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Pope Joan

  • 19721972
  • PGPG
  • 2h 12m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
381
YOUR RATING
Pope Joan (1972)
BiographyDramaHistory
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.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.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.
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
381
YOUR RATING
    • Michael Anderson
    • John Briley(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Liv Ullmann
    • Jeremy Kemp
    • Natasa Nicolescu
    • Michael Anderson
    • John Briley(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Liv Ullmann
    • Jeremy Kemp
    • Natasa Nicolescu
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 14User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos16

    Liv Ullmann in Pope Joan (1972)
    Olivia de Havilland, Lesley-Anne Down, Franco Nero, and Liv Ullmann in Pope Joan (1972)
    Liv Ullmann in Pope Joan (1972)
    Jeremy Kemp and Liv Ullmann in Pope Joan (1972)
    Liv Ullmann in Pope Joan (1972)
    Liv Ullmann in Pope Joan (1972)
    Olivia de Havilland and Liv Ullmann in Pope Joan (1972)
    Liv Ullmann in Pope Joan (1972)
    Franco Nero and Liv Ullmann in Pope Joan (1972)
    Liv Ullmann in Pope Joan (1972)
    Franco Nero in Pope Joan (1972)
    Pope Joan (1972)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Liv Ullmann
    Liv Ullmann
    • Pope Joan
    Jeremy Kemp
    Jeremy Kemp
    • Joan's Father
    Natasa Nicolescu
    • Joan's Mother
    Sharon Winter
    • Joan as a child
    Margareta Pogonat
    • Village woman
    Richard Bebb
    • Lord of Manor
    Peter Arne
    Peter Arne
    • Richard
    Patrick Magee
    Patrick Magee
    • Elder monk
    George Innes
    George Innes
    • Monk
    Nigel Havers
    Nigel Havers
    • Young monk
    Lesley-Anne Down
    Lesley-Anne Down
    • Cecilia
    Susan Macready
    • Sister Nunciata
    Shelagh Wilcocks
    • Sister Louise
    Olivia de Havilland
    Olivia de Havilland
    • Mother Superior
    André Morell
    André Morell
    • Emperor Louis
    Martin Benson
    Martin Benson
    • Lothair
    Lorain Bertorelli
    • A nun
    Mary Healey
    Mary Healey
    • A nun
      • Michael Anderson
      • John Briley(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • 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.
    • Alternate versions
      In the version shown on BBC TV on 22nd October 2005, the 20th-century bookend scenes are cut, Keir Dullea and Robert Beatty do not appear, and the film ends abruptly with the crowd descending on Joan.
    • Connections
      Featured in A Quiet Revolution (1972)
    • Soundtracks
      Veni Creator Spiritus
      Sung by The Sistine Chapel Choir

      Under the Direction of Domenico Bartolucci

    User reviews14

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    a most enjoyable film...full marks!!
    SHE…WHO WOULD BE POPE

    I really enjoyed this film as a real aficionado of historical faction and legends. Movie buffs who yearn for renowned actors whose sex appeal and charisma fill up the screen, as soon as they appear without uttering a word, would also find this motion picture enthralling.

    Franco Nero as Prince Louis, with blazing blue eyes brimming over in sensuality , becomes Emperor, conquering both Infidels and the Vatican. Although Jeremy Kemp, has a small role, whose pockmarked face, as handsome as it is rugged and scarred with life, makes him so credible as Joan's bible thumping father. Maximilian Schell, in his part as Brother Adrian is yet another from this large cast of famous faces who are a pleasure to watch as they captivate and capture the audience as they embrace their characters. The beautiful Lesley-Ann Downe although very young, is not as innocent or virtuous as she looks. No less are any of the remarkable cast such as the enchanting hero/heroine Liv Ullman, whose transformation from a nun to a priest is seamless, that makes the two hours of SHE..WHO WOULD BE POPE such compelling viewing.

    Although the setting is in the Dark Ages, there is a lightness in the way the unpleasant events are portrayed that make the reality of the harshness of life in that time, acceptable to all, from rape, pillage, murder and forbidden love.

    The Evangelicals haven't changed their book or mantras and the flowing robes and costumes of the clergy have all remained the same in authentically reproduced settings and lavish scenery. This story had to be retold in its original uncut form, sliding in and out of millennia, to fully understand how the world has turned despite that we, as individuals remain the same. The psychologist analysing a woman claiming a former life as Pope, ensures a multifaceted film that would appeal to a wide audience. SF
    helpful•7
    5
    • sallyfisher-fisher
    • Mar 12, 2009

    Details

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    • Release date
      • October 25, 1972 (United Kingdom)
      • United Kingdom
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Brasov, Romania
    • Production companies
      • Big City
      • Command Production Establishment
      • Roadshow Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 2 hours 12 minutes
      • Mono

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