Don’t expect to see two sides of the Holy See in In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis (now streaming on Hulu) – Gianfranco Rosi’s documentary is either all about the Pope’s persona, or there is no persona at all. The director pieced together archival footage from a decade’s worth of documentation of Francis’ international appearances, meeting citizens and speaking to world leaders, addressing many of humanity’s greatest ills, including oppression, sexual abuse and war. Rosi avoids using talking heads or narration and just lets the images of the Pope, along with his words, tell a loose, weirdly impressionistic, occasionally fascinating story.   

The Gist: We open on a closeup of Pope Francis giving a carefully worded speech about dreams (Werner Herzog would be proud – or appalled. Hard to tell which). The film segues into a shot of a twirling radio antenna accompanied by audio of what sounds like a refugee vessel in peril on the water. We see images of a capsized boat, then another static shot of the Pope in Lampedusa, 2013, speaking on their behalf: “The globalization of indifference has taken from us the ability to weep,” he says. 

From there, we follow him from country to country almost haphazardly: Brazil, 2013, to shrieking fandom, the camera over his shoulder as he waves to throngs of admirers from the Popemobile. USA, 2015, where he speaks to Congress about the evils of making and selling weapons for “money drenched in blood.” Chile, 2018, where he speaks on the shame he feels for Catholic priests who committed sexual abuse; the streets erupt in protest over his defensive comments about an accused bishop, and he later apologizes for his unintentionally hurtful choice of words.

It continues, to the Philippines, 2015, in the aftermath of a destructive typhoon; to Kenya, 2015, to speak to the United Nations about the refugee problem; to Israel, 2014, and then Palestine, 2014, to bridge gaps between religions; to Cuba, 2016, where he ends the ongoing conflict between the Orthodox and Roman churches, which has been ongoing since 1054 (it’s about time, eh?). It pauses for a moment in the Vatican, 2020, vastly empty in the midst of the pandemic. He speaks via satellite to astronauts from a smattering of nations inside the International Space Station (the Popemobile apparently isn’t capable of space travel – yet). His words inevitably embrace grand concepts of unity and peace over separatism or violence, and his intention is to inspire. For the Pope, thoughts and prayers actually seem to carry some weight. 

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: For more on Pope Francis, consult your school library – or watch Jonathan Pryce portray him (across from the Pope of Acting, Anthony Hopkins) in The Two Popes (on Netflix). 

Performance Worth Watching: Is Pope Francis “performing”? His warm, enveloping earnestness suggests not.  

Memorable Dialogue: One of first lines we hear from Francis in the film is perhaps his most simple, direct and inspiring: “Do not be afraid to dream.”

Sex and Skin: None. 

Our Take: In Viaggio is as fascinating as it is frustrating, structured as a collection of sequences that feel assembled with more intuition than intellect. The film can be insightful, but it can also be frustrating, attempting to suss out rhyme and reason for this particular time-hopping hodgepodge of Papal appearances. Rosi likely intends to follow a near-meditative rhythm, and he sometimes achieves it. Other times, the doc simply feels repetitious, not in the subject matter Francis addresses – that particular repetition, of suffering stemming from ideological differences, reflects the universal pains of the human condition – but in the imagery: The Pope sits solemnly with other religious leaders, the Pope speaks to massive crowds, the Pope travels through streets lined with admirers, the Pope peers out the window of his plane (sometimes at a convoy of fighter jets as his security, a deeply ironic sight considering his mantras condemning war, weapons and violence). 

Some moments are thoroughly moving – shots of Francis greeting people in Mexican prison or quietly praying with individual survivors of the Filipino typhoon say a lot about the Pope’s power to heal and inspire. Perhaps the idea here is that the Pope goes wherever he’s needed, that there’s no rhyme or reason to human suffering. Rosi cuts in horrific images of destruction and death, followed by his subject addressing those miseries in a manner befitting someone of his influence: Firm, but kind. I don’t know if we truly “get to know” Pope Francis as a man, although who he is is inevitably reflected in his actions as a figurehead. One thing we do know for sure: The Pope really gets around. 

Our Call: STREAM IT. You don’t have to be a Popehead to appreciate In Viaggio’s images and insights. Even a modestly flawed documentary about a major world leader is inevitably fascinating, simply due to the very nature of its subject matter.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.