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Pope Joan (1972)

PG | | Drama, History | 25 October 1972 (UK)
Pope Joan Poster
In medieval Europe, a pious young woman becomes a scholar of theology, disguises herself as a man, rises through the Catholic Church hierarchy and is elected Pope.

Director:

Michael Anderson

Writer:

John Briley (screenplay)

Stars:

Liv Ullmann, Jeremy Kemp, Natasa Nicolescu | See full cast & crew »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Liv Ullmann ... Pope Joan
Jeremy Kemp ... Joan's Father
Natasa Nicolescu Natasa Nicolescu ... Joan's Mother
Sharon Winter Sharon Winter ... Joan as a child
Margareta Pogonat Margareta Pogonat ... Village woman
Richard Bebb Richard Bebb ... Lord of Manor
Peter Arne ... Richard
Patrick Magee ... Elder monk
George Innes ... Monk
Nigel Havers ... Young monk
Lesley-Anne Down ... Cecilia
Susan Macready Susan Macready ... Sister Nunciata
Shelagh Wilcocks Shelagh Wilcocks ... Sister Louise
Olivia de Havilland ... Mother Superior
André Morell ... Emperor Louis
See full cast »
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Storyline

This movie is based on the medieval legend of Pope Joan, who was made Pope for a brief period around 855 A.D. Although it is questionable that Pope Joan really did exist, this movie presents her existence as fact, and portrays her relationships with other notables of the time. Written by edk <laplaza@ccnet.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

pope | woman priest | religion | catholicism | character name as title | See All (15) »

Taglines:

Heresy ... or history ? See more »

Genres:

Drama | History

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 October 1972 (UK) See more »

Also Known As:

The Devil's Imposter See more »

Filming Locations:

Brasov, Romania See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Big City, Command Production Establishment, Roadshow Productions See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The original plan was to shoot on location in Italy but this proved too expensive so the film was made at Bray Studios outside London, home to the Hammer horror movies. Some location work was done in Romania and Cyprus. Shooting in Romania proved to be rather difficult, given that there was hardly anything of a native film industry and also because the country was very tightly controlled by the Communist regime. See more »

Alternate Versions

The 2009 cut includes the 20th century scenes but omits 20 minutes of scenes with Joan being Pope. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Giornata nera (2006) See more »

Soundtracks

Tu es Petrus
Sung by The Sistine Chapel Choir
Under the Direction of Domenico Bartolucci
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Interesting, moving, historical
24 October 2005 | by deborahpercy1 – See all my reviews

I saw the film on TV, quite by chance. I found the film gripping: the story, the atmosphere and the historical detail.

I have no religious interest, but it made me curious to find out more about 'pope Joan'. The film is a work of fiction based on a legend, with very little factual basis.

Nevertheless, one could really get a sense of life in those times (9th century Europe). Poverty, illiteracy, corruption. The place of women. The violence, that life was worth very little.

Sadly, I think much of the world is just like that today, so perhaps it is a little window on humanity.
11 of 17 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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