"HAVE NO FEAR: THE LIFE OF POPE JOHN PAUL II"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5 stars) STARRING Thomas Kretschmann as POPE JOHN PAUL II Michael Klesic as STANISLAW STAROWIEYSKI Joaquim de Almedia as SAVADORAN ARCHBISHOP OSCAR ROMERO Bruno Ganz as CARDINAL STEFAN WYSZYNSKI Not Rated Studio: The Weinstein Company Directed by: Jeff Bleckner Back to DVD Review Home |  |
I may not be Catholic, but I understand the significance of the Pope to people in the Catholic religion. He is more than just a leader, but a symbol of the church. He dictates policy and dogma, for better or for worse, independent of what Sinead O’Conner had to say. So when Pope John Paul II passed away last year, I didn’t feel the collective institutional grief that many did. However, I did realize I was in the midst of history being made.
One year from his death, the television film “Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II” has been released on DVD. With only a smattering of Catholic influence in my past (my paternal grandmother was first generation Irish Catholic, a family tradition that succumbed to my mother’s Protestant background), I watched this film with a relatively fresh eye.
At the onset, I realized the massive undertaking it is to make a film about the life of a Pope. And not only was he a Pope, but John Paul II was a highly significant Pope – to many the only Pope they remember until the time of his death.
Making a film about the Pope is akin to making a film about Jesus. He is such a revered figure that it becomes impossible to tell a full story. He can’t be shown in a bad light, but if he isn’t shown with human levels of doubt, it becomes unbelievable.
With the odds against them, the filmmakers pursued the film. For the most part, they succeeded, but they did fall into all the pitfalls laid ahead to some degree.
The film opens with John Paul (Thomas Kretschmann) praying to the virgin mother. During his prayers, we flash back to his life – from a young child in Poland to his last days at the head of the Catholic church. His early days were pretty awkward. After all, how can you show a typical child destined to be great. The child version is handled with kid gloves, often showing how he reacted to his life rather than interacting with it.
The meat of the character is drawn out in his younger days, not just before he devoted himself to the church, but also shortly afterwards. It showed him as a man searching for his destiny. He had his doubts about becoming a priest, but his patriotism and belief system led him down the path we all know.
By the time he becomes Pope, things become rather pedantic. However, I would imagine his life was that way. After all, the Pope’s day is planned out more than the President’s – and he doesn’t have the surprises that national leaders usually deal with in terms of scandals, wars and “60 Minutes.”
Much of the film follows his life rather passively, again showing the way he reacts to things rather than interact with them. There is a bold attempt to show his disdain of Communism, which isn’t necessarily a politically correct stance nowadays.
The major incidents in his later days are touched upon – from the assassination attempt on him to the scandal with child molestation and priests – and of course he lands on the noblest side of the issue. This film is clearly made with rose colored glasses as they look through the past.
Still, “Have No Fear” is less of a history lesson than a love letter to the man who was Pope John Paul II. It’s not for those who are offended by the Catholic church, nor is it for anyone looking for a thrilling historical saga. But for those who are devoted to what Pope John Paul II stood for, it’s a fulfilling piece.
Specifications: Dolby Digital Sound. Widescreen (1.85:1), enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Spanish language track. English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.
