We Have a Pope (film)
Encyclopedia
We Have a Pope is a 2011 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Nanni Moretti
. Its original title is Habemus Papam
, the Latin phrase used upon the announcement of a new pope. The film stars Michel Piccoli as a cardinal who against his wish is elected as the new pope. Moretti co-stars as a psychiatrist who is called in to help the pope overcome his panic. The film premiered in Italy in April 2011 and played in competition at the 64th Cannes Film Festival
.
At the time of public announcement, while the cardinal proto-deacon is to announce the name of the new pope, the crowd of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, the newly-elected has a violent fit of panic and runs away in the general confusion, disrupting the ceremony before publicly proclaimed his election.
The spokesman of the Holy See manages to evade questions from the press and the curiosity of the world, reporting that the new pontiff felt the need to gather in prayer and reflection before being allowed in the world but, predictably, within a few hours would be the balcony together with the faithful to celebrate the start of the new pontificate.
According to the laws of the Church until the Pope does not appear before the people on the balcony, the ceremony of election is not over and the whole conclave can not have any contact with the outside world.
Meanwhile, the College of Cardinals, deeply concerned by the crisis in which depression seems to have fallen by the new Pope, is convened at the Holy See the psychoanalyst Professor Brezzi.
The Cardinals welcome the psychoanalyst with suspicion, but still allow that person to examine the Holy Father. Brezzi, in the presence of the Cardinals, making him of an analytic session, from which, however, does not show anything special, if not depression and helplessness that plague the pontiff.
The newly elected Pope, puzzled because they have dubious ability and strength such that they can carry out its new duties, he runs away during a walk. The entire College and Dr. Brezzi are then confined in a forced seclusion, during which to kill time the Cardinals take on a wide variety of games, from cards to a real volleyball tournament.
After a period of escape, kept hidden by the spokesman Marcin Raijski that makes everyone believe that the Pope is in his quarters in prayer, the pontiff will occur in the presence of the cardinals gathered in council, to announce his will.
and the French company Le Pacte. Fandango joined as a co-producer later in the year. The production involved a budget of eight million euro. French actor Michel Piccoli was cast in the leading role after auditioning six scenes in Italian in August 2009. The character's name, Melville, was inspired by the French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville. Some of the minor characters were played by members of the production team, whom Moretti found suitable for the roles when working on the set.
Principal photography started 1 February 2010 and was finished by the end of May. Studio constructions at the Cinecittà
studios in Rome included replicas of the Sala Regia
and the Sistine Chapel
. Other scenes were shot in the Palazzo Farnese and Villa Medici
, which otherwise house the French embassy and the French Academy in Rome
, respectively.
which premiered simultaneously. We Have a Pope showed In Competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival
.
called the film "a well-written, surprisingly mainstream comedy" and noted how it was less political than earlier works by Moretti, such as The Mass Is Ended and The Caiman: "Here the storyteller overpowers the moralist in every sense. Not a hint of clerical sex scandals clouds the surreal image of frolicking white-haired Cardinals; the most critical line in the film suggests the Church needs a leader who will bring great change, but even that plays as an offhand remark." Young went on to compliment the production design and cinematography, and called Moretti "one of the most creative filmmakers working in Italy". However, Young wrote, "the finale is a let-down, leaving the feeling of an artist paralyzed by his own perfectionism and his desperate search for originality at all costs."
Reactions from the Roman Catholic community were mixed. Vatican correspondent Salvatore Izzo called for a boycott of the film in the newspaper Avvenire
, owned by the Italian Episcopal Conference. Izzo wrote: "We shouldn't touch the pope -- the rock on which Jesus
founded his Church", and continued: "Why should we support financially that which offends our religion?" The Vatican Radio
commented on the film and found it to contain "no irony, no caricature" of the pope. Regarding the prospect of an official condemnation of the film from church authorities, Sandro Magister
, an Italian journalist specialised on Vatican issues, said: "If there was to be one, it would only help the producer. He would be very happy with a polemic that is completely without foundation."
Nanni Moretti
Giovanni "Nanni" Moretti is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter and actor.-Life and work:Moretti was born in Bruneck, South Tyrol , in 1953 to parents who were teachers...
. Its original title is Habemus Papam
Habemus Papam
Habemus Papam! is the announcement given in Latin by the senior Cardinal Deacon upon the election of a new pope.The announcement is given from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican...
, the Latin phrase used upon the announcement of a new pope. The film stars Michel Piccoli as a cardinal who against his wish is elected as the new pope. Moretti co-stars as a psychiatrist who is called in to help the pope overcome his panic. The film premiered in Italy in April 2011 and played in competition at the 64th Cannes Film Festival
2011 Cannes Film Festival
The 64th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 11 to May 22, 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition...
.
Plot
On the death of the Pope, the conclave meets in Rome. The early balloting ends with the black smoke, since none of the candidates most favored reach a quorum. After a few votes, is elected by surprise Cardinal Melville.At the time of public announcement, while the cardinal proto-deacon is to announce the name of the new pope, the crowd of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, the newly-elected has a violent fit of panic and runs away in the general confusion, disrupting the ceremony before publicly proclaimed his election.
The spokesman of the Holy See manages to evade questions from the press and the curiosity of the world, reporting that the new pontiff felt the need to gather in prayer and reflection before being allowed in the world but, predictably, within a few hours would be the balcony together with the faithful to celebrate the start of the new pontificate.
According to the laws of the Church until the Pope does not appear before the people on the balcony, the ceremony of election is not over and the whole conclave can not have any contact with the outside world.
Meanwhile, the College of Cardinals, deeply concerned by the crisis in which depression seems to have fallen by the new Pope, is convened at the Holy See the psychoanalyst Professor Brezzi.
The Cardinals welcome the psychoanalyst with suspicion, but still allow that person to examine the Holy Father. Brezzi, in the presence of the Cardinals, making him of an analytic session, from which, however, does not show anything special, if not depression and helplessness that plague the pontiff.
The newly elected Pope, puzzled because they have dubious ability and strength such that they can carry out its new duties, he runs away during a walk. The entire College and Dr. Brezzi are then confined in a forced seclusion, during which to kill time the Cardinals take on a wide variety of games, from cards to a real volleyball tournament.
After a period of escape, kept hidden by the spokesman Marcin Raijski that makes everyone believe that the Pope is in his quarters in prayer, the pontiff will occur in the presence of the cardinals gathered in council, to announce his will.
Cast
- Michel Piccoli as the pope
- Nanni MorettiNanni MorettiGiovanni "Nanni" Moretti is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter and actor.-Life and work:Moretti was born in Bruneck, South Tyrol , in 1953 to parents who were teachers...
as the psychiatrist - Jerzy StuhrJerzy StuhrJerzy Stuhr is one of the most popular, influential and versatile Polish actors. He also works as a screenwriter, film director and drama professor...
as spokesman - Massimo Dobrovic as Guardia Svizzera
- Renato ScarpaRenato ScarpaRenato Scarpa is an Italian film actor. He has appeared in 85 films since 1969.- Selected filmography :* Don't Look Now * Somewhere Beyond Love * Piedone a Hong Kong * Il mostro...
as Cardinal Gregori - Margherita Buy Margherita BuyMargherita Buy is an Italian actress born in Rome on 15 January 1962.-Overview:After a long period of studying at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, she made her breakthrough role in Duccio Tessari's Una grande storia d'amore , which was followed by roles in Daniele Luchetti's two projects Domani...
as female psychiatrist - Franco GraziosiFranco GraziosiFranco Graziosi is a retired Italian actorEntering film in 1960 he has some 27 Italian film and TV appearances between then and 2004...
as Cardinal Bollati - Leonardo Della Bianca as boy
- Camilla Ridolfi as girl
- Camillo Milli as Cardinal Pescardona
- Roberto NobileRoberto Nobile-Selected filmography:- External links :...
as Cardinal Cevasco - Gianluca Gobbi as Swiss Guard
- Ulrich von Dobschütz as Cardinal Brummer
Themes
Director Nanni Moretti explained his aim with the film at the press conference following the press screening in Rome: "I wanted to depict a fragile man, Cardinal Melville, who feels inadequate in the face of power and the role he's called to fill [.] ... I think this feeling of inadequacy happens to all cardinals elected Pope, or at least that's what they say."Production
We Have a Pope was announced in May 2009 as a co-production between Sacher Film, Rai CinemaRAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
and the French company Le Pacte. Fandango joined as a co-producer later in the year. The production involved a budget of eight million euro. French actor Michel Piccoli was cast in the leading role after auditioning six scenes in Italian in August 2009. The character's name, Melville, was inspired by the French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville. Some of the minor characters were played by members of the production team, whom Moretti found suitable for the roles when working on the set.
Principal photography started 1 February 2010 and was finished by the end of May. Studio constructions at the Cinecittà
Cinecittà
Cinecittà is a large film studio in Rome that is considered the hub of Italian cinema.-History:The studios were founded in 1937 by Benito Mussolini and his head of cinema Luigi Freddi for propaganda purposes, under the slogan "Il cinema è l'arma più forte"...
studios in Rome included replicas of the Sala Regia
Sala Regia (Vatican)
The Sala Regia is a state hall in the Apostolic Palace, in Vatican City.Although not intended as such, this broad room is really an antechamber to the Sistine Chapel, reached by the Scala Regia...
and the Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio...
. Other scenes were shot in the Palazzo Farnese and Villa Medici
Villa Medici
The Villa Medici is a mannerist villa and an architectural complex with a garden contiguous with the larger Borghese gardens, on the Pincian Hill next to Trinità dei Monti in Rome, Italy. The Villa Medici, founded by Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and now property of the French...
, which otherwise house the French embassy and the French Academy in Rome
French Academy in Rome
The French Academy in Rome is an Academy located in the Villa Medici, within the Villa Borghese, on the Pincio in Rome, Italy.-History:...
, respectively.
Release
The film was released in Italy on 15 April 2011 through 01 Distribution in collaboration with Sacher Distribuzione. It was launched on 460 screens. With 1,298,524 euro in revenues during the first weekend, the film entered the Italian box-office chart as number two, behind the American film RioRio (film)
Rio, often promoted as Rio: The Movie, is a 2011 American 3D computer-animated musical comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Carlos Saldanha. The title refers to the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, in which the film is set. The film features the voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne...
which premiered simultaneously. We Have a Pope showed In Competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival
2011 Cannes Film Festival
The 64th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 11 to May 22, 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition...
.
Reception
Deborah Young of The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
called the film "a well-written, surprisingly mainstream comedy" and noted how it was less political than earlier works by Moretti, such as The Mass Is Ended and The Caiman: "Here the storyteller overpowers the moralist in every sense. Not a hint of clerical sex scandals clouds the surreal image of frolicking white-haired Cardinals; the most critical line in the film suggests the Church needs a leader who will bring great change, but even that plays as an offhand remark." Young went on to compliment the production design and cinematography, and called Moretti "one of the most creative filmmakers working in Italy". However, Young wrote, "the finale is a let-down, leaving the feeling of an artist paralyzed by his own perfectionism and his desperate search for originality at all costs."
Reactions from the Roman Catholic community were mixed. Vatican correspondent Salvatore Izzo called for a boycott of the film in the newspaper Avvenire
Avvenire
Avvenire is an Italian daily newspaper affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. It was founded in 1968 in Milan through the merger of two Catholic magazines: L'Avvenire d'Italia of Bologna and l'Italia of Milan.-History:...
, owned by the Italian Episcopal Conference. Izzo wrote: "We shouldn't touch the pope -- the rock on which Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
founded his Church", and continued: "Why should we support financially that which offends our religion?" The Vatican Radio
Vatican Radio
Vatican Radio is the official broadcasting service of the Vatican.Set up in 1931 by Guglielmo Marconi, today its programs are offered in 47 languages, and are sent out on short wave , medium wave, FM, satellite and the Internet. The Jesuit Order has been charged with the management of Vatican...
commented on the film and found it to contain "no irony, no caricature" of the pope. Regarding the prospect of an official condemnation of the film from church authorities, Sandro Magister
Sandro Magister
Sandro Magister is an Italian journalist who writes for the magazine "L'espresso". He specializes in religious news, in particular on the Catholic Church and the Vatican...
, an Italian journalist specialised on Vatican issues, said: "If there was to be one, it would only help the producer. He would be very happy with a polemic that is completely without foundation."