Product Details

• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Bonneville Worldwide
• VHS Release Date: April 6, 1999
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1577422759
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #542,219 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Raised in Poland and witnessing the havoc intense nationalism wreaked on humanity in World War II, Pope John Paul II has since become the hand of healing and peace to nearly every country left desperate in its aftermath. Pope John Paul II: The Conscience of the World celebrates the Pope's 20th anniversary as the world's most compassionate leader by documenting his life, his actions, and his worship. From the fall of Communism in the U.S.S.R. to his visit with Fidel Castro of Cuba in 1998, this poet, actor, and peacemaker has fearlessly violated borders and regimes with his gospel of human rights and endeared himself to the hearts of Catholics and political leaders alike. Watch this video and discover why. --Courtney Kehn

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forgot I was watching Albert Finny, he became Karol Wojtyla, March 28, 1999

By 

Helen Carlin, ocds ([e-mail]) (Oregon, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pope John Paul II [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I really forgot I was watching an actor, both young Karol and the man Karol, the acting was so well done by all. Patrick Stewart as an antagonist was superb. One can not help but feel the emotions that Karol felt as his character is formed by the experiences of his life, from the loss of his mother at an early age and his father as a young man, the ocupation by the Germans, the plight of the Jewish families that led him to risk his life for them. Also his meeting with a mentor who intoduces him to St. John of the Cross, he became a Secular Carmelite as a result and the Carmelite St. John of the Cross was to influence his life right up to the present day. It was his dealings with the Communists, as Bishop of Cracow, that gave such hope to the Polish people. An example was at Nowa Huta. This is the story of a man who was formed by the experiences of his life which brought him to the understanding of the true meaning of love. Not the passive kind, but the love that acts to restore the dignity of the human being. It shows his ability to be empathic with the suffering of everyone. It reveals his capacity to understand all sides and to mediate well, which is part of what got him elected to the highest position in the church. It also shows his astute mind and strong-willed commiment to his principles in dealings with the Communists and others. Keep your kleenex handy, you will feel this story very deeply.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent film!, April 3, 2005

By 

Odilla (East Coast USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pope John Paul II [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This was an excellent film telling the story of the young Karol, as well as a tiny bit about him as Pope. I found the scenes of Karol in Poland as it was under Nazi Occupation to be the best. The film captured his humor, and his heroism, and his sanctity (done in a very "true" way instead of a "hollywood holy" false way).

I strongly recommend this film. I'm puzzled by a few of the other reviews- I think they are mistaking this film for another one that's a documentary. This was a regular movie with actors playing the Pope, and the acting was very good.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm Pope-eye the Savior's man!, May 13, 2000

By 

Paco Calderón (Mexico City, Mexico) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pope John Paul II [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Many people today think of John Paul II as some sort of well-intentioned preachy old-timer set in his church's archaic ways, with little, if nothing, relevant to say in our present troubled times. As this movie shows, they couldn't be more wrong! We're talking about a bigger-than-life hero here, if ever there was one!

Albert Finney is astounding in the role of a Polish working class priest witnessing first hand the worst atrocities of the XX century, and putting his own life on the line in order to stop and ammend them. I don't know if Finney ever recieved any award for this perfomance, but I do know John Paul II will go down in history not only as a great pope, but as an example of what being human means!

You don't have to be a Catholic to apreciate this, nor to watch the movie!