He was Right

Pope St. Paul VI, a prophet in a dark age

“He was Right”

A Review of Unprotected by Nick Olszyk

MPAA Rating, Unrated at the time of this review

USCCB Rating, Unrated at the time of this review

Reel Rating, Four Reels            

            Reading Humanae Vitae in 2018 – fifty years after its inception – I am simply awestruck at its prophetic nature. In the age of Trump, Kavanaugh, #MeToo, and The Handmaid’s Tale, Bl. Paul VI wisdom is sure footing in a raging storm. Unprotected is a riveting documentary by Donald Johnson about the horrific consequences of the sexual revolution. It not only gives compelling evidence of how contraception contributed to widespread sexual sin but also how this generation forced a greater articulation of the astounding beauty of human sexuality than the Church has ever seen. Felix culpa indeed.

            Johnson opens with concern for his daughters growing up in an environment saturated with sexual objectification – a concern I share with my own daughter despite being just five months old. First, he goes back in time to the 50s and 60s to find the root cause of the sexual revolution. Although many elements lead to this movement, the “spark” was the contraceptive pill. It promised to be a golden ticket that would free women to work, improve marriages, and control population. Almost alone in both the Christian and secular world, Paul VI gave a much bleaker picture:

“A man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection.”

Second, Johnson demonstrates how this new form of contraception had the opposite result of its desired effects. Divorce rates skyrocketed. Pornography became rampant. Worst of all, abortion became legal and widely practiced. In the final segment, Johnson explores how society could affirm the dignity of women and increase their opportunity without such destructive means. “We’ve tried to conform women’s bodies to fit the workplace – to make them more like men,” one expert explains. “Instead, we should conform the workplace to better fit their natural bodies.”

I’ve never seen a more concise and accessible venue for this subject. Johnson packs a remarkable amount of depth and insight into a film that tops out at only ninety minutes. Each section is short and impactful, using evidence to back up every point. This feat is even more impressive when one understands that Johnson made this film virtually on his own – producing, writing, and conducting all the interviews.

Although Unprotected begins with the narrative of Johnson’s daughters, this quickly fades into the background to become a documentary that almost exclusively features talking heads. These experts – Jane Smith, Partick Coffin, Jason Evert, Christopher West – read as a who’s who of Catholic chastity speakers – so much so that I wondered if the film should have been titled Catholic Answers Live: The Movie. Fortunately, these are the best of their field and are never boring or inarticulate. However, the dependence on commentary does wane thin occasionally. One in a while, it will be broken by compelling animation as an explanation – which I wish constituted more of the film. There were also a few moments where Johnson’s amateur status was painfully obvious, including an overuse of stock images – some still bearing watermarks.

As society continues to grapple with the problem of sexual assault and female objectification, it often loses its focus – emphasizing the legal process or even access to even more deadly contraceptives. Paul VI reminds the world that this crisis is primarily of the heart, and the solution must involve a greater respect for the whole person. Unprotected, with its short runtime and brilliant insight, seems tailor made to bring this conversation into the mainstream media, especially Catholic classrooms. I know it will be part of mine.

This article first appeared in Catholic World Report on October 22nd, 2019