Some reviewers here find it remarkable that "Shoes" predicts a Slavic Pope, and then, lo and behold, John Paul II is elected just ten years later. He was a Slav; and that's about the end of the similarities. John Paul II was from a good, middle-class background and no crazy Socialist like Pope Quinn; he was never in a gulag or Commie prison, either.
If this was supposed to be the Church in the late '80's, I can only say: I wish! It seems like the biggest change at the Vatican, according to this goofy movie, was the papal apartment: John Gielgud seems to be hanging out in a Vegas hotel. And no one seems sad when he dies: all the Cardinals wear their festive lace rochets during the mourning period when traditionally lace was set aside. Oh well, the budget was probably fairly limited after the expenditure on the look-alike Sistine chapel.
There were, however, a couple of things where art imitated life: the ridiculous subplot with David Janssen was meant to reflect West himself, always angry at "the Church" because of his adultery and failed marriage. So, there has to be a "sympathetic" philanderer/adulterer to let West grind his personal ax a little. Likewise, the weirdo priest played by Werner needs to be there to spout all the silly ideas from the 50's and 60's that West and his pals thought were going to change the Church and the world.
One curious but unverified footnote: like Pope Kiril, Paul VI supposedly ordered a white business suit made; but when he tried it on (in the words of a friend), he realized he looked like a bald, little Italian man in a white suit, and that was the end of it.
Some beautiful scenes of Catholic ceremonies, nice views of Rome; otherwise, tedious, dated, and preposterous.
If this was supposed to be the Church in the late '80's, I can only say: I wish! It seems like the biggest change at the Vatican, according to this goofy movie, was the papal apartment: John Gielgud seems to be hanging out in a Vegas hotel. And no one seems sad when he dies: all the Cardinals wear their festive lace rochets during the mourning period when traditionally lace was set aside. Oh well, the budget was probably fairly limited after the expenditure on the look-alike Sistine chapel.
There were, however, a couple of things where art imitated life: the ridiculous subplot with David Janssen was meant to reflect West himself, always angry at "the Church" because of his adultery and failed marriage. So, there has to be a "sympathetic" philanderer/adulterer to let West grind his personal ax a little. Likewise, the weirdo priest played by Werner needs to be there to spout all the silly ideas from the 50's and 60's that West and his pals thought were going to change the Church and the world.
One curious but unverified footnote: like Pope Kiril, Paul VI supposedly ordered a white business suit made; but when he tried it on (in the words of a friend), he realized he looked like a bald, little Italian man in a white suit, and that was the end of it.
Some beautiful scenes of Catholic ceremonies, nice views of Rome; otherwise, tedious, dated, and preposterous.