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Witness to Hope - The Life of John Paul II
 
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Witness to Hope - The Life of John Paul II (2002)

Starring: Rene Auberjonois, George Weigel Director: Judith Dwan Hallet Rating: NR (Not Rated) Format: DVD
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

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  • This item: Witness to Hope - The Life of John Paul II DVD ~ Rene Auberjonois

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Witness to Hope - The Life of John Paul II
71% buy the item featured on this page:
Witness to Hope - The Life of John Paul II 5.0 out of 5 stars (19)
$13.49
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Product Details

  • Actors: Rene Auberjonois, George Weigel
  • Directors: Judith Dwan Hallet
  • Writers: George Weigel, Judith Dwan Hallet
  • Producers: Judith Dwan Hallet, Catherine Wyler
  • Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
  • Language: English
  • Subtitles: Spanish
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rating: NR (Not Rated)
  • Studio: Xenon
  • DVD Release Date: April 26, 2005
  • Run Time: 116 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00096S412
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,413 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #54 in  Movies & TV > Documentary > Religion
    #76 in  Movies & TV > Special Interests > Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality
  • For more information about "Witness to Hope - The Life of John Paul II" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Shaped by the terrors of Nazi-occupied Poland and the subsequent brutalities of the Communist regime, John Paul II became one of the world’s greatest proponents of religious freedom and human rights. With rare historical stills and archival footage, along with new location footage taken in Rome and Poland, this richly textured film traces the personal life and struggles of the first non-Italian pope in over 450 years. Based on George Weigel’s book of the same title, Witness to Hope is a complete and intimate portrait of an extraordinary leader.

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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars "poet, philosopher, mystic, pope", June 4, 2005
Based on the biography by George Weigel, this is an excellent overview of Pope John Paul II's life. Weigel is interviewed extensively, as well as many who knew John Paul II in Poland, in the church, and those on the world stage who interacted with him because of his enormous influence on international affairs, like former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski.
The early years have a few reenactments, but are mostly shown with riveting archival footage, some of it from the horrors of the Nazi invasion of 1939, through WWII.
Then as the Nazis left, the Soviets arrived, and there is a quote saying it felt like "losing the same war twice", as Stalin's fist of iron bore down on the Polish people.

John Paul II was born in 1920 and had much tragedy as a child, losing his mother when he was 9, and his older brother three years later. Handsome and athletic (with looks that remind me of Lawrence Olivier), he was a poet and actor, worked in a quarry, and then joined an underground seminary. It is a life so full of important events, that this documentary moves fast to include them all.
There is marvelous footage of his triumphant return to Poland as pope for the first time, which spread the seeds of freedom and the Solidarity Movement of the workers in Poland. Also covered are the assassination attempt, and how his views sometimes clashed with the ideology of the secular world.

Written and directed by Judith Dwan Hallet, with narration by Rene Auberjonois, and music by Fred Karns, this is good way to quickly familiarize oneself with the life of this saintly man who was "called to a greater love".
Total running time is 2 hours.
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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars PERFECTION!, March 30, 2002
By Jeff Jones (Redlands, California United States) - See all my reviews
This is the best piece of film on Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla) in history. It is not simply a masterpiece for it's portrayal of the Holy Father, but it is also a cinematic masterpiece. It looks good, it sounds good, and yes, IT IS good, very, very, good. I cannot talk enough about the beautiful and piercing yet gentle and quiet power of this film. Whether or not you read the book, it doesn't matter, SEE THIS FILM!
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic., June 3, 2002
By Marcia L. Dietrich (Leavenworth, KS USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Though I knew much of the story of Pope John Paul II's life this film brings it all together in a powerful and personal way. I'd recommend this for anyone. The history, the struggle for religious freedom, the perserverence by faith. This is better than 99% of what Hollywood produces, yet a true story and an inspiration for us all.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Factual film
This film is an excellant historical record of John Paul The Great. It ends before his death but gives a detailed background of his life with many interesting and moving reasons... Read more
Published 25 days ago by Michael P. Mccarthy

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive biography of Pope John Paul II
George Weigel is a genius! This biography of a great man, Pope John Paul II, Karol Wojtyla, is a classic. Very moving, very thorough. Ten thumbs up..highly recommended!
Published 9 months ago by Moongie

5.0 out of 5 stars Deserves to be Very Widely Seen
This is a powerful, effective, moving telling of the life of John Paul with documentary footage and recollections by those who knew him. Read more
Published 11 months ago by R. J. Buck

5.0 out of 5 stars Witness to a Lovely Life
"Witness to Hope" is a moving tribute to our late Pope John Paul II. I enjoyed being educated all over again about the life of this amazingly spiritual human being. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Connie B. Gonzalez

5.0 out of 5 stars Witness to Hope
The video uses archival footage and photos along with the more recent photographic updates to perfection. Read more
Published 22 months ago by G. Sand

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definite Biography of John Paul II
This is absolutely the BEST biography out there on John Paul II. Unlike those by A & E or NBC or the like, it is simply based on the facts. Read more
Published on April 5, 2006 by Midit

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary Witness
This presentation of the life of John Paul II is extremely thorough, well-researched, and insightfully relayed. I highly recommend it.
Published on February 1, 2006 by K. Allard

5.0 out of 5 stars DEFINITELY A BUY
This is a pleasant look at John Paul II's life which will inform and move you. I have several DVD's on JP II and this one seems to be the best one out there. Read more
Published on August 11, 2005 by Don't Listen To Me

5.0 out of 5 stars John Paul II The Great
The great, true biography of the great man. As his fellow polish, I watched the movie and felt as I was back home. Read more
Published on August 4, 2005 by Monika

5.0 out of 5 stars "Be not afraid!"
I saw this on PBS recently about 2 months after Pope John Paul's death. It one of the best documantaries I've ever seen. Read more
Published on June 15, 2005 by "Sasha"

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