Back in 9th-grade English class, Franco Zeffirelli was considered a hero. For teachers, he was the guy who made Shakespeare more accessible for kids by including nudity in his film of Romeo and Juliet. For students, well, he included nudity in movie that was required in-class viewing. Now the kids have Luhrman’s version of R&J to fawn over (despite its lack of boobies), but Zeffirelli is still tops for lazy students of Shakespeare, as his Hamlet, which stars Mel Gibson, is still likely the most accessible alternative to actually reading the play that high schoolers have.
Will Zeffirelli have the same luck with Pope Benedict XVI? Reuters reports the Italian filmmaker and affirmed Christian has offered to help with His Holiness’ public image — and I stress this is only at the proposal stage. But it is a proposal Zeffirelli hopes the Vatican takes seriously. He said:
Coming after a media-savvy pope like John Paul II is a difficult task … Benedict XVI still communicates coldly, in a way that is not suited with what is happening around him … It’s an issue I have been discussing with people who have key roles in the Vatican.
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