Year: 2007
Note: Originally I wrote this back in January of 2011. It's not cold and snowing here today; alas, the part about the diet is true.
It's a cold gray day outside today. Snow is coming down in buckets and it's been consistently freezing for several weeks. Combined with the fact that I have just embarked on a new workout/diet program in an effort to (once again) lose those unwanted pounds, I am not the happiest camper right now. But I've had my pity party and now it's time to move on. I have to remember that I have a lot going for me in my life and annoyances like the weather and working out for an hour a day are just that--annoyances. I'm not in danger of going bankrupt or anything like that. I haven't staked my entire future on a dream that may or may not come true.
Which brings me to today's post and this remarkable movie from Uruguay. Maybe my mood is affected by watching this--"The Pope's Toilet" is truly one of the most poignant, gut-wrenching movies you will ever see. And the genius of it is, that the raw emotion stems from what should be a wondrous experience--a visit from the Pope. The sadness is tempered with lots of comic episodes, but the overall theme of the movie is chasing dreams--and we all know that more times than not, the dreams escape our grasp.
The setting is 1988 in Melo, Uruguay, a mountain village near the Brazilian border. Beto (Cesar Troncoso) and buddies eke out a meager existence working as smugglers, riding their bikes back and forth across the border several times a week, returning with groceries and other goods which they can then sell to small-time shopkeepers in their village. The work is grueling, the rewards are small and on top of it all, Beto and his friends are the frequent victims of shakedowns, courtesy of a corrupt customs official named Meleyo (Nelson Lence). Beto has a wife Carmen (Virginia Mendez), who is patient and kind and remarkably supportive even in the face of the tough life they are living. There is also brooding teenage daughter Silvia (Virginia Ruiz), who is ashamed of the way her dad makes a living and who dreams of fleeing her tiny village to go to the capital of Montevideo and study to be a radio broadcaster (the scenes where Silvia practices her delivery under the cover of darkness are incredibly touching).
Excitement is running high in Melo--Pope John Paul II will soon be arriving for a visit. The townspeople view this as an opportunity to make some quick and plentiful cash selling food and souvenirs to the multitudes that are expected to descend on their village. Of course, these plans require start-up capital and the villagers are forced to mortgage everything the have in order to acquire their materials. It's a risky proposition--extremely so--and Carmen cautions against trying to make money off the Holy Father. But the lure of riches is too great and everyone busily throws themselves into making chorizo sandwiches and cookies and blowing up balloons. Beto, of course, has a scheme too. With everyone eating so much, certainly there will be a need for a bathroom. So he decides to build one on his property with the plan of charging visitors who need to make use of the facilities.
Carmen tries to point out some possible negatives ('what if they go before they leave home?") and offers an idea of her own that Beto promptly shoots down. It's all or nothing for him and soon he is launching himself headlong into building the finest public convenience in the area. The family's savings are soon exhausted though and Beto ultimately makes a deal with the devil--Meleyo--to make some "special" runs. The payout is handsome but the price is high--Meleyo now owns Beto. And when Silvia sees her dad discussing terms with the local bad guy and calls him on it, the simmering tensions in the house spill over.
I won't go into any more plot details because I would really hate to spoil the final moments for anyone who is reading this and is interested in this movie. I will say though, that there are some truly moving, powerful scenes and it makes you wonder if the title of the movie can be taken metaphorically as well as literally. Everything about this movie is amazing--the acting, the camerawork, the cinematography, everything. I could go on and on but trust me on this--if you watch "The Pope's Toilet" and aren't moved, well ...
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