Pope Francis: A Man of His Word (2018) User Reviews (36)

Inspirational Journey with Pope Francis

[Davor_Blazevic_1959 · 8/10 · 18 October 2018]

In his latest film, biographical documentary Pope Francis: A Man of His Word (2018), coproduced internationally between Switzerland, Holy See of Rome (Vatican City State), Italy, Germany and France, acclaimed director Wim Wenders takes us on a personal journey with Pope Francis, condensing in just about an hour and a half Pope's urbi-et-orbi addresses, dispatches and other communications from an abundance of ideas and messages well based and inspired by traditional religious views, though often customized to the challenges of contemporary world. By thoroughly professing vow of poverty (which is, in Pope's position, modified to living on advanced necessities required and sufficient to respond to his functions), chastity, and obedience, just as Jesuits, he himself belongs to, do, in five years since he's been voted as the 266th and current Pope and sovereign of the Vatican City State, in his wisdom and compassion, modesty and kindness, Pope Francis indeed has established himself as one of the leading moral authorities of contemporary world, who certainly deserves to go by his adopted name, Francis, thanks to his adherence to the teachings and spiritual disciplines of the Franciscan order and its founder, Saint Francis of Assisi, who himself embraced and lived a simple life of poverty, penance, brotherly love, and peace.

Dedicated to his mission of speaking to people most deprived of life's essentials, in need of bare necessities, the poorest, homeless and hungry, sick and weak and otherwise vulnerable, he travels to a great many places in the world just to personally deliver his message of encouragement and hope to victims of unavoidable natural disasters (floods and quakes, draughts and famines, pandemics...), but also highly avoidable catastrophes, sadly mostly people-made ones (wars, transport and industrial, nuclear and radiation accidents...), and even doesn't shy away from visiting a good many people subjected to legal persecution, marginalization or social isolation (e.g. convicts in detention facilities). Certainly, it is not only deprived, but mainly good-willing people throughout the world who are his most attentive audience. Some can help more (e.g. members of the General Assembly of UN, American congressmen...), but anybody and everybody can make a difference, no matter how small, and his word gets to all... "Some of the hard-boiled congressmen were moved to tears" by his speech, which comes about much easier when one has been confirmed and recognized as A Man of His Word.

As an example, this is what Pope Francis says on avoiding consumerism: "The way to escape consumerism, this corruption, this competitiveness, this being enslaved to money, is the concreteness of day-to-day work, is tangible reality! I like to talk about the three 'T's: 'trabajo' (work), 'tierra' (land) and 'techo' (roof). 'Roof' means home, family. Recovering this sense of family. 'Land' means work, cultivating the land. And work means precisely the most noble thing that man has: to imitate God with your hands by creating!"

In a message chosen to conclude this cinematic journey, Pope Francis accentuates benefits of good humour and advises to keep smiling as often as we can. In that respect he brings to our attention St. Thomas More's Prayer for Good Humor, which, admittedly, he himself prays every day. Prayer starts with the plea "Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest", and reminds me in the second part of this verse of the proverb included in my high-school Latin language lessons (professor Josip Selak R.I.P. (Requiesce in pace)), already (incredibly) more than four decades ago: "A full stomach does not study willingly" (Plenus venter, non studet libenter), left by responsible authorities of the era (purposely?) incomplete, by omitting its additional, even truer remark: "but empty even less" (sed ieiunus eo minus), apparently by moderating this factual highlight out.

Touring the world with Pope Francis, exploring the workings of his mind and crossing the landscapes of his thoughts, in a sort of illustrated extended homily, never tires, but rather inspires... a lot to ponder on, even more to go by.

Tierra, Trabajo, Techo

[clarkj-565-161336 · 8/10 · 26 May 2018]

Beautiful film about a man with a simple message. We need to respect our planet, our tierra/earth on which our existence depends. We also need a roof/techo over our heads and meaningful work/trabajo to give us dignity. The film traces the early life of Saint Francis of Assisi and his links with our present day Pope. We follow Pope Francis around the world as he interacts with people in the most profound ways. Truly a message not to be missed.

Good overall

[proud_luddite · 7/10 · 1 July 2018]

Directed by Wim Wenders, this French-German-Italian-Swiss documentary covers many interviews with the pope and includes some footage of public speeches and outings as well. His activist attitude on environmental and economic issues is frequently expressed as is his admiration of Saint Francis of Assisi.

For those of us in the know (and with a certain opinion), the current pontiff has been a diamond in the rough compared to his two predecessors, particularly Pope John-Paul II. Francis applies a very intelligent concern (with relevant references to Christ's teachings) to what is truly ailing the world and spends relatively little attention on church dogma regarding same-sex relationships and women's reproductive rights. He also practices what he preaches in living under more modest circumstances compared to the lavish luxury enjoyed by his predecessors. Much of the film's beginning re-emphasizes these beliefs but it eventually becomes rather dull. As a single talking-head, the doc's impact fades for a while.

Luckily, Wenders adds more style in the second half that restores the energy created at the film's earliest moments. There is a very gripping speech given by Francis at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Israel. From there, the pope is seen visiting European refugee camps as well as the sick (presumably AIDS patients) in African hospitals. There are also moving scenes as he meets with Jewish and Muslim leaders - both secular and religious - sometimes simultaneously.

It's fair to say the documentary is incomplete in that there are no contradictory opinions to Pope Francis or the Vatican in modern times. In one scene, he speaks eloquently about the need to have women's voices heard when important collective decisions are being made. In a Youtube video of just over twenty-two minutes, Mary McAleese (former president of Ireland) points out how Francis' words need to be put into action. But despite some contradictory moments, this film does give a message of hope that a highly influential religious leader may help contribute to changes this planet actually needs. - dbamateurcritic

time well spent

[bornbranded · 7/10 · 19 May 2018]

Whether or not you agree with the Catholic Church - its beliefs and actions, etc., the film, shot in documentary and interview style, does provide one with a break from meaningless, shallow viewing. It provides us with the opportunity to contemplate on issues of child abuse, suffering, environmental decline of our planet, freedom, dignity and animal welfare. There were many poignant moments and comments made by Pope Francis. It was time well spent, at the theater.

Short and not enough interviewing time

[enriqueilundain · 7/10 · 20 May 2018]

I thought it could have used more direct dialogue with the pope, but in all i loved it. We need this message heard...topic of earth, wages, immigration, family time, and culture of greed and miney money money.

Leading by example

[tdeleval · 10/10 · 30 November 2018]

Pope Francis is telling us all an inconvenient truth. We should all listen carefully, Catholic or not, Christian or not. It's a short documentary (around 90 minutes). Don't trust reviews (even mine) and give it a try to make your own opinion.

hope for the future

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 17 May 2018]

Greetings again from the darkness. Director Wim Wenders has had a varied and diverse career dating back 50 years with both narrative and documentary films. He is probably best known for PARIS TEXAS (1984), WINGS OF DESIRE (1987), and PINA (2011). As a filmmaker, he seems to excel at finding a slightly different way of looking at a subject or topic, and because of this, some of his projects are better received than others. This time out he is granted remarkable one-on-one access to Pope Francis, as well as some terrific archival footage obtained from the Vatican.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Buenos Aires, Argentina became Pope in 2013, and he chose Francis as his papal name. Director Wenders spends much of the movie making the connection and correlation to his namesake St Francis of Assisi - some 800 years ago. Wenders' artistic flair comes through in the black and white dramatization sequences, which are meant to send us back to the time of Assisi so we can grasp the parallels.

This is no sales pitch for Catholicism, but rather an introduction to the man, his vision and approach. It seems clear that this "reformer" is what was needed after the ultra-conservative Pope Benedict "retired" (an unprecedented step). Rather than harp on the prior missteps, the film focuses on this most engaging and sincere man who is devoted to the causes of poverty and immigrant rights. He believes we should follow the Law of Nature: we should all live in harmony; and that we are all responsible for the world and community in which we live. Pope Francis tells us of his 3 T's: terra (land), trabajo (work), and techo (housing), and how those are the foundation of a future named "hope".

Beyond those elements, this is no sound bite film. It is quite humbling to listen to a man so universal in thought. He has zero tolerance for pedophilia inside the church or out, and he firmly believes in the rewards of listening - yet another dot Wenders tries to connect with St Francis of Assisi. The camera (and hence, us) travels the globe with the Pope - Africa, Brazil, Greece, the United States, Israel and more. So many countries, religions and races are touched. He even symbolically washes the feet of the less fortunate.

There is a good deal of talking head interviews with the Pope himself, and he never shies away from a question ... leading us to the single criticism of the film. Wenders, acting here as narrator and facilitator, simply doesn't push hard enough on some of the difficult topics that could lead to real insight and debate. So we are left to ponder if this wonderful man can mitigate change within a Church that is not much known for it (check out the demographics of the group of Cardinals Francis addresses). Wenders delivers an affectionate glimpse of the man, and we leave with a bit more admiration and hope - not such a bad thing.

Hope in a dark world

[abcvision · 10/10 · 21 June 2018]

As a Catholic I was curious to check out this documentary on Pope Francis. I came away humbled by the humility of this Pope. This movie is not preachy or overly zealot about Catholicism. It hits on some universal themes like love, forgiveness, and the impermanence of life. It really feels like the Pope is speaking to you directly. The narrator asked simple fundamental questions and Pope Francis answers theme.

I was surprise to learn some areas of the Pope's concerncs. Like science and the environment. It is a testament to the Pope that he reaches beyond the Roman Catholic Church to speak of the relationships with other faiths. That we are brothers to those other religions and to the heart of faith are not very different at all. - Dr. Wilson Triviño

Basically what you would expect

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 18 June 2018]

"Pope Francis: A Man of His Word" is the most recent work by renowned German filmmaker Wim Wenders. After his huge success with critics and an Oscar nomination for his last documentary back in 2014, his three most recent fiction films have been panned mostly, but this one here seems like a success again. Maybe documentaries are more his kind of thing now and the next "Wings of Desire" may not be around the corner. The title here is fairly telling already in terms of what to expect. This is a film about the current Pope. Interestingly enough, wenders made it about the first South American Pope and not about the man who comes from Germany like Wenders and was the Pope before Francis, which may of course have to do with the fact that Francis is far more liberal than Benedict in terms of the Church's values and comments on critical subjects like same-sex relationships, abortions, marriage and several other subjects. But is he really? Some parts of this 1.5-hour movie may indicate that he is, but I read a very recent article yesterday or today that says basically that he comments exactly like the Popes before him on these subjects. Then again it is probably tough to make really modern statements in the position he is in, maybe even impossible. But this should not be the core subject here. Actually, the documentary is much more about global problems like poverty, the environment, children and human rights than it is really about the subject of religion, which may be a bit surprising given who the film is about. But maybe positively surprising even as it is interesting to see a Pope trying to make an impact in these areas and maybe he can help things taking a turn for the better given the fact how much he is admired by these billions of people. Other than that, it is pretty much what you would expect. A bit of insight into earlier years of Francis, but not too much and not too early. We see him travel and see devout Christians touch his hand while being awestruck. We hear interviews with him, we see him on stage and even holding a speech in congress. Sadly, Wenders does not manage to make the film (or the man it is about) stand out as much as I hoped he could. His voice is as nice to listen to as always, even if it not too frequent, basically just brief parts early on and very late. What he says is also not particularly memorable and I struggled in making a connection with the subject there really. The (not so) subtle criticism against the likes of Erdogan, Putin and Trump really feels out of place at the very end and should have been left out entirely. But I guess it fits in well with the mainstream media's message these days. With a quality movie that truly makes an impact, it does not though. Nonetheless, I give the film a thumbs-up. It's a solid look at the current head of Christianity and summarizes him well overall I would say giving interesting insights here and there and some specific facts like that he is the very first Francis in this position. The reenacted flashback scenes with Francis of Assisi did not work too well I'd say, but they also weren't among the film's weakest parts and this area is really all subjective I'd say. Even if it was an okay outcome, it lets me think that Wenders may be past peak, actually for a while already. I hope I'm wrong. All in all, a thumbs-up. Go see it if you care for the subject.

One of the purest, and most light-hearted and beautiful movies

[joao_cqf · 10/10 · 2 May 2019]

I was so surprised when I saw the bad reviews for this movie. Actually, I can't think of a single mistake or error that could compromise this movie. I think people reviewed this as bad because they either haven't actually watched or have done it with a close minded set. This movie is about a man who speaks love from his heart. Love is his main resources. Of course he takes numbers and data into consideration, but it has to come in second, because love is what entagle us after all. In my opinion, if you disliked this movie, you've done it for a circumstance of your lives that other thing became more important than love. Love to all of you!!! Peace for all of you, wether you agree or disagree with me!!!

Great message!

[gerimartinez · 6/10 · 8 June 2018]

This movie has a great message which describes humility through a decision this man has made. He quoted many verses from the Bible throughout the movie but it didn't state where to find them. The fact the much of the film showed him speaking in Spanish makes this an easy film for Spanish speaking people who would like to see it. Having the translation below what he said also made it easy for the times he spoke in other languages. The movie was worth it for me to see. I recommend it highly. Stay focused on the words. This movie was made very well for all people and religious sects. Enjoy!

Mixed bag

[lancenath · 5/10 · 1 June 2018]

At times pope francis i feel is doing more than any pope before him. Other times he forces a political ideaology that is masked as christian faith and does more harm than good. People giving him a 1 are just being silly. People giving this movie a ten are swallowed up in the 'goodie goodie' vibe he tends to present. Somewhere in the middle is where it belongs. Hence my 5 stars

The Activist Pope

[lavatch · 7/10 · 10 December 2018]

This is the story of a number of firsts. In 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the first pope from the Americas. He was the first Jesuit pope. And he was the first pope to take the name of Francis.

This documentary film juggles the words of Francis I and the life story of St. Francis of Assisi on whom the pope's life was modeled. As a young man, Francis of Assisi received divine instruction "to restore my house." He followed the calling by renouncing his birthright and his wealth to rebuilt a small church in Italy.

Like Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis I, poverty is central to the Gospels. His message is to address poverty and hunger in the world. He is seen addressing Congress and speaking of the plight of the downtrodden.

In his encyclical for the planet, Francis I wrote about "care for our common home." He addresses environmental issues and speaks of "the culture of waste" before the United Nations, warning about "the globalization of indifference." Above all, he is depicted in the film as a man of the people, especially in his native Argentina. The film also depicts the pope visiting Ground Zero in New York, speaking about the Holocaust, and traveling throughout the world to spread a humble message of hope.

Beyond the literal meaning of his thoughtful words, Francis recognizes the importance of irony. In his interactions with people, he is always jovial. He praises Francis of Assisi as "the apostle of the ear" because he knew how to listen to others.

The program ends with Francis I recalling the wisdom of Thomas More in his poem "Prayer for Good Humor": "Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest." In all facets of his life, Pope Francis I provides plenty of food for thought and with a divine touch of humor.

Smile

[socialacruz · 10/10 · 14 September 2018]

A good documentary for the soul about a man that is unafraid to love amongst men and women of different backgrounds and ways of life. He is not a leader of one country or continent or even this world. Rather a Shepard of our souls. Excellent!

The Message

[vispitfire · 10/10 · 3 June 2018]

The Pope had an important message to convey to the world. I watched the film and I looked at his facial features and the reaction of the masses. I gathered he was talking about saving the earth, poverty, and condemning child exploitation. However, I do not speak Spanish, and the close caption words were cut off from the screen. I wish the theater, Maya, had gotten the right lens or whatever else they needed to play the film properly. But, two thumbs up for bringing independent films to the theater; and, even with the language barrier, the sincerity of the message came through anyway. Push on Pope Francis.....and two thumbs up Maya for bringing the film to theatres.

Define good for me ?

[hr-lindberg · 1/10 · 21 May 2018]

My first review was deleted, and so was a lot of other reviews.

Free speach is not what it used to be....

I only pointed out that a lot of reviewers gave this a 1 rating without having seen it, based on their "Christianity is bad" belifs. And that way of being an atheist is pretty lame if you ask me.

My guess is i offended a sjw or two, so at least it was well wort it :)

Im giving this "documentary" a 1 star rating because its one big commercial for social constructivism, elitist morallity and commercialized identity politics.

If there where a hint of discussion about the popes "being good and ohh so tolerant" morality and why it differs so much from other popes and what it means in a social and historical context, i wouldent dislike it so much

Wow Really Man of the Word.. a Shepherd for the Sheep...bless him always

[rajathantony · 10/10 · 7 November 2018]

Truly inspirational and true to his words that delivers in his action and deeds.. I am fortunate to be in the Catholic Church following the footsteps of my master... please watch with family and friends.. don't keep any bias for the Church rather watch the message delivered in sincerity and a future with lots of hope and prayers... God bless the creator of this movie / documentary and bringing the message to all men and women of this world....

Excruciatingly boring!

[Hellmant · 5/10 · 22 June 2018]

'POPE FRANCIS - A MAN OF HIS WORD': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

A documentary centering around the life of Pope Francis, and his dreams. It was directed, produced and co-written by Wim Wenders (who was asked by the Vatican to make this film). The movie is 96 minutes long, and it's received nearly unanimous positive reviews from critics. It's also a modest hit at the Box Office as well, in indie theaters. I found it to be excruciatingly boring.

The film tells the story of Pope Francis. Pope Francis is the 266th (and current) Pope, as well as the sovereign of the Vatican City State. It features many interviews with him, as well as others who know him, and most of it is told using English subtitles. We learn of the Pope's beliefs, and passion, as he tries to reform the Catholic Church.

Growing up Catholic, I found it to be all very interesting, but it's also extremely boring. I'm usually fascinated with movies that deal with religion, especially Catholicism (because that's how I grew up), but I just could not get involved in this film. I also think that Pope Francis is one of the best things to happen to the Catholic Church in recent history. Still the movie nearly put me to sleep, and I just can't recommend it.

Pope Francis' life itself is a sermon

[paul-allaer · 8/10 · 21 May 2018]

"Pope Francis: A Man of His Word" (2018 release; 95 min.) is a documentary about Pope Francis. As the movie opens, we are introduced to the thinking of St. Francis of Assisi, an Italian friar active in the late 12th/early 13th century. We then shift to "Buenos Aires, 1999" as the then-Archbishop addresses a crowd, and just as quickly we move to "St. Peter's Square, 2013", when the conclave elects Pope Francis. We are reminded that the pope is the first to take Francis as his papal name (to honor St. Francis of Assisi), the first pope from the Americas and the southern hemisphere, and the first Jesuit pope. We then settle in to hear from Pope Francis. "Listen a lot, and speak just enough" seems to be the Pope's M.O. At this point we are 10 min. into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from celebrated German documentarian Wim Wenders. Here he gets all-access to the Pope (and indeed the movie was made with full cooperation of the Vatican). Please note that this is NOT a biography of the Pope. In fact, we learn nothing about his background, other than being an Archbishop in Buenos Aires in the late 90s. As it turns out, the movie plays mostly as a private one-on-one discussion, one could even say, sermon by the Pope on a wide variety of topics, including poverty, social justice, the 'culture of waste', empathy towards others, our limited time on this earth, etc., but also some touchy ones such as the sex scandals that have plagued the Catholic church for decades now, and his position on gays and lesbians (by coincidence, today's headline-making news that the Pope tells a gay person "God made you like that and loves you like that" is not a new development and merely affirms what the Pope says in this documentary). Interestingly, the Pope also emphasizes the importance of a smile and a sense of humor (the Pope confesses that each day after his morning prayer, he reads Sir Thomas More's "Prayer For Good Humor"). Please note that you do NOT have to be a Catholic to come away from this film with something meaningful. To me, Pope Francis is a symbol of humility and HOPE. "The future has a name, and it is Hope", the Pope reminds us. Yes, Pope Francis may be a man of his word, but even more, he is a man of action, and in that sense, his life itself is a sermon.

"Pope Francis - A Man of His Word" opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Sunday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended very nicely (mostly seniors I might add). When the Pope talks directly into the camera (which is most of the time), it feels like he addresses you, and hence not surprisingly, one could hear a pin drop on the theater during much of the movie. If you have any interest in Pope Francis, you can count your blessings with this outstanding documentary. "Pope Francis - A Man of His Word" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Beautiful and challenging call to take the gospel seriously in our world today

[sean-711-812470 · 10/10 · 20 May 2018]

A true work of art and the best documentary I've seen at the theater in at least 12 years, "Pope Francis: A Man of His Word" takes a beguiling approach: Rather than being a film about Pope Francis, it is a document of the problems in our world today and a presentation of the pope's message in response to it. This is not hagiography either in the sense of being "pro-Francis," "anti-Francis," or anything about Francis at all. It is a film that allows him to present his message in candid interviews where he looks directly into our eyes, challenging us to take his words seriously as we also accompany him on his journeys to places that nobody else wants to go.

Wim Wenders, the award-winning German New Wave director, brings real artistry to this work. He is clearly an artist first and a Christian (no longer identifying with any particular church) second. Wenders spent two years interviewing Pope Francis over four sessions with a camera that allowed the pontiff to speak directly into the camera. He used a hand-cranked camera from 1920 to present footage of the life of St. Francis of Assisi, suggesting that the message of Pope Francis is the message of St. Francis, i.e. the message of the gospels and of Jesus Christ.

There is deep compassion for our struggling humanity in this movie. Wenders presents the global problems of our day and simply holds up the response of Pope Francis toward it, inviting viewers to accept or reject the actual message of the man rather than make ad hominem arguments for or against his person. It's a refreshing approach that's quite different from many biographies of public figures, as Wenders allows Francis to be humble enough to make his message about God's response to the sufferings of this world rather than about him personally. I have never seen a documentary quite like this one before and I believe it's in the top five of all the documentaries I've ever seen. It's so simple, so true, so pure, and yet also so challenging to our (and my own) complacency about accepting injustice in the world. Rather than quibble with the pope's response to the issues of our day, the movie simply shows his response and invites me to ask myself: What am I doing about it? What can I do? The revolutionary values of the gospels shine through all possible encrustations in this movie that may be one of the best religious films I've seen in a very long time.

Stunningly slavish infomercial paid for by Vatican TV

[VoyagerMN1986 · 13 December 2018]

Wim Wenders was, in the 70's and 80's one of the most important and innovative auteur directors. Now he makes commercials.

For the past ten years he has been working mostly on paid product, such as commercials for beer companies, fashion companies, or in this case an infomercial for the Vatican TV, which is part of its public relations arm and which paid for this "documentary."

Wenders literally inverts Rome and Francis response to the abuse scandals, which remains a systematic cover-up, portrays Francis, who has the carbon footprint of Godzilla as a climate crusader, and portrays himself as an advocate of the poor based on kissing a few feet at some religious holiday. Really?

Platitudinous Pontifications

[pwtatl · 5/10 · 29 December 2018]

Where to start? This rocked my world. I always naively thought the Pope was pretty much a Christian like me. Based on this Vatican approved and produced puff piece, I certainly doubt it. He appears to just be an affable CEO of a large organization. Through the course of the movie salvation through faith in the Savior Jesus Christ is never mentioned. Satan isn't even mentioned, despite much talk about his handiwork. Francis is undoubtedly a nice, well intentioned guy. I'll let his words speak for themselves: "Poverty is at the heart of the gospel." (No, the shed blood of Jesus is) "What hope have youth without jobs?" (Hope in a savior, Jesus Christ) "Work brings dignity." (God imparts dignity to us) He rails against consumerism, but ironically bemoans the lack of employment. "Soil, water and air and all living beings of creation are under permanent threat." "We are not alone, we have Jesus our older brother and many other brothers." "The model of Saint Francis shows (drug addicts) a way, a revolutionary path." (not Jesus?) "I only ask God that... death won't find me empty and alone, not having done enough." (Does he read the Bible?) "I am not eternal. Nobody is, only God is eternal." (John 3:16--"that they may have eternal life...") "Perhaps (God) the Father could not have imagined so deep a fall and profound an abyss (as the Holocaust)." (uh...omniscience?) "Building a wall is not a solution. Closing borders solves nothing." ( Have you , good sir, not noticed that your ENTIRE COUNTRY, Vatican City, is surrounded by a HUGE wall?!) "Never take a proselytising attitude. Never." "Protecting the planet, our home, is our most pressing task today." "Who is the poorest of the poor? Mother Earth! We have plundered and abused her!" "God does not see us with his eyes. He sees us with his heart." And finally, this: "the biblical story of creation is a mythical form of expression. Creation is a development, an evolution." There are plenty more faithless quotes that shocked me. Again, nice guy with quirky, unChristian sentiments and observations. I did like his take on love being dependent on freedom and free will. That indicated there may be some depth and true knowledge of God somewhere. The film maker, Wim Wenders, also narrates in a hushed, pretentious and overly dramatic monotone. I would have loved to know more about the man biographically, like the wonderful Ruth Bader Ginsburg doc "RBG", which covered her entire life, not just her current position on the Supreme Court. You got to know the whole person and what shaped her philosophy on life.

Please See This Beautiful Film

[Danusha_Goska · 10/10 · 1 June 2018]

Please go see "Pope Francis: A Man of His Word," the 2018 documentary by Wim Wenders. Just by going to a theater to see this film, you will be making the world a better place. Why? Because this is a beautiful, moving, engaging film about life's big questions. It turns its camera on people so poor they live in garbage dumps, on pollution, mass migration, on victims of natural disasters, and asks how to respond to all this in an ethical way.

About how many other movies can you say that? If you financially reward the makers of this film, more filmmakers will produce more beautiful, deep movies. And the world will be a better place.

Almost from the first moments of this film to the last, I had tears running down my face. I'm a movie lover and I loved this movie, not just because it is good in a moral sense, but because it is well made. Wim Wenders, the filmmaker as well as the narrator, is an award-winning director who gave us "Wings of Desire" and "The Buena Vista Social Club."

The film opens, in a sense, in heaven. Wenders turns his camera on heavenly clouds. Wenders' voiceover lists all that is wrong with the world, and asks how we can go on. The clouds break, and Wenders shows us an ancient Italian town, and invokes another Francis, St. Francis of Assisi. Wenders uses mention of the medieval St. Francis to highlight the life of the current Pope Francis.

Francis is shown carrying out his day-to-day life. He visits with very poor people in places like Brazil, the Philippines, and the Central African Republic. He has intimate contact with the sick, those disposed by hurricanes, and the aged. Those he visits tremble during their encounters. Their eyes glow. They weep. They exult.

Francis also visits the wealthy and powerful: Vladimir Putin, the Trumps, and congress. American legislators John Boehner, Marco Rubio, and others are shown helplessly wiping away tears as Francis speaks.

In other scenes, Francis looks directly into Wenders' camera and speaks from his heart. He teaches with confidence and authority, but in a kindly, not a didactic or superior, way.

You don't have to agree with everything Francis says to cherish this movie. I certainly don't. On the one hand, as I watched, my rational mind developed arguments against some of Francis' positions. But my heart was still moved, because Francis is so obviously a well-meaning person trying to make his way through a very challenging world.

I disagree with Francis most on two related points. First, he says that one should never assume an attitude of proselytizing. I disagree. Christians must proselytize. Maybe there is a nuance here I am missing. If so, the film never clarifies.

Francis appears to endorse the mass migration of unvetted, military-age Muslims into Europe while, in the film, in any case, ignoring the real-world problems caused by that migration. And Francis romanticizes poverty, in my opinion.

Rather than romanticizing poverty, Francis should endorse efforts to end poverty. If women's status were elevated, and if women controlled their own fertility, their societies would advance and there would be fewer people living in abject poverty. Further, capitalism and even greed should not be demonized. Jesus had warm relations with rich people, and he spoke of the necessity to build on investments.

Francis says kind things about women and homosexuals without advancing any change in policy that would communicate the official church recognition of the full humanity of women and homosexuals, not just heterosexual men.

Even when I was disagreeing with Francis, I was loving this movie.

Now, to the naysayers. In "The Federalist," Maureen Mullarkey called the film "religious pornography" and identified Pope Francis as analogous to Hitler. Movie reviews don't get any weirder than that. Mullarkey hates Francis' kind words about homosexuals. She trashes the film.

This hateful review is followed by comments by hundreds of hateful people, some identifying as Catholic, who are utterly comfortable comparing Pope Francis to Hitler.

For that reason alone, you need to see this movie.

will give you chlamydia

[veleril · 1/10 · 20 November 2021]

Im not so sure of this film i thought the agenda behind makes it a little distracting for me. This could have been an oscar worthy film but fell out just a liitle. I dont like this film.

Very Inspirational

[clevb · 10/10 · 19 May 2018]

As the title says, a "Man of His Word" Very well done with a message that is universal regardless of what your religion might be!