For some reason, when I began watching the first episode of this series, I thought this was an historical account of a pope who happened to begin his tenure when he was "relatively" young, which in Roman Catholic Pope terms, that's probably under 50. For those of you who may be tentatively interested in this series, "The Young Pope" is not an historical account of a pope. This is an entirely fictional narrative about a young North American pope who during the first episode desires to break with the religious traditions which have been keeping the Vatican stuck in a proverbial time machine for more or less 1500 years. Yes, the Vatican has electricity, its own television channel and even its own website which it updates periodically. However, the inner workings of the Vatican have essentially functioned as if it's still in the early Middle Ages. Princes and dukes don't arrive asking for land grants and bishoprics as they did in the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, but ceremonially, it's still the Roman Catholic Church as it for well over 1000 years.
Jude Law in an interesting and understated performance plays Pope Pius XIII (note the unlucky number) who has come to the papacy as a radical change: he's the first North American pope from the United States. The film begins with the new pope having some surreal dreams, first dreaming he's in a pit among baby corpses, waking up, then giving a speech about his radical changes to the masses in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. Then he wakes up again. He is obviously new to the job but the story begins after Conclave, the assemblage of cardinals who choose the new pope after one has either died or resigned. He's meeting his inner circle who need to teach him the ways of the Vatican. Unfortunately, he's not a terribly good student, questioning the traditions and rules some of which were instituted 15 years ago while others were put in place 500 years ago.
To make matters more uncomfortable for the clergy in the Vatican, probably causing them more sleepless nights, he solicits the help of Sister Mary (Diane Keaton), apparently his guardian since he was a child. We see a few scenes of his childhood in flashback. The other senior members are a bit nonplussed by Sister Mary's presence in the Vatican as a confidante and adviser, but there's nothing they can do about it. He is pope and whatever he says becomes doctrine nearly instantly. If he wants Sister Mary, he gets her, despite that other priests and clergy who have spent nearly a lifetime in the Vatican may protest privately. But that's just the beginning. He even compels one of the priests to violate his vow secrecy in the confessional, and the pope learns about some intra-Vatican intrigue.
This series is a bit strange; I have no sense where it's going and even why I care about this "new" pope. He keeps asking for a Cherry Coke Zero and cigarettes which conflict with current papal comportment. While the visuals are amazing, I was finding my attention drifting away from the story. The first episode doesn't really seem like a story at all, but more like a set-up. The scenes are constructed in large open spaces where often only a handful of characters occupy. Probably the Vatican is occasionally like this, especially in their large chapels, but there's usually lots going on. The Vatican is a vibrant political organization at its core. "The Young Pope" appears to be portraying a different and surreal Vatican, one which is more dreamlike than the actual place. Interestingly, this series which has already aired in its entirety in other parts of Europe and Britain, was a surprise hit in Italy.
Jude Law in an interesting and understated performance plays Pope Pius XIII (note the unlucky number) who has come to the papacy as a radical change: he's the first North American pope from the United States. The film begins with the new pope having some surreal dreams, first dreaming he's in a pit among baby corpses, waking up, then giving a speech about his radical changes to the masses in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. Then he wakes up again. He is obviously new to the job but the story begins after Conclave, the assemblage of cardinals who choose the new pope after one has either died or resigned. He's meeting his inner circle who need to teach him the ways of the Vatican. Unfortunately, he's not a terribly good student, questioning the traditions and rules some of which were instituted 15 years ago while others were put in place 500 years ago.
To make matters more uncomfortable for the clergy in the Vatican, probably causing them more sleepless nights, he solicits the help of Sister Mary (Diane Keaton), apparently his guardian since he was a child. We see a few scenes of his childhood in flashback. The other senior members are a bit nonplussed by Sister Mary's presence in the Vatican as a confidante and adviser, but there's nothing they can do about it. He is pope and whatever he says becomes doctrine nearly instantly. If he wants Sister Mary, he gets her, despite that other priests and clergy who have spent nearly a lifetime in the Vatican may protest privately. But that's just the beginning. He even compels one of the priests to violate his vow secrecy in the confessional, and the pope learns about some intra-Vatican intrigue.
This series is a bit strange; I have no sense where it's going and even why I care about this "new" pope. He keeps asking for a Cherry Coke Zero and cigarettes which conflict with current papal comportment. While the visuals are amazing, I was finding my attention drifting away from the story. The first episode doesn't really seem like a story at all, but more like a set-up. The scenes are constructed in large open spaces where often only a handful of characters occupy. Probably the Vatican is occasionally like this, especially in their large chapels, but there's usually lots going on. The Vatican is a vibrant political organization at its core. "The Young Pope" appears to be portraying a different and surreal Vatican, one which is more dreamlike than the actual place. Interestingly, this series which has already aired in its entirety in other parts of Europe and Britain, was a surprise hit in Italy.