The Young Pope Explained

Genre:Drama
Creator:Paolo Sorrentino
Director:Paolo Sorrentino
Opentheme:"Watchtower" (Instrumental) prod. by Labrinth
Composer:Lele Marchitelli
Num Episodes:10
List Episodes:
  1. Episodes
Cinematography:Luca Bigazzi
Editor:Cristiano Travaglioli
Camera:Single-camera
Runtime:46–60 minutes
Related:The New Pope

The Young Pope is a satirical drama television series created and directed by Paolo Sorrentino for Sky Atlantic, HBO, and Canal+. The series stars Jude Law as the disruptive Pope Pius XIII and Diane Keaton as his confidante, Sister Mary, in a Vatican full of intrigues.[1] The series was co-produced by the European production companies Wildside, Haut et Court TV, and Mediapro.

The world premiere of The Young Pope was on 3 September 2016 at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival, where the first two episodes were screened out of competition, the first time in the history of the festival that a TV series has been a part of the program.[2] The series premiered on television on 21 October 2016 on Sky Atlantic in Italy.

The Young Pope was originally designed as a limited series, and was marketed as such especially in the United States.[3] However, it was later followed by The New Pope, with Law returning and joined by John Malkovich.[4] Production began in Italy in late 2018.[5]

On 14 July 2017, The Young Pope received two nominations for the 69th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, becoming the first Italian TV series to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.[6]

Plot

A young cardinal from New York, Lenny Belardo, becomes pope of the Catholic Church when the leading contenders of the Papal conclave fail to win election. Installed as a compromise candidate, Belardo takes the name of Pius XIII and immediately proceeds to challenge the established traditions and practices of the Vatican. In one of his first acts, he decrees that common people are not worthy to gaze upon the Pope's face and appears to a crowd in St. Peter's Square shrouded in darkness. Next, during a meeting with the Cardinal Secretary of State, the Pope states he will now become directly involved in the political affairs of the Vatican, effectively assuming control of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See.

Alarmed by his radical changes to the church, several senior cardinals begin a plan to try to control the Pope and assuage him from even more dangerous ideas to the church. In response, the Pope installs Sister Mary, the nun who raised him in an orphanage, to serve as his chief adviser and publicly denounces several cardinals. He likewise threatens to confiscate all the property of various religious orders, in particular the Franciscans, if they do not accept his unquestioned leadership. Following this, the Pope directs that the Papal tiara be removed from a museum and returned to the Vatican as his personal crown.

In a last ditch effort to rein in the Pope, the cardinals arrange a meeting with the Prime Minister of Italy who is subsequently bullied by the Pope and threatened with an archaic papal procedure allowing the Church to direct Italians for who they should cast their votes in local elections. Fearing at this point that the Pope is trying to restore the Papal States, it is then discovered the Pope is suffering from massive depression and that all of his actions have been driven by his desire to confront his parents, who abandoned him as a boy.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Flashbacks

Guests

Production

The Young Pope, the first TV series by Paolo Sorrentino, was produced by Lorenzo Mieli and Mario Gianani, together with the French company Haut et Court TV and the Spanish company Mediapro.[8] The project was financed by Sky, Canal+ and HBO, which contributed 40 million euros, with part of the money coming from the European Regional Development Fund. Production took three years between 2014 and 2016.[9] [10]

The script was written by Sorrentino, Stefano Rulli, Tony Grisoni and Umberto Contarello.[11] The cast, announced between July and August 2015, includes Jude Law as the young pope; Diane Keaton as Sister Mary; James Cromwell, Silvio Orlando, Scott Shepherd, Javier Cámara and Toni Bertorelli. It also includes Cécile de France, Ludivine Sagnier, Guy Boyd, Andre Gregory, Sebastian Roché, Marcello Romolo, Ignazio Oliva, Vladimir Bibic, Daniel Vivian and Nadie Kammalaweera.[12] The main character is almost always seen only from the waist up, to give the impression that he might be soaring. Sorrentino said he inherited this technique from Spike Lee.[13]

Principal photography, which took seven months, started in August 2015 and took place mainly in the Cinecittà studios, where the interior of the Vatican was recreated. Exterior shots and garden scenes were taken at a number of villas, primarily Villa Lante (Bagnaia), Villa Medici, and Orto Botanico dell'Università di Roma "La Sapienza", while some interior shots were also taken inside Palazzo Venezia. Parts of the last episode were shot in piazza San Marco in Venice.[14]

Broadcast

The series premiered on 21 October 2016 on Sky Atlantic in Italy and Sky Atlantic in Germany and Austria, on 27 October 2016 on Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom and Ireland, on 28 October 2016 on HBO Europe in various European countries, and on 15 January 2017 on HBO and HBO Canada in the United States and Canada.[15] [16] It premiered in Australia on SBS Television on 29 April 2017.[17] In India it was telecast on ZeeCafe.

Reception

The Young Pope received positive reviews in the UK,[18] [19] Ireland,[20] and Italy.[21] Jude Law's performance has garnered praise by Jasper Rees of The Daily Telegraph,[22] while the Italian weekly Catholic magazine Famiglia Cristiana objected to "caricature-like characters created to appeal to an American audience".[23] [24] [25]

On US review aggregator Metacritic, it has a rating of 68, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[26] The show also currently has a 80% positive rating from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes combining 89 reviews.[27] Its "Critics Consensus": "The Young Popes original premise and stylish blend of over-the-top melodrama with profane comedy helps overcome an occasionally muddled plot."

Some Catholic reviewers were put off by what they perceived as the series' anti-Catholic stance.[28] Such critics took issue with a presentation of the Church they found to be caricatural and "cartoonish".[29] Other reviewers complained about anti-Catholicism in the entertainment industry more broadly.[30] However, some conservative reviewers praised the show for its portrayal of tradition and authentic religious devotion.[31] [32]

Audience viewership

In Italy, the two-hour premiere drew the highest rating ever for the pay TV network Sky. With 953,000 viewers overnight, it beat the initial release of Gomorrah and the Italian release of Game of Thrones.[33]

Awards and nominations

YearCeremonyCategoryRecipient(s)Result
201769th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or MovieLuca Bigazzi, Director of Photography[34]
Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More)Ludovica Ferrario, Production Designer
Alexandro Maria Santucci, Art Director
Laura Casalini, Set Decorator
201775th Golden Globe AwardsBest Actor – Miniseries or Television FilmJude Law

Notes and References

  1. News: Wagmeister. Elizabeth. Diane Keaton to Star Opposite Jude Law in HBO and Sky Series The Young Pope. 30 July 2015. Variety. 28 July 2015.
  2. Web site: Venice Film Fest: Paolo Sorrentino's The Young Pope to Get World Premiere. The Hollywood Reporter. Ariston. Anderson. 9 July 2016. 10 November 2016.
  3. The Young Pope: HBO releases new trailer. Entertainment Weekly. Joey. Nolfi. 5 December 2016. 23 December 2017.
  4. Web site: Welcome to the papacy.. HBO. 2018-07-02. @HBO. en. 2020-05-16.
  5. Web site: The Young Pope to get follow-up series called The New Pope. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/the-young-pope-the-new-pope-a7739921.html . 7 May 2022 . subscription . live. The Independent. Clarisse. Loughrey. 17 May 2017. 28 August 2017.
  6. Web site: Emmy Awards: "The Young Pope", il record di "Saturday Night Live" e le candidature di Nicole Kidman, Anthony Hopkins e gli altri. Corriere della Sera. 14 July 2017.
  7. Web site: Vivarelli. Nick. Paolo Sorrentino's Young Pope Rounds out Cast with James Cromwell and Slew of Top International Talent. Variety. 19 August 2015. 4 August 2015.
  8. The Young Pope di Paolo Sorrentino evento speciale della Mostra di Venezia 2016. Film.it. 9 July 2016. 22 October 2016.
  9. The Young Pope: Paolo Sorrentino e Jude Law tra provocazioni e contraddizioni del loro giovane Papa. it . Cuomo. Antonio. Movieplayer.it. 7 August 2015. 22 October 2016.
  10. it . The Young Pope arriva su Sky. Sorrentino già prepara la seconda stagione. Affaritaliani.it. 10 October 2016. 22 October 2016.
  11. it . The Young Pope: il pressbook della serie in PDF – Terza parte. 10 October 2016. 11 October 2016. 16. Skyatlantic.sky.it.
  12. Diane Keaton to Star Opposite Jude Law in HBO and Sky Series The Young Pope. Wagmeister. Elizabeth. Variety. 28 July 2015. en. 15 June 2016.
  13. The Young Pope, Paolo Sorrentino racconta come è nata la fiction di Sky. it . TV Sorrisi e Canzoni. 17 October 2016. 22 October 2016.
  14. Venezia, in piazza San Marco le riprese di The Young Pope. FOTO. it. Sky TG24. 12 January 2016. 22 October 2016. 22 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161022170932/http://tg24.sky.it/tg24/spettacolo/photogallery/2016/01/12/young_pope_riprese_venezia_serie_tv_sorrentino_jude_law.html. dead.
  15. News: Tartaglione. Nancy. The Young Pope Trailer: Jude Law is a Contradiction, And God – Venice. 5 September 2016. Deadline Hollywood. 3 September 2016.
  16. Web site: The Young Pope Gets Premiere Date On HBO. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. 1 November 2016. 1 November 2016.
  17. http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/italian/en/article/2017/04/10/young-pope-premieres-exclusively-sbs "The Young Pope premieres exclusively on SBS"
  18. News: The Young Pope review – fantastically anxiety-inducing viewing for lapsed Catholics. Lucy. Mangan. 27 October 2016. The Guardian.
  19. Web site: The Young Pope is a hit with Catholics – so why is Pope Francis so silent about it?. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-young-pope-pope-francis-catholic-church-sky-atlantic-jude-law-a7397371.html . 7 May 2022 . subscription . live. 4 November 2016. Independent.
  20. News: The Young Pope review: Jude Law, bums and white smoke. 27 October 2016. The Irish Times. 8 June 2017.
  21. Web site: Si è chiuso The Young Pope, abbiamo fatto un bilancio. Gianmaria . Tammaro . La Stampa . 19 November 2016 . it.
  22. News: The Young Pope: Jude Law convinces as a very modern pontiff. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/10/27/the-young-pope-jude-law-convinces-as-a-very-modern-pontiff/ . 12 January 2022 . subscription . live. The Telegraph. 27 October 2016. Rees. Jasper.
  23. News: 17 January 2017 . Paolo Sorrentino's The Young Pope Debuts to Stellar Ratings in Italy. Nick. Vivarelli. 22 October 2016. Variety.
  24. News: Famiglia Cristiana . 17 January 2017 . it . Ma Questo Papa non è da Oscar . 21 October 2017 . Maurizio . Turrioni . Not an Oscar style Pope.
  25. Web site: The Young Pope: perché piace e perché no. The Good Pope: What Pleases and What Doesn't . Famiglia Christiana . Maurizio . Turrioni . 27 October 2016 . 17 January 2017. it.
  26. Web site: Critic Reviews for The Young Pope Season 1. Metacritic. 15 January 2017.
  27. Web site: The Young Pope: Miniseries. Rotten Tomatoes. 24 March 2024.
  28. Web site: HBOs The Young Pope is Absurdity Masquerading as Art. Catholic Stand. 2 February 2017. 14 June 2017.
  29. Web site: HBO's The Young Pope Repels More Than it Engages. catholicregister.org. Catholic News Service. 14 June 2017. 10 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170910044956/https://www.catholicregister.org/home/arts/item/24118-hbo-s-the-young-pope-repels-more-than-it-engages. dead.
  30. Web site: HBO's Foul Stench: Reviews of the Cable Network's The Young Pope Confirm that it Is Simply Anti-Catholic Drivel. Our Sunday Visitor. 14 June 2017. 10 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170910043057/https://www.osv.com/OSVNewsweekly/Article/TabId/535/ArtMID/13567/ArticleID/21665/HBOs-foul-stench.aspx. dead.
  31. Schmitz. Matthew. Waiting for a Young Pope. First Things. March 2017 . March 2017. 9 September 2017.
  32. Bayles. Martha. A Long-Form Miracle. Claremont Review of Books. 25 April 2017. XVII, No. 2. Spring 2017. 9 September 2017.
  33. Web site: The Young Pope da record, + 45% di 'Gomorra' nella prima puntata. 22 October 2016.
  34. Web site: Emmys - The Young Pope. January 9, 2018.
  35. Web site: The Young Pope - An HBO Limited Series (DVD). TV Shows on DVD. 26 December 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20171226131058/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Young-Pope-Complete-Series/17226. 26 December 2017.
  36. Web site: The Young Pope [DVD]]. Amazon.ca. 6 June 2017. 26 December 2017.
  37. Web site: The Young Pope [DVD]]. Amazon. 26 December 2016 . 26 December 2017.
  38. Web site: The Young Pope: Series 1 (DVD). EzyDVD. 26 December 2017.
  39. Web site: The Young Pope - An HBO Limited Series (Blu-ray). TV Shows on DVD. 26 December 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20171226130841/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Young-Pope-Complete-Series-Blu-ray/17225. 26 December 2017.
  40. Web site: The Young Pope [Blu-ray]]. 6 June 2017. Amazon.ca. 26 December 2017.
  41. Web site: The Young Pope [Blu-ray]]. Amazon. 26 December 2016 . 26 December 2017.

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