Risen
24/03/16 Filed in: Cinema
Our film at the cinema this week was Risen, a story recounting the events between Christ's crucifixion and his subsequent rising. A sort of sequel to Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, which I didn't see. I'm by no means religious, and this choice of film was more to do with the alternatives on offer being less appealing. But I was pleasantly surprised.
The consensus seems to be that it is a far more soft-centred film than The Passion, and certainly once an early battle scene and the aftermath of the crucifixion were out of the way, the film was more about love and wonderment than blood and gore.
Joseph Fiennes plays Clavius, a Roman tribune who is at the beck and call of Pontius Pilote, played by Peter Firth. Pontius, as we know, was responsible for the Nazerine's crucifixion, and now he wants Clavius to clear up the mess. In particular they are worried by the fact that Yeshua (Jesus) said he would rise again, and both Pontius and the Jewish elders are very anxious that the body is not taken by the disciples as a way of 'proving' this prophecy. But, of course, the body does disappear, and Clavius is charged with finding it.
The consensus seems to be that it is a far more soft-centred film than The Passion, and certainly once an early battle scene and the aftermath of the crucifixion were out of the way, the film was more about love and wonderment than blood and gore.
Joseph Fiennes plays Clavius, a Roman tribune who is at the beck and call of Pontius Pilote, played by Peter Firth. Pontius, as we know, was responsible for the Nazerine's crucifixion, and now he wants Clavius to clear up the mess. In particular they are worried by the fact that Yeshua (Jesus) said he would rise again, and both Pontius and the Jewish elders are very anxious that the body is not taken by the disciples as a way of 'proving' this prophecy. But, of course, the body does disappear, and Clavius is charged with finding it.
He approaches his task in the clear belief that the body has indeed been taken, but as he investigates the evidence starts to suggest that other forces may be involved. The inability to find the body and the clarity of witness statements purporting to have seen Yeshua start to cast doubts in Clavius's mind, but when one of the soldiers who were charged with guarding the tomb finally tells his story, the doubts are magnified. Finally Clavius comes face to face with the truth and his life is changed forever.
This is a story that everybody with a knowledge of the Christian faith must know, but it is told here in a very accessible way and certainly isn't trying overtly to sell the religious message. Overall I would say that it's a very worthwhile film to watch over this Easter period. According to Rotten Tomatoes, it seems to have garnered more favour with audiences than with the critics, but that's nothing new.
This is a story that everybody with a knowledge of the Christian faith must know, but it is told here in a very accessible way and certainly isn't trying overtly to sell the religious message. Overall I would say that it's a very worthwhile film to watch over this Easter period. According to Rotten Tomatoes, it seems to have garnered more favour with audiences than with the critics, but that's nothing new.