Among the ancient scrolls in the Vatican's vault, there is one that tells of a woman who dared to desecrate God. A woman who sold her soul to the devil, encroached on a shrine, capable of deceit - who is she? A sinner or a gift from heaven, whose mission on this earth is to evidence that gender distinctions are minor? This is a story about a woman who was not scared to go towards her aim and attained everything, but the pay was too high...
The plot of the film takes place in a German village in the 9th century. Joan is born into the family of an orthodox priest, a man of power and intolerance of someone else's faith. The mother of the protagonist, being a pagan, dutifully obeys the will of her husband, inducing her children to follow her example. In contrast to her brothers, Joan was distinguished from childhood by a sharp mind and observation. This became the reason for the dissatisfaction of her father, who was profoundly persuaded that a woman's fate is reduced only to maintaining the family hearth and having children. Rejection and incomprehension by members of her family later will become the basis for the formation of the steadfast character of Joan. A keen thirst for knowledge compel the heroine to leave her home to go to get an education in monasteries, which in those days were a storage of specific wealth - scientific treatises on the structure of the world. The dismissive attitude for Joan because of her gender did not stop the heroine in chase of what she wanted. She is compelled to conceal her feminine nature, putting on a male monastic robe, and not a single inhabitant of the monastery could guess about it. Lack of pride and arrogance, genuine love and goodness to people make her name famous, and the news of her reaches Pope Sergius II. Devastated and plundered by the Normans, the cities of medieval Europe are nothing more than a bloody road leading to one of the richest holy places on Earth - the Vatican. The clash of two worlds, two varieties of faith - Christian and pagan - is unavoidable. Joan finds her place next to the Pope by vocation, dreading intrigues from the pretenders to the Holy See. By a fateful coincidence, she becomes the next Pope, concealing her terrible secret.
Indeed, the role of women in the Middle Ages was minimized. Therefore, it is surprising to see how a fearless and wise woman fights for the right to realize her ambitions, for the right to be needed, even if in a man's guise. The most delightfully frightening moment in the film is its ending - cruel and unfair in relation to Joan, but therefore catchy and to some extent instructive.
It would be extremely strange for me not to recommend watching this marvelous film, which I can proudly call a daring masterpiece, unrecognized even among the current representatives of the Holy See. This is a film-revolt, the plot of which is the apotheosis of irrepressible mind against the background of sumptuous historical scenery.
The plot of the film takes place in a German village in the 9th century. Joan is born into the family of an orthodox priest, a man of power and intolerance of someone else's faith. The mother of the protagonist, being a pagan, dutifully obeys the will of her husband, inducing her children to follow her example. In contrast to her brothers, Joan was distinguished from childhood by a sharp mind and observation. This became the reason for the dissatisfaction of her father, who was profoundly persuaded that a woman's fate is reduced only to maintaining the family hearth and having children. Rejection and incomprehension by members of her family later will become the basis for the formation of the steadfast character of Joan. A keen thirst for knowledge compel the heroine to leave her home to go to get an education in monasteries, which in those days were a storage of specific wealth - scientific treatises on the structure of the world. The dismissive attitude for Joan because of her gender did not stop the heroine in chase of what she wanted. She is compelled to conceal her feminine nature, putting on a male monastic robe, and not a single inhabitant of the monastery could guess about it. Lack of pride and arrogance, genuine love and goodness to people make her name famous, and the news of her reaches Pope Sergius II. Devastated and plundered by the Normans, the cities of medieval Europe are nothing more than a bloody road leading to one of the richest holy places on Earth - the Vatican. The clash of two worlds, two varieties of faith - Christian and pagan - is unavoidable. Joan finds her place next to the Pope by vocation, dreading intrigues from the pretenders to the Holy See. By a fateful coincidence, she becomes the next Pope, concealing her terrible secret.
Indeed, the role of women in the Middle Ages was minimized. Therefore, it is surprising to see how a fearless and wise woman fights for the right to realize her ambitions, for the right to be needed, even if in a man's guise. The most delightfully frightening moment in the film is its ending - cruel and unfair in relation to Joan, but therefore catchy and to some extent instructive.
It would be extremely strange for me not to recommend watching this marvelous film, which I can proudly call a daring masterpiece, unrecognized even among the current representatives of the Holy See. This is a film-revolt, the plot of which is the apotheosis of irrepressible mind against the background of sumptuous historical scenery.