Papal TV

Eight months after the death of Pope John Paul II, the man remains a mystery.

Two competing TV movies airing this week shed some light on the events that shaped the Polish boy Karol Wojtyla and drove him to become the pontiff he was. Neither film, however, illuminates why he became a priest or whether he had any doubts along the way.

The CBS two-part, four-hour film features Carey Elwes, who plays Karol Wojtyla until his election as pope in 1978. Jon Voight stars as Pope John Paul II. The production also had access to the Vatican. Church historians provided script consultation and scenes were shot in St. Peter’s Square, the Sistine Chapel and other church-owned properties in Rome.

ABC’s “Have No Fear: The Life of John Paul II” is half as long and boasts no major stars. It airs first tonight, and opens with a disclaimer that it is based on “published accounts” of the pope’s life rather than official cooperation from the church. The film, however, looks and feels like a docudrama made to endorse the early elevation of John Paul to sainthood.

Thomas Kretschmann, unfamiliar to American TV viewers, plays the pope. Physically, he is too tall and thin for the role, but he exudes goodness and spirituality just as the real John Paul did. The film feels more like a travelogue of the man’s life, showing snippets of important events, rarely lingering on any.

The highlight of “Have No Fear” is a confrontation between the pope and Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero. The pontiff chides Romero for his espousal of liberation theology, which the Polish-born John Paul compares to communism.

Joaquim de Almeida, familiar to fans of “24,” is mesmerizing as Romero, who was brutally murdered during John Paul’s reign. A film about the conflict between these two charismatic, forceful men of faith would have been far more interesting than the one ABC made.

Romero does not make an appearance in the CBS version. Neither does the fall of the Berlin Wall, for which John Paul was given much credit at the time of his death. Other international events, in particular the rise of Solidarity in Poland, are woven into the pope’s opposition to the Soviet rule of Eastern Europe and his focus on Catholic youth.

Elwes, best known as the Dread Pirate Roberts in “The Princess Bride,” gives the young Wojtyla a charm and athletic grace that explains the old man’s later hold over crowds of millions. Elwes captures the pope’s love of the outdoors and his zest for life.

Voight has trouble sustaining that, although he is very good at portraying the man’s frustration with his physical limitations, which included Parkinson’s disease and the ravages of old age. The American actor also gives John Paul a stateliness befitting the pope’s role in world affairs.

Between the two films, a two-dimensional portrait of Pope John Paul II can be cobbled together. To get a true understanding of the man and his legacy, more time must pass and better filmmakers than the ones who rushed these TV movies into production must be in control.

“Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II” will air at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, on ABC Channel 7. “Pope John Paul II” will air at 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, and at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7, on CBS Channel 5.