A Review of In
Viaggio by Nick Olszyk
Distribution Service: Theatrical (Limited)
MPAA Rating, Not rated at the time of this review
USCCB Rating, Not rated at the time of this review
Reel Rating, Two and ½
In
Viaggio isa brilliantly made film that follows Pope Francis through the
various apostolic journeys of his first nine years. The movie is shot in the style
of cinéma verité,
which is a documentary format that puts a premium on as little interference with
its subject as possible. As the Holy Father travels from country to country,
one gets the impression of a man whose time “is nearer now than when we first
believed,” feverishly giving hope to as many places as possible. The specifics
of this “hope,” however, are frustratingly vague and deprived of almost any explicit
Christian content.
The
film starts with Francis’ first – and arguably most significant – visit. Just a
few months into his pontificate, he went to the Italian island of Lampedusa, a significant
stop for North African and Middle Eastern migration. He cast out a memorial
wreath into the waters to honor the many desperate souls who die on the passage
and called for greater compassion towards their plight. He continues onward to
Brazil for World Youth Day to an active war zone in the Central African Republic
to the halls of the US Congress and beyond. Like Jesus in Mark’s gospel, he is
constantly on the move, barely stopping to catch his breath.
Mistakes are made
and not everyone is happy, but most – dignitaries and ordinary folk alike – are
ecstatic to see him, listening intently to his words and even stuffing the occasional
baby into his face for a quick blessing. While probably not his intention, Francis
is treated like a rock star rather than a prophet; my son still has the Pope
plushie sent from my parents when he visited Philadelphia. The quotations Italian
director Gianfranco Rosi chooses from his speeches are pleasant but bland.
Francis encourages young people to “hope and dream” and tells diplomats to be “fair
and humble.” Good feelings abound but practical solutions are lacking.
This calls into
question the purpose of the Pontiff. According to Rosi, he appears to be just
another global activist. Yet for
centuries, bishops lead their dioceses with faith without ever meeting the Holy
Father. In the 1960s, Pope St. Paul VI earned the nickname “the Pilgrim Pope”
for traveling more than any other in history, a grand total of nine apostolic
journeys in two decades. Pope Francis could do that in six months. As much as I
love Pope St. John Paul the Great, he did set an odd precedent as a worldwide
spiritual figure which has the potential to detract from his duties as shepherd
of the Catholic fold.
A piece of craftmanship,
In Viaggio is unquestionably a masterpiece. Cinema vertite is such a
refreshing take on the genre. Currently, the trend is to put the filmmaker,
rather than the subject, front and center. This started with Michael Moore’s
classic Roger & Me and reached its zenith with Morgan Spurlock’s Super
Size Me. It can funny and insightful but often descends into egoism. This
is not to say that In Viaggio doesn’t have a perspective. Rosi carefully
selects which images to show and how to edit them into a narrative. Yet this story
arises organically from the imagery rather than being shoved directly in the audience’s
face.
Reaching the end
of an otherwise enjoyable experience, I was disturbed by a significant
oversight. In a two-hour film where the Bishop of Rome appears in every scene,
the words “Jesus Christ” are not mentioned once. This is certainly due to Rosi’s
editing rather Francis’ ministry, but His Holiness rarely does anything to
break this interpretation. As such, In Viaggio is a valuable testament to
our modern culture’s idea of Francis but does little to reveal the man himself.
This article first appeared in Catholic
World Report on March 18th, 2023.
Comments
Post a Comment