The Two Popes - Cinematography Review

Wow. Well, I was really eager to watch this one, particularly in terms of Cinematography as the previews and stills I had seen were really intriguing. For me, there was some truly powerful, visceral photography happening here. Although, I'm not sure all of it came together as cohesively as it could have done.

The documentary-style used throughout the telling of the story was a clever and, in my opinion, successful choice. Firstly, it allowed the film to blend nicely with the archive footage used throughout. It also helped to keep the vibrancy and energy moving forward. We are often watching two pottery old men sitting in vast, still, open spaces and so the documentary style of the camera work certainly gave the frames some breath and some life that kept things interesting. This style was also masterfully used in some of the scenes from Pope Francis' past in war-torn Argentina - allowing us to feel the reality of the situation almost as if we were watching live clips on the news. Moreover, documentary style was surprising. The rich, romantic environments of the film (the Vatican) along with the beautiful weathered faces of the main characters (Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce) certainly lend themselves to a more cinematic approach, so doco style was definitely unexpected! (Side note: I had imagined that perhaps there may even have been an element of logistics involved in this decision ... i.e. only being allowed to film inside these sacred spaces for short periods of time or with limited crew, etc. ... however, I was shocked to learn that all of these environments were built or VFX as the access to these spaces was completely prohibited. So perhaps logistics had nothing to do with it after all! And also: holy CRAP VFX team!! Well done!)

While I did find this style to be successful overall, I will say that there were a few really lovely cinematic moments that really left me craving some deeper, more complex visuals throughout (Joseph Ratzinger extinguishing a candle flame with the camera on a dutch angle and a pit of deep darkness behind him ... and all of the sequences of a younger Pope Francis walking through the wilderness in a foggy, desaturated dream, to name a few).

On another note, I think the cinematography lacked some cohesion. For a film which spans across so much time and space, it was essential of course to break the film down visually in order to help viewers distinguish between various timelines within the greater story. The present, as mentioned, lives mostly in a bright, saturated documentary style. Francis' past lives in Black and White (4:3) and slowly transitions into muted color. Francis' present in Argentina sticks with a handheld, observational style but introduces a lot more vibrancy and really captures the chaotic, colorful aesthetic of present day Argentina. Francis' inner turmoil exists in a highly-cinematic, soft and earthy landscape sequence that appears throughout the film. And let's not forget about the various archive footage! The cinematography of each of these various components is a variable feast for the eyes! But, for me, it all got a bit lost after a while. It was too much and the contrast between the sequences actually broke my attention more than pulling me in deeper.

A highlight for me, though, was certainly the scenes in which both Popes meet under the Sistine Chapel to discuss the future of the church. Again, here was an opportunity to be quite contrasty and traditional working with such an opulent and resplendent environment, but instead César Charlone chooses to be brave and imaginative. In one of the first shots, there is a beautifully executed exposure pull which brings Francis from the darkness into the light. Here, the lighting perfectly emulates the Fresco paintings which it illuminates, flat and bright and milky, and the two Popes being lit in such a way seems to blend them right into the paintings themselves. Also, the framing cuts boldly between long close-ups capturing the raw, powerful performances of these two iconic actors, and extreme wides, placing the two Popes quite small in the picture, towards the bottom of the frame with lots of headroom - perhaps emphasising the greatness of the heavens above them or maybe even the weakness of the church at this moment?

Visually speaking, there is obviously a lot here to consider and discuss. I think this film will require another watch so I can fully wrap my head around all of photography. Overall, though, I feel safe saying that the Cinematography is some of the boldest and most thoughtful that I've seen all year and I look forward to a second viewing to really take it all in.

P.S. To be honest, I'd watch it all again just for the delightful last scene of the two Popes watching the World Cup together. Hysterical and just one of those movie moments that is so genuine it stays with you.

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