Popcorn with the Pope: A Guide to the Vatican Film List

by David Paul Baird, Andrew Petiprin, Michael Ward

In 1995—one hundred years after the birth of cinema in Paris—a Vatican-appointed commission compiled a list of forty-five significant films. The entries vary widely, ranging from light-hearted favorites like The Wizard of Oz to challenging arthouse features such as The Seventh Seal.

This list, released under Pope St. John Paul II, was an important milestone in the dialogue between the Church and the wider culture. Yet for many Catholics and cinephiles alike, it remains undiscovered or unclear. What was the list for? And why did the commission choose these particular titles?

In this groundbreaking study, David Paul Baird, Andrew Petiprin, and Michael Ward walk readers through the entire Vatican List, film by film. The authors show that its aim was not to serve as a “best-ever” register, nor as an anthology of approved works; rather, it was to guide people in an appreciation of cinema as an artistic language and a bearer of spiritual and moral messages.

In addition to theologically and historically informed commentary, each chapter includes film stills, quotations, fun facts, and questions for further reflection and discussion. Elevated yet entertaining, Popcorn with the Pope is perfect for anyone interested in delving deeper into a Christian approach to movies.

Due to formatting restrictions, the Kindle version of Popcorn with the Pope does not include the images that are in the printed version of the book.

Genres: Catholic, Film, Nonfiction

345 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 4, 2023

Reviews

[Joseph R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1995 the Vatican released a list of recommended films for the one-hundredth anniversary of the Lumiere Brothers' first public showing of motion pictures. The list isn't intended as a definitive "best of" or "Catholic Church approved" set, it's more an honoring of the medium. The intent is also for viewers to be more discerning and appreciative of movies. Rather than being passive viewers, movie watchers should engage with what they are watching in a more deliberate way. The list is divided into three categories: religion, values, and art. Each set has fifteen films. This book reviews the various films from both a Catholic and a film critical perspective.

The book starts with an overview of the creation of the list and some commentary on the value of the list. Then each film is given an synopsis, a critical analysis, a review of its importance in cinematic history, and some discussion questions. The synopses are valuable to gage how interested a reader might be in each film, especially with films that are more obscure and less accessible, like the five and a half hour silent French feature about Napoleon (which is in the Art section because it innovated a lot of visual techniques). The historical contexts are also interesting and add some further understanding. I found the critical analysis wanting in some cases. They exhibit the typical film critic bias toward art house and foreign films, gushing with praise and insight for obscure films. More popular fare, like Stagecoach or Wizard of Oz, gets shorter shrift. The analysis is always interesting but I don't always agree with it. Also, part of the problem is the selections for the list itself. It has some films that seem like they were chosen just to have one in the genre, like the only animated film Fantasia and the only horror film Nosferatu, when other films in those genres are equals or better. The list has a lot of historical dramas and a surprising number of Italian Neorealist films.

I found this informative but not always enjoyable. A healthy debate is a good thing, I suppose.

Mildly recommended.

[Holly Ordway · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do “Chariots of Fire,” “Little Women,” “Modern Times,” and “The Burmese Harp” have in common? They’re all reviewed in “Popcorn with the Pope,” and in turn that’s because they appeared on the Vatican Film List, released in 1992 to commemmorate the 100th birthday of film, of 45 movies that are notable in some way (artistically, historically, thematically: most don’t have a specifically religious element).

The authors David Baird, Andrew Petiprin, and Michael Ward make great use of this list to provide a fascinating, fun, and informative tour through a hundred years of the cinema. They don’t assume that you’ve seen the film, so they deftly give enough detail to provide context or remind you of it, without spoiling it. But where some guides to film might stop there, Popcorn is just getting started: each review is well-written and provides an insightful reflection on what’s interesting about that film. What are its artistic merits and its themes? Where does it fit in the history of cinema? Why should we be interested in it today?

The book is ideal for dipping into, but it also repays reading all the way through. I found that I enjoyed all the reviews, in different ways. The reviews of films I’d already seen provided additional insights so that I’ll enjoy them even more on the next viewing. There are films that I knew were ‘classics’ but had never seen – and now I have them on my to-watch list. (The trivia tidbits are fun: I now know which 1930s comedy is alluded to in one of my favorite movies, "Paddington 2"!) And there are others that I’d never heard of, and some I probably will never watch, but I enjoyed reading about them and appreciating their contribution to the development of movie-making. It’s an indication of the skill of the authors that every review is interesting and worth reading in itself.

Fittingly for a book about moving pictures, this book is lavishly illustrated with still photos from each film. I also liked that each review includes a set of discussion questions: great for a group conversation but also for prompting one’s own reflection on the film. Highly recommended.

[Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back in 1995, Pope John Paul II created a list of 45 films that many consider to be masterpieces of cinema. This book divides the films into three categories: Religion, Values, and Art. Although I was familiar with many of the titles, there were others I had never heard of. Authors David Baird, Michard Ward, and Andrew Petiprin take turns introducing us to these cinematic works. All three authors have distinguished academic credentials. The information is accompanied by beautiful stills from the movies. A small sample of the films covered includes Babette's Feast, On the Waterfront, The Seventh Seal, Nosferatu, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Film lovers will definitely want to take a look at this book. 

[Doug Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

just fine for what it was... title says it all.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flipped thru for recs only