Film: Jesus Of Montreal
Release date: 27th February 2006
Certificate: 18
Running time: 115 mins
Director: Denys Arcand
Starring: Lothaire Bluteau, Catherine Wilkening, Johanne-Marie Tremblay, Remy Girard, Yves Jacques
Genre: Drama
Studio: Arrow
Format: DVD
Country: Canada/France
The story of Christ is not new to most people. In fact, to many it is the greatest story ever told. From epics depicting his life to films focusing solely on his death, there is no lack of resources to look at when examining this religious icon. Canadian director Denys Arcand gives us a fresh look at this figure in a contemporary setting, played out by a group of actors as they try to give their own version of Jesus' story itself.
Hoping to increase tourist trade and the dwindling numbers attending his services, Father Leclerc hires a recently returned actor, Daniel, to re-vamp the story of the Passion of Christ. Daniel sets about researching the role and gathering together a troupe of actors with which to make this a reality.
With his group brought together, Daniel sets about re-imaging how the story is told using recent evidence that has been discovered about Christ. While this is greeted with success and critical acclaim from the audience, it is not what the priest had in mind and soon the production is in threat of being shut down by the Roman Catholic Church itself.
As their fame grows, so too do the outside influences wanting to shut it down. As the group try to keep the show running as long as possible, Daniel soon finds that the trials and tribulations that faced Jesus are now starting to impact on his own life…
It is not uncommon to have movies that are filled with symbolism, whether it be religious or otherwise. Sometimes they are there for the audiences to see. In others, they are laced within the sub-text, visuals and dialogue. As this is a film about Christ and this is a subject many know, most can be seen clearly here. Daniel’s return from his mysterious travels at the age of 30, his gathering of actors who eventually become his ‘disciples’, right through to his persecution by the Church and those in positions of power.
The acting is good all round. Lothaire Bluteau does a great job of portraying a man undergoing a transformation from a man into something more. His brooding presence adds greatly to this as he tries to stand up for his beliefs against unbeatable odds. His troupe also hold their own in the role of disciples. Catherine Wilkening is a commercial actress who believes it is her body alone that has gotten her to where she is today. Johanne-Marie Tremblay is a failed actress trying to make ends meet. Rémy Girard is a pretentious actor who will not agree to anything until he has seen a script, and Robert Lepage fills out the last place as an actor who has been reduced to dubbing over porn. Throughout the movie we see them grow into a group of friends who come to rely on one another as they place their faith and careers in Daniel's hands. As an obvious take on the Apostles, they even go so far as to share a ‘last supper’ before the opening night of the show.
For a movie like this, you could expect a lot of animosity towards organised religion, but here, Arcand is reserved. Whilst it is the Church that wants to put a stop to the show, it isn’t shown as an all consuming evil. The representative of the Catholic faith is Father Leclerc, played brilliantly by Gilles Pelletier. He is a man disenfranchised with his own belief system but also institutionalized into the only life he knows how to lead. He is a priest who, it transpires, has bedded women and sees the commercialism of religion as a means to an end in supporting his lifestyle and the continuation of his congregation. He is not an evil man, but more a coward unwilling to stand up to his own hypocrisy. Plus, the Church's unease at the production is understandable, as Daniel's revitalized re-telling takes broad strokes at undermining the teachings and facts that most Christians hold dear, so it is no surprise they want to shut it down.
In fact, it is another community that receives the most biting criticisms the film has to offer. The theatrical world itself is mocked more openly than the Church. This is first seen in the critics who spout the exact same asinine critiques for a play which opens the film to their review of the troupe's Passion, as both are in vogue at the time of their comments. One of Daniel's own friends is famous for his steadfast refusal to do advertisements at the beginning but after seeing the praise heaped upon the show, is seen at the end adorning a poster on the wall of a train station, forsaking his own morals in his quest not to lose the spotlight. Rémy Girard only agrees to be in the production on the assurance that he will be allowed to recite a monologue from Hamlet. At the start of the movie, all the actors are struggling for their art, none of them where they want to be but all trying to do the thing they love no matter how degrading it is. Although this helps cement them later when they have a common goal, it is a cautionary tale about the ups and downs that must be endured in the life of an actor.
As mentioned above, the comparisons between Daniel’s and Jesus' lives are easy to see, but it is when these aspects are brought into the modern setting that the movie works best. Daniel’s explosion of rage directed towards a company who ask a girl to strip naked for a beer commercial audition is a nod towards Jesus ransacking the temple as the people who wield power abuse it for their own ends. The Romans are replaced by the police, not wanting to or even caring why they have to stop the production but simply men with a job to do. His temptation by the Devil is beautifully recreated as he looks out over the city and is promised it all by a sleazy lawyer who wants to entice him to sign with him, in order to cash in on the new found success he has garnered. Though the highpoint of the film is when the story brings the ideas of miracles and resurrection into present times, it is both inspired and bittersweet.
A good movie with some interesting ideas. Bringing the story of Jesus into the modern age works due to some inventive ideas and an actor willing to throw himself into the role. Though these comparisons can sometimes be heavy-handed, they highlight how the message and life of Christ can still be as relevant now as it was then. On a final note, although it doesn't seem to be the film's intention, the themes and liberties taken with the story have the potential to offend and upset, so it may be best avoided by some. DM
No comments:
Post a Comment