We Have A Pope (M). Director: Nanni Moretti. Starring: Michel Piccoli, Jerzy Stuhr. 104 minutes
The opening scenes of We Have A Pope depict a procession of cardinals who have convened for the papal conclave. As we gaze upon this solemn parade we are struck that beneath the ceremonial garb and holy demeanour, these are old men — a fact that speaks of both experience and weariness.
Once confined within the Sistine Chapel, we watch as each cardinal deliberates excruciatingly over his ballot paper. The election of a pope requires a decision made with gravitas and discernment. Roman filmmaker Moretti's characters clearly take this charge seriously.
Up until this moment, Moretti's portrayal of the papal conclave has emphasised piety and ritual. Yet now, as the cardinals chew over the momentous decision, their unspoken prayers begin to clamour, in voiceover. Each man is praying a variation of the same words: 'Not me. Please, not me.'
Humanity is clearly at the heart of Moretti's film. The cardinals' prayers echo the biblical account of Jesus pleading with the Father to unburden him of his fate. They remind us that piety does not preclude ordinary human fear and self-doubt.
Unexpectedly, soft-spoken Cardinal Melville (Piccoli) emerges as the unexpected winner of the papal race. For him, this honour bestowed by his peers and by God is overbearing. Before he can be presented to the multidudinous faithful who throng outside, he suffers a panic attack.
The conclave rules require the cardinals to remain isolated until the pope has been announced. So Vatican spokesman Rajski (Stuhr) seeks a swift resolution. He secrets Melville, incognito, to see a therapist in the city. Melville, plagued by doubt and depression, gives him the slip, and disappears.
Humanity remains front and centre. Melville's recalcitrance is not put down to weakness. He is a fallible human being who, we learn, gave up his 'ordinary' dreams in order to pursue his religious vocation. The film focuses on his genuine efforts to reorder his emotional, mental and spiritual state.
It interposes his existential struggle with the other cardinals' long and anxious wait, and with Rajski's often humourous attempts to protect them from the truth — that he has 'lost' the pope.
The cardinals are portrayed somewhat irreverently, as they bicker over card games, pop pills to help them sleep, and play a clumsy game of volleyball to pass the time. The portrayal is not unkind, however, and contains much pathos. We are aware throughout