Pope Pius XII

6.4
2010 3 hr 33 min Drama , History

Rome, 1943. The city is occupied by the Nazis. The lives of thousands of Jews are in danger, and in Vatican City, a neutral state within the borders of Rome, Pope Pius XII is struggling to save the city from hunger and destruction.

  • Cast:
    James Cromwell , Alessandra Mastronardi , Elena Arvigo , Ken Duken , Mathias Herrmann , Christine Neubauer , Nathalie Rapti Gomez

Reviews

TinsHeadline
2010/10/31

Touches You

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Listonixio
2010/11/01

Fresh and Exciting

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Console
2010/11/02

best movie i've ever seen.

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Bereamic
2010/11/03

Awesome Movie

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David Orr
2010/11/04

I give this film 3 stars only because it has a fairly well-dramatized screenplay, even though the story is utterly wrong in the way it portrays what Pius actually DID. There's lots of good (and recent) historical research that exposes Pius's unpious approach to dealing with Hitler. The director and writers of this film should have done some homework.Or maybe that's what they did NOT want to do? Maybe this film is a conscious propaganda effort seeking to whitewash the church's failure to oppose fascism. Pius not only did not oppose Hitler, he was in league with Mussolini! There's new research documenting that, too.All in all, I would say that this film is little more than a feel-good P.R. film for the Catholic Church. Take it for what it is.

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Srosxi
2010/11/05

Quote of Saint Pio: "Pray, hope, and don't worry. Trust in the infinite goodness of almighty God." So, (SPOILER about 15 minutes into the movie). Little has been seen of Pope Pio, and even less has been said. But one of his top guards (of the Vatican) stated about what will keep the German Nazi scum out of the Vatican was only a "white line." Apparently, if he was truly a believer in Jesus Christ, as I would assume all Vatican guards are, he didn't even consider that his God, the almighty, would protect the Vatican.The movie, listed as historical, has serious flaws. The movie was first made in 1957 (I believe), but some young director considered that historical movie needed modifying. So, which history is correct? The same happens to our young children in the United States of America. I was told that Christopher Columbus discovered America. Yet, the town of St. Augustine in what is now Florida, founded by Spain I believe, was established before 1492. Or, perhaps I'm getting history wrong. Was what would become the United States of America actually discovered by nomads from the higher northern portions of the Earth by crossing from Asia to what is now Alaska? History never was my strong suit. And thus, when I see a "biography" about Pope Pio is based on almost everything but the actual Pope, I stay away.I should have not watched the 30 minutes of this TV blasphemy either.God bless the United States of America, and God bless Texas.

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Bob Shank
2010/11/06

In spite of being a 'foreign films' fan, I hadn't been aware of this 2 episode 2010 release until an old girl-friend brought it to my attention on Netflix live streaming. Dragged kicking and screaming into it, I eventually found myself totally captivated with the history and directing. I've always been a James Cromwell follower, even though he often plays the dirty fellow. But in this release he has absolutely nailed-down a reversal in rolls with a deeply-convincing performance. OK, so there were a few lame efforts from less-than-perfect actors, but the intent was right there in your face. And in my humble-but-most-accurate opinion, all parts were sincere and played well into the story. I thought, in my 6 decades of viewing, some of the scenes were 'world class.' Especially near the end, Part 2, with the Pope face-to-face, alone, with the German officer responsible for many of the atrocities). Up until now, I had been totally unaware of this side of the Catholic efforts during WWII in Rome (I'm a Baptist), and was amazed to find myself fascinated with the depicting of it in this most appreciable movie. I think the history of this film, and its depiction, should be viewed by all serious movie fans and historians. It's worth the kicking and screaming.

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dixie-35
2010/11/07

OK, where to begin! Talk about milking it and over dramatizing, this film is trying really really hard. The lead actress is so hard to watch and listen to, she's pretty and I guess that's why she was cast, her acting is shallow, wooden, nothing draws me into her character, it feels like she's just saying her lines, but does not embody her character. Maybe with time she'll grow as an actress, that's always the hope. Of course the director must take responsibility in the casting as he has final say and seems intent on casting cute peeps rather then real actors, though many of the actors were fine. Cromwell is always excellent. I can see why they only produced two episodes. The subject matter is always interesting, well mostly,

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