User reviews

I dare to think, that my opinion (I am a Pole, coming from Krakow) might be interesting for other watchers of this movie. So here are my remarks.

Polish historical background is shown properly, although movie only marks milestones of Polish history after 2nd World War. Krakow is shown in realistic way, main scenes are shot in REAL historic places f.eg.:

• Pope 'window' chat on Franciszkanska street

• Krakow's ghetto 'cleaning' on Pilsudski bridge

• meeting with Wyszynski in Corpus Christi church's garden

I am under impression of Cary Elwes performance. I always regarded him as a comedy actor. But he shows very good picture of young Wojtyla. On the beginning he is rather 'flat'. But he is getting better getting 'older'. He is in fact very similar to young Wojtyla. Very good job, Cary.

If Cary did good work, Jon Voight have done excellent work. Producers have chosen conclave as the moment of replacing main actor. It is very good idea. Jon Voight perfectly studied mimicry of old Wojtyla, his way of walking (before and after hip operation). He showed us in realistic way growing influence of Parkinson disease. I fully agree he deserves Emmy award. His last public 'dumb' appearance on Vatican window is very touching and memorable picture.

Authors of movie did extremely good research work. Movie quotes several well known memorable pictures of Wojtyla, f. eg:

• reading a book in canoe - canoe altar mess - making a 'glasses' from hand by Pope - described above last public appearance

Sometimes (especially when light dimes and Voight is taken from profile) main actor became so similar to Wojtyla, that you might have impression to watch documentary.

Unfortunately special effects are bad. Pictures of crowd (f.eg. Warsaw mass, St Peter Square) are artificial, flying doves are artificial, German airplanes over Krakow are also too artificial. Maybe it is not visible in TV, but it looks really bad in theater.

And finally last remark. This movie is now distributed in polish cinemas (Poland is probably the only country in the world which broadcasts this movie in theaters). I do not know exactly what is the difference between versions shown in USA in TV and 'polish' theatrical version. I can see it is much shorter (127 min) Unfortunately it is also dubbed. I could not hear polish accent of Jon Voight. If I could vote for main actors only my score would be 10/10. But whole movie (although very good as a TV movie) is not perfect for reasons described above. It deserves strong 8.

Fascinating recounting of the Pope Juan Pablo II , Karol Wojtyla , his early life (1939-78 period) well played by Gary Elwes , and subsequent epoch magnificently acted by John Voight . The film concerns about the majestic figure , the Polish Pope Karol Wojtyla (John Voight , though Ian Holm was originally cast for the role but left for personal reasons) brought to the life at much expense and with sense and thought since his youth in Poland ,the early years , until his appointment as Pope of the Catholic church in Rome(1978). The movie starts on October 12,1939 when the evil men Nazis get taken the world , Nazis have invaded Poland , they've destroyed the Polish air force, 500 plane pulverised before they could take off , bombed cities , radio station , Churchs... Meanwhile Karol lives with his father but he wants to join the Army . He hides but the Nazis as well as the Russians have invaded the border . Hitler and Stalin made a pact ,the Red army has betrayed to Poland and now they don't take prisoners . Hitler appointed Hans Frank chief civilian officer for occupied Polish territory and then Governor-General of occupied Poland . Hans Frank described his policy in this post : ¨Poland shall be treated like a colony:the Poles will become the slaves of the Greater German Empire¨ . He destroyed Poland as a national entity and exploited its human and material resources for the German war effort . Frank ran Poland in imitation of the Nazi state.He ordered the killing of Polish Intelligence and Military officials in an attack of destruction and hatred against the Polish universities and the Catholic Church . He warned that Jews and Poles could be sentenced to death for any act of force against the German or for damage to a public installation , he confiscated Jewish and Polish property , he expropriated valuable paintings for his own house and he allowed huge quantities of food to be smuggled from Poland to Germany . By December 1942 more than 95 percent of the Jews in Poland had been transported to extermination camps . The future Pope must to confront these adversities and misfortunes,he suffers cruel experiences but the God's faith and the love is the cure for the badness . Then he assisted the holiness call and goes into the seminar and as priest he serves his first mass . After he's appointed bishop and Cardinal and continuing consoling the mankind . Later was elected Pope , the first no Italian from 1523. His second period dealt his fruitful pontiff (1978-2005) and the pastoral journeys he made to America , Mexico and many others countries, making an intense diplomatic labour and problems that were taking place in the Catholic church ,including the 1981 attack by Ali Agca . Thanks to his unshakable tenacity , Pope John Paul II helps to change the course of history : liberty in Poland helped by Lech Walesa and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 decrees the collapse of Communism . But the Pope does not stop being the voice of Christ, even among the injustices of the capitalistic Western world , even among the provocations and challenges of modern times , as developing the faith to inspire millions begins with the power of one .

The film captures splendidly the goodness and generosity of the immortal Pope . Cary Elwes as well as John Voight give fine acting portraying accurately the unforgettable Pope renovating the moral sense and thoughts , giving hope , fighting for human rights and winning the hearts of the people . Footage of the real Pope John Paul II , albeit with his face obscured , was used for a few scenes, most notably the televised meeting with foreign people and US President Ronald Reagan . The film was approved by the late Pope John Paul II. The project started before his death, and Pope John Paul II was very hands-on with the production and knew of the script ; also , Pope Benedict XVI praised the film after watching a screening on November 2005. The motion picture is magnificently played by an excellent plethora of support actors such as James Cromwell as Cardinal Adam Sapieha , Christopher Lee as Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski , Ben Gazzara as Cardinal Agostino Casaroli ,Vittoria Belvedere as Eva and the recently deceased Giuliano Gemma as Navarro Valls . Furthermore , Daniele Pecci as Roman , whose role is based on Jerzy Kluger, a Polish Jew and lifelong friend of Wojtyla . There also appears Pope Benedict XVI, he is briefly depicted in the film as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger played by Mikolaj Grabowski . Special mention to touching , evocative musical score by Marco Frisina , he is also a Roman Catholic priest and director of the Pastoral Worship Center at the Vatican . The picture was rightly directed by John Kent Harrison . This film's release smashed box office records in Pope John Paul II's native Poland.

Other films about this majestic figure are the followings : ¨Karol , the Pope , the Man¨ (2006) by Giacomo Battiato with Piotr Adamczyk as John Paul II , Michele Placido , Daniela Giordano and Leslie Hope ; ¨Have No Fear : The Life of Pope John Paul II¨ (2005) (TV) by Jeff Bleckner with Thomas Kretschmann as Pope John Paul II , Joaquim de Almeida as Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero and Bruno Ganz as Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski "Karol: A Man Who Became Pope" (2005) with Piotr Adamczyk as Karol Wojtyla , Ken Duken as Adam Zielinski , Raoul Bova , Kenneth Welsh and Violante Placido , ¨Pope Juan Pablo II¨ by Herbert Wise with Albert Finney and Brian Cox , and ¨From a Far Country¨ (1981) by Zanussi with Sam Neill , Christopher Cazenove , Lisa Harrow and Daniel Olbrychski .

I watched this film with my Polish girlfriend this morning in a cinema in Krakow... It was dubbed in Polish, so I didn't understand a word that was said (apart from the very basics), but I really enjoyed it all the same...

A very simple and moving story about a honest man who believed in love and peace - simple as that... I am not a catholic (and never will be), but I was really moved by his story...

Jon Voight did a great job as the older pope - could really feel his frustration as the Parkinsons syndrome took hold...

By the way they are going mad about this in Poland - cinema was full at 10.45am on a Monday morning...

Many Thanks to my girlfriend who did her very best to translate for me! You should have seen the look of horror on her face when she realised it was dubbed in Polish and not polish sub-titles!

The first half of this TV movie, "Pope John Paul II", was shown on Sunday last. The second part was shown tonight. Certainly Roman Catholics everywhere were interested, but also anyone of any Faith, and even many who don't profess a Faith, I hope found this story fascination. The story of a simple man who found love in his heart and lived a life to help spread that love among all.

Cary Elwes is very believable as the young adult Karol Wojtyla growing up in Poland during the advances of Nazi Germany. He was strongly influenced by his father and the priests and bishops he came in contact with. He was interested in drama, in education, in sports, and had many friends. We see a glimpse of his girlfriend who challenged him to tell her what he wanted out of life, hoping that he would want to become her husband, and father of their children. But the challenges of the times forbid his going in that direction, and later as history has witnessed, he became a priest, studying in secret, in defiance of the German regulations, to fulfill his calling.

The first half ends in the midst of the Conclave of Cardinals to elect a new pope, and young Cardinal Karol is being considered, much to his surprise.

The second half opened where the first left off, and as we know Karol Wojtyla indeed became the new Pope, John Paul II. Cinematically the transition from Elwes to Voight was also a good one. As good as Elwes was as the young adult Wojtyla, Voight was even better, as we would expect from such a seasoned actor. (It may have helped that, as a young man, Voight was educated at Catholic University.)

The whole movie is extremely well done, and shows what a great man and a great spiritual leader Karol Wojtyla became. And, even though we knew they were actors in this movie, the final hours of John Paul II were very touching.

I definitely plan to buy this one once the DVD is out.

The Father and the Son are the Parents of the Holy Spirit, if most churches are correct. The Trinity is a Family-- two Parents and an Offspring, if most churches are correct. In the Bible, Jesus Himself said, " I and the Father are One".--John 10:30 On the topic of marriage in general, according to the Bible Jesus said "they are no longer two but one..."-Matthew 19:6

Folks, last night I watched the second and last part of CBS's biopic on Pope John Paul the Great, and as far as I'm concerned, of the three papal biopics I've seen this year, this one is the best, and the most faithful to the late Pope's life.

So far, this is the only biopic that has respected the order of events in Pope John Paul's life. There was good attention to detail: the conclave scene is faithful down in terms of place and ceremony. You may clearly see the cardinals' seats in the Sistine Chapel, as well as the three-cardinal committee that counted the ballots, everything, including the cry of "extra omnes" ("everyone out") preceding the start of the election, was authentic. The ABC's biopic that aired last Thursday rendition of the same moment seemed oversimplified and rushed in comparison.

The real strength of the movie lies in its cast. Cary Elwes played the younger Karol Wojtyla in the movie's first part and I have to say that at times, and from certain angles, he closely resembled the young Wojtyla. But the thing I liked the most is that he projected an *inner joy* and peace that was captivating. Wojtyla was no sourpuss and Elwes "got it right." The only thing that appeared inauthentic is that when he portrayed the late pope's quarry days during the Nazi occupation, he too seemed chubby and well-fed as compared to pictures Wojtyla in pictures taken at the time. The Nazi diet in Poland was not the best fare and it showed in Wojtyla even on his first photos as a priest. Apparently, Elwes hesitated to go into a drastic diet to change his looks so drastically for this role. I can't say I blame him.

For John Voight, this was an Emmy-worthy performance. It helped that Voight resembled the Pope physically, sharing the same square, strong jaw as John Paul. The way Voight captured Pope John Paul's accent and baritone voice was at times pretty scary, so much so that I wonder how much of his lines were lip-synced to existing audio tracks of the late Pope. Voight's countenance when he opened the Holy Doors for the Year 2000 Jubilee so uncannily resembled John Paul's that I had to blink a couple of times to ensure that I was watching Voight and not John Paul. Therefore, kudos and congrats go too to CBS's makeup department for such an outstanding job. Maybe there's an Emmy here for them too.

Voight captured John Paul's physical suffering so much so that it was inspiring. I bet that is not easy to capture a face paralyzed by Parkinson's disease, but Voight did it, down to the trickle of saliva off the side of his mouth at the reenactment of the Pope's last public appearance.

Secondary characters: James Cromwell played Cardinal Adam Sapieha, Wojtyla's first mentor and Archbishop of Krakow during WWII. You might remember from roles as the robot developer and inventor in _I, Robot_ and as the warp drive inventor, Zefram Cochrane in _Star Trek: First Contact_. He did well in this movie.

Christopher Lee played Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski of Warsaw, Wojtyla's other mentor. You may remember that Lee played Count Doku in the last two episodes of the _Star Wars_ prequel. That was weird…I feel bad that I've type-casted poor Christopher Lee into a bad guy role for ever and ever.

I also applaud the portrayal of the Pope's "nephews and nieces," his inner circle of friends and spiritual children, from whom Wojtyla learned so much about the human condition. His friendship with "Roman," a Jewish childhood friend was endearing and illustrative of Pope John Paul's big heart—although I have to say that I don't remember "Roman" from any of the bios I've read about John Paul. Maybe "Roman" is a composite character. The name of the Pope's childhood Jewish friend was different in the other two biopics. That leads me to believe that's probably the case.

One bad point: the scene where the Pope was in his open pope mobile cruising St. Peter's Plaza, with the columnata in the background, and the crowd in front of him, on his way to be shot by Mehmet Ali Agca looked fake through and through. The three "layers" were superimposed and they sort of "shook" out of sync with normal movement. It may me dizzy to look at it. Thumbs down to the special effects people.

All-in-all, it was a great production. As soon as I'm able, I'll get me the DVD.

I watch this made for TV movie and as a non-Catholic found the first half not only well executed, but I saw in Cary Elwes' performance a depth and understanding of the character which was totally unexpected.He brought a genuine touch of spiritually to the role and I believed he could be the the man who would become the future Pope. As for the second part I found it equally well executed, but I had difficulty excepting any truth in John Voight's performance. It was,what I like to call, a "watch me act" lack-luster performance. It would seem he didn't have enough compassion and caring in himself to bring it to the character. As for the physicality of the role he played that somewhat adequately, but it even looked too studied; as though he had watched every news clip of the Pope and copied it instead of learning how the ailment would take a toil on one afflicted. His speech in regard to his having been giving it so he would be like all people whose lives had been disrupted by one thing or another may have been the actual words used, or the writing for the movie, was so lacking in compassion I felt them to be a nothing more then an excuse to Catholics to justify how a Pope came to be so ill! ............................................... In summary: A+ to Mr.Elwes and D+, at best, to Mr. "Academy Award Winning" Voight.

2005 has been the "Year of The Pope". There have been three TV movies about John Paul II's life this year. I think this one is the best. The one with Thomas Kreutschmann in the title role was too rushed and it tried to cram Karol Wojtyla's life into only 2 hours. This one goes at a more relaxed pace. Cary Elwes, Jon Voight, Ben Gazzara, James Cromwell, Christopher Lee and the rest of the cast are excellent. Voight adopts a perfect Polish accent when he plays Wojtyla as an older man.

I recommend that all religious teachers throughout the world show this movie to their students, whatever their religion may be. John Paul II reached out to people of all faiths, and he was even the first Pope to welcome a visit by the President of Iran!

I commend CBS for airing this excellent biography of Pope John Paul II. I feel it did a marvelous job of portraying his courage, faith and love! There was a continuity from event to event that was not apparent in the biography aired by a rival network a few days earlier. Because of all the Pope did, it was impossible to do an adequate job of showing his life with only a two-hour movie. It is refreshing that an American television network chose to depict the Pope in a positive way instead of denigrating religion as the secular media are often wont to do. I also appreciated being shown how Pope John Paul II turned to God for inspiration when he had choices to make and during his trials. Finally, I think Jon Voigt was able to capture the Pope's sense of humour and his char ism.

I was riveted to the television set, watching Cary Elwes' brilliant and beautiful performance as John Paul the Great. It is such a pleasure to see a show on network TV, which seeks to instruct and uplift rather than the usual trash on TV, which demeans and degrades. When Mr. Elwes spoke, I could have sworn it was Wotyla himself. He captured the accent of the late Pope speaking English to the tee. There is no doubt that the late JPII was one of the most important figures of the 20th century. What I find the most appealing in this show, was the ability of Elwes and Voight to capture the warmth of the man. It also demonstrated his political shrewdness as a voice for Polish freedom. I wish there were more shows like this on television. What a breath of fresh air !!!!...10,000,000,000,000 stars !!!

What a wonderful story! Cary Elwes plays the Pope from his early adulthood until his acceptance of being voted in by his fellow Cardinals to the Papalcy. Elwes does an incredible job and his acting is flawless and natural.

Jon Voigt simply deserves an award for his portrayal of the Pope... sometimes it was eerie watching his mannerisms and reactions to historically known situations. He had a quiet grace and dignity about him that was also seen with the late Pope! If you missed this story on TV, I would highly recommend you order the DVD, or try and catch it on a repeat! This telling of Pope John Paul II's life is sweet and respectful and at the same time explains why he took the path he did. I'm not a Catholic, nor do I know anything about the religion, but this story is incredible and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Just the first half of this movie is inspiring and movie and the performance of Elwes and Voight (Thus Far with his small part in the first half) are beautiful and worthy of an Emmy. I was a little concerned when I first saw Elwes as the young Cardnial he has always been the Dred Pirate Roberts/Dear Wesley to me (Sorry Cary didn't mean to type cast you) but after watching his performance it really legitimizes his acting for me. As far as Voight goes from the moment I saw him dressed in the papal robes I knew his performance would be spectacular. I should have waited until I saw the entire mini-series before posting a review but I couldn't help it because the first part was SO good I needed to share it in case someone is looking at the reviews to decide if they should watch the second half or not. I really think the two parts can be stand alone as they stopped the first part in the middle of the 2nd conclave so if you haven't watched the first part you can still pick up on the 2nd although the 1st really shows why JPII had the resolve he had. I can't wait to watch the conclusion.

I have always been a Cary Elwes fan and of course, I love John Paul the Great and will always love the greatest saint of modern times but I was never a fan of John Voight until that Sunday night and now I can say that he is one of the best actors of his day he became the late great Holy Father for ninety minutes. yes the mini series made JP II look like saint, but hey is one. Elwes was fine, too old for his his first hour on screen, but passable. my only complaint was that it was too short and rushed in places. the film was reverently, well acted and handsomely crafted. I think it's crime that Voight is not up for a golden globe but I expect him to win an emmy for this one.

I watched both the ABC and CBS versions of the life of Karol Wojtyla. The ABC version was impressive but the CBS miniseries is the one to watch for at Emmy time.

This version opens with the shooting of John Paul II on May 13, 1981. Then we see Karol's earlier life through flashbacks. Sadly, we see only five seconds with his mother, but that scene was wonderful. Add to that about ten seconds of Karol's life as a boy.

From there, we go to Poland in the days of the invasion by the Nazis. Karol is part of a theater group, and he is in college. A number of his friends and even a professor get taken away or killed by the Germans, and he has important choices to make. God's call seems to outweigh all the other factors, and Karol does end up becoming a priest, even though he must break rocks for the Germans. Even while doing that, Karol shows how strong and moral he is. Later, the Communists appear to be less of a threat than the Germans. Maybe so, but they are still manipulating the church for their own purposes.

We see several scenes with Karol's loving father, but for the most part his life is shaped by his superiors in the church, including Cardinal Adam Sapieha. Karol advances more quickly in the church than anyone would expect, making the Communists nervous.

Eventually, a new Pope is needed, and Karol is ready. He seems less reluctant to accept the position in this version, and the election process is shown in more detail (and twice), even using the correct language (which must have been Latin).

As Pope, John Paul II is shown as very loving and caring, interested in the people and in travel, and ready to take on all challenges. World events, especially those affecting Poland, receive a detailed treatment here, and Lech Walesa is a major character.

Cary Elwes did a fine job as Karol in his younger years, showing Karol with quite a sense of humor as well as very intelligent. Jon Voight, who looked less like John Paul II than Thomas Kretschmann, did an amazing job and effectively captured an aging and increasingly frail man who still had faith and a strong desire to serve. All the major actors did an impressive job, but I particularly noticed James Cromwell since I have known him since his days as Stretch Cunningham. Who would have ever believed Stretch Cunningham as a Cardinal? Well, believe it.

The ABC movie may be better for those with a limited attention span. If you want to be entertained rather than educated, this may not be the movie for you, though it includes plenty of entertaining scenes and considerably more laughs than the ABC movie did.

As a work of art, though, the CBS production achieves the excellence broadcast TV often lacks.

I really enjoy this movie very much. It tells a great deal on how Karol(Pope John Paul ll) had to go through with life during World War 2. He lost many of his family/friends including Jewish friends and how he secretly became a priest against the Nazi laws. This movie will make you cry and see the heart of a great man who fought against all odds and to become one of the greatest person in the 21th Century. You will see that Karol was a great and kind man who spread the news in putting your trust in God and to love one another. Whether your Christian(Catholic) or not, this movie is great!! I consider John Paul ll one of the greatest Pope the Catholic church ever had for over 2000 years. I think he(John Paul) and St. Peter were one of the best Popes the church could ever have.

Thanks and congratulations to Mr. Voight for his wonderful performance. German actors attempted to play John Paul II, but without the dedication, respect and talent this parts requires. There are moments in this movie when you would think it IS John Paul, and that's remarkable. Jon Voight captured it all, the sense of humor, the movements, the suffering and the deep believe, the Pope's love for the youth and his political awareness and sensibility. And I am sure, it needs some courage to play the dying pope in his very last moments. But Jon Voight managed it all. Thanks to this tribute to a great, really great man.

Before the first anniversary of John Paul II's death, the Polish cinemas released the latest film by John Kent Harrison at the beginning of March. The premiere was a real celebration. The director together with producers and cast came to Poland and met with bishops and the Polish president. While seeing all this, many people perhaps thought: "Why so much talk of another pope's biopic?" We have had many movies made so far, including KAROL (2005) by Giacomo Battiato, released in summer 2005. However, when I went to see Harrison's film, I must say that it is not yet another film on the life of John Paul II. This movie fulfills a specific aim that other films failed to do.

There are a few versions of POPE JOHN PAUL II (2005) with different events in focus. Polish version, for instance, has more emphasis on the 1980 Solidarnosc uprising. Nevertheless, there is a HIGHLY BALANCED content in the film so that the audiences of various viewpoints may find something for themselves. Young people may see some reflections of their struggles in the youngsters meeting with the pope. I will never forget the beautiful World Youth Day's song that the movie entailed, "Jesus Christ you are my Lord (...)" World Youth day is showed beautifully in the film. Sometimes, real archives of John Paul II are provided. Non Christians may enjoy this movie because of a number of moments emphasizing the dignity of any human being no matter if he/she is a Jew, a Muslim, a Buddhist, or an atheist. Finally, lonely people who suffer may find their resemblance in the pope who suffered too, particularly before his death when He could not speak, could not even proclaim to the world again the most joyous message of the Risen Lord on Easter Sunday. Therefore, this balance is a must to consider in this film thanks to which many people can enjoy it.

THE BIOGRAPHY IN BIOPIC. Of course, it is difficult to show most biographical events in a two or even three hour-long film. John Paul II lived for 85 years and his almost 27 year-long pontiff was so intense that it is impossible to entail everything. What is, however, important in a biopic, is to show someone's life in such a way that a viewer gets a general idea of what it's all about. For further information, books are, with no doubt, a must. No film can do the job of a book. Nevertheless, I think that Harrison's movie serves the purpose of an accurate biopic. Producers consulted Stanislaw Dziwisz, a lifelong companion of John Paul II, Joaquin Navarro Valls, the representative of Vatican City. The movie, though beginning "in media res" (the attempt on the life of John Paul II on May, the 13th, 1981), provides the most significant events of Wojtyla's life as well as his most important thoughts. Viewers can clearly see: his youth and difficulties in WWII period, his constant confidence and Love to God, the power of his prayer, his friendships, suffering (showed in a gentle way), care for family and its dignity, his growth to sainthood. I particularly liked one aspect of the film: other people that Wojtyla met having impact on his faith. Their words filled with hope moved young Karol and strengthened his faith in God. Archbishop Adam Sapieha, a great brave man who kept priests secretly study in his palace while Germans could find them and kill at any time, says once to Wojtyla: "Our faith and intelligence shall win (...) trust in God!" Jan Tyranowski consoles young Karol that prayer shall win. His dying father leaves him hope for a better Poland, a better world. Who could predict then that this young boy will be the one who will change Poland?... This aspect is gorgeous because John Paul II himself kept saying that most people, whom God sent to him, taught him how to live and hope.

PERFORMANCES: The cast do wonderful jobs. Although it is difficult to get used to the face of Jon Voight since we all know and freshly remember John Paul II himself, he acts so well that it's easy to switch to him. While seeing the film, I got an impression that Voight sets all his heart on the role. I also liked Christopher Lee as cardinal Wyszynski. He is, perhaps, a too famous actor and his other roles may influence this one. Nevertheless, he particularly well expresses the way Wyszynski behaved and spoke. Young Karol Wojtyla is nicely played by Cary Elwes. The most memorable moment with him was, I think, when he takes part in conclave. This is, by the way, the first movie that shows conclave so accurately.

SENTIMENTALITY. The film, like the pope himself, is pretty sentimental. It is full of such scenes that address human feelings, emotions, affection. Music by Marco Frisina, a mainstay in biblical epics, is a short piece but very touching. I liked it and felt moved by it. In some of the scenes, it fits really well. And the shots in the mountains...magnificent impression!

Difficult to express all opinion in one review. There is one thing certain: people who played in this film will never be the same people as they used to be before. Similarly to many who met the pope, something changed in them. The movie, like the life of this great man, is a sort of link between sorrow and joy, pain and relief, dusk and dawn. The film ends with John Paul II's death. However, when leaving the cinema, many people have the impression of sorrow combined with triumph. The final archive of the original funeral (millions calling SANTO SUBITO!), indeed, leaves a strange feeling...that this man still lives, but in a different sense. Only his earthly life, like the Book of Gospels on his coffin, closed... Highly recommended film! 9/10

Karol Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II was a charismatic, talented and smart man who came into the office at a time of crisis in the Church. For non-Catholics this largely means nothing but for us Catholics who lived during his reign as Pope, this film was an excellent reminder of the man who sincerely believed in the goodness of humanity and who struggled to extend the basic teaching of Christianity, namely love and tolerance, to all. The presentations by Cary Elwes and Jon Voight as the Pope in his youth and senescent years was very impressive. Alas, like his predecessor, Paul VI, he chose to ignore important recommendations of Vatican II on birth control and abortion but in spite of his failing health, he did respond quickly to the crisis of sexual abuse by predator priests and the shameful cover-ups that scandalized the Church in the US. He was a popular Pope and deservedly so. He is missed by those of us who knew him.

2005 is a year known for the many John Paul II biopics. There have been at least three or four mini-series detailing the life of one of the most popular popes. This one, Faith: Pope John Paul II is probably the best one in the eyes of critics and viewers alike. In fact, Jon Voight was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal. The pope sanctioned this mini-series himself before his passing, which makes sense because he was portrayed as a saint. In a sense, he was a saint and was revered by millions around the globe. The pope had a big hand in important historical events to close out the twentieth century including the fall of the Berlin Wall. The performances throughout the mini-series, which consisted of two episodes, are great. Jon Voight deserved his Emmy nomination. Cary Elwes played the younger Karol Wojtyla and also delivers a fine performance, even if I felt he was a little old. The supporting cast, led by Christopher Lee and James Cromwell, also deserves some mention. Despite the strong performances, I was a little jarred by the look of the series. It felt cheap and something designed for an older television. From time to time, that took me out of my investment of the story.

The mini-series begin with the attempted assassination of the Pope's life in 1981. From there, we take a deep look into the life of Karol. He was raised by his father in Krakow and had dreams of becoming an actor. In 1939, Poland was invaded by the Nazis and in opposition along with the death of his father, he turns to Christ. After the Nazis were defeated, the communist Soviets took over Poland. They do not see him as a threat and actually encouraged his bishop nomination. Once he becomes cardinal, he does become a thorn on their side and has the Catholic world wondering who this man really is. When Pope John Paul I dies in 1978, the enclave agree that Karol is the proper replacement. He immediately wins the heart of people and sets out to change the course of Christianity. Along the way, he survives the assassination attempt and some turmoil within his inner circle.

On the whole, Faith: Pope John Paul II is a fascinating mini-series about one of the most popular figures of the twentieth century. Yes, the script is one-sided as it portrays the man in nothing but a positive light. Still, I learned a lot about this man and why he was so loved (and hated) by everyone on the planet. Jon Voight and Cary Elwes are able to deliver engaging, heartfelt performances. The overall look/lighting needed to be better, but I feel the series did not have that big of a budget. It still was able to be filmed in the Vatican. I was there for the first time two years ago and it brought back some welcome memories. I wish I was there when a Pope is there as the crowd is electric. Still, I was entertained more often than not and I learned much about this man.

My Grade: B.

Magnificent, and finally something in English about John Paul II. Sad as it is, the Pontiff used to be ignored by the media world and as it happens with a lot of great people is appreciated only after His death.

Of course the movie was mainly created to make another million by someone who apparently has nothing in common with faith or anything of the kind on the daily basis, yet as they say" candle for the God, waste for the devil" in this scenario it works more for the God, cause thanks to the movie John Paul II and his great difficult but universal message would be remembered and John Voight and Harrison remembered only for that one piece as those who built the cathedral.

What a beautiful, interesting, and touching film.

Perhaps the greatest man of the 20th century, and humbly, John Paul II, most certainly deserves an accurate depiction of his life times.

From his modest beginnings as a conservative playwright and actor in Poland, to his fight against the Nazis and for the jews of Poland, to his epic struggle against the evil and cruel communist empire of the Soviet, this film manages to create an engrossing condensation of his life.

While John Voight is the star of the film, as the older Pope, it is Cary Elwes who steals the show with his exquisite and nuanced performance as a young Karol.

Not directed with any particular flash or style, the film is very competently made (aside from some weak cgi "crowd shots"), containing much historical accuracy and definitely giving the viewer an epic feel - Karol's struggle during WW2 could make a movie on their own, and once Lek Walesa enters the picture and they struggle against communism begins, the film certainly reaches heights of epic proportions.

This film should be shown in classrooms, not for theology, but for its historical significance.

A beautiful and touching film full of emotion, intellectual reasoning, and great performances from top-notch artists.