Two new pope movies have been in the news this week: The first is the miniseries Under the Roman Sky, which focuses on the Church’s efforts under Pope Pius XII to aid Italian Jews during World War II. (Pope Benedict even attended a screening during Easter Week.)
On the other end of the spectrum is Die Papstin (The Popess), about the legend of Pope Joan, based on the book by Donna Cross. The movie is currently doing well at the Italian box office (though it still comes in behind the universally panned Sex and the City 2, which may tell you something right there).
Despite the trailer’s insistence that the movie is based on “a true story,” the majority of historians agree that the Pope Joan legend is entirely myth — but that shouldn’t make a difference to moviegoers. After all, it has a spunky female lead going up against the mean ol’ woman-hating Church (“I am independent, free in acting and thinking,” she proclaims in the trailer) — a recipe for instant success!
Sadly, of the two films, viewers are more likely to see the sympathetic (and, according to the historical record, accurate) portayal of Pius XII as a defender of the Jewish people as the made-up story.
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