tries his hardest to maintain the illusion that Melville is within his room, although with each day that passes, it becomes clear that it cannot be maintained forever. What is clear is that this Melville must work through this on his own terms at his own pace.Given the fact that the plot addresses a man's reluctance to become the leader of a religious institution, and considering that both Moretti and the character he plays are both atheists, it's tempting to speculate that "We Have a Pope" is about a crisis of faith. Let me assure you that faith never once factors into the equation. It's not about belief or non-belief. Quite simply, it's about knowing your limitations, about understanding that passion and support doesn't necessarily equate to expertise. This movie could have been about being elected President, or being crowned King, or getting a job promotion; because each deals with the acquisition of power, the message would have been exactly the same. You can have a firm faith in anything and still know that you're not qualified to be a leader.-- Chris Pandolfi (www.atatheaternearyou.net)
