How can you see and still doubt?
Clavius (Joseph Fiennes) is a Roman soldier with fame and respect among Pilate and other leaders of the city. He leads the Romans to victory, and crucifies criminals. One day during the most memorable crucifixion, he orders a soldier to pierce Jesus' side to quicken his death on the cross. He also assigns two people to guard the tomb. 3 days later, the unexpected happens. The tomb is open and the body is gone! What to do? The Jewish people are claiming Jesus risen from the dead, but Clavius and Pilate aren't about to let that rumor be true, now would they?
Risen's plot is exactly what many faith and secular viewers were thinking it to be, a very intriguing take on a Bible story. The script deserves serious kudos for being imaginative and politely playing with the story, and yet it remains in line with the original account. The movie turns into an exciting detective-like thriller after its first 30 minutes. Not every scene works in the build-up, and the major reveal (for Clavius) may happen a little early in the movie, but majority of it works quite well, both in pacing and in flow. The scenes all flow well between one another, and the editing is very solid.
Fiennes does a fantastic job in the lead. He's convincing, interesting, and even slightly sophisticated at times as a confused protagonist. Especially towards the end, however, Fiennes' character arc makes an interesting change that is both realistic and awe-inspiring. I also enjoyed Stewart Scudamore as Peter, as he seems to embody physically and personality-wise the historical figure very well. Peter Firth is appropriately theatrical as Pilate, while Cliff Curtis is also solid as Jesus (he does look different than majority of the versions I've seen of the Messiah on the big screen).
Tom Felton gets second billing in the credits as Clavius' assistant Lucius, but he's given little to do with his character. I liked some of the accents by the characters, as in previous adaptations, the dialect was (at least mostly) strictly English. With the foreign dialect and accents used by some of the characters, this adds a sense of authenticity to the film.
The cinematography, production design, and costume design is all terrific. I think this was shot in Spain and Malta (based on the credits), and the scenery is so beautiful and photo-realistic, you can't tell this wasn't shot in the actual locations. There isn't much of a music score (there are a lot of quiet scenes), but Roque Banos has a few solid moments, particularly towards the end.
On the downside, there are a few choppy scenes here and there that could have been written out a little better. The scene with Mary Magdalene is somewhat short and lacking a little in depth. I mentioned earlier that the reveal is a little early in the film, as I would have liked if they had spent a little more time working on the investigation and clues coming together. I thought the scenes with Clavius observing Jesus and His disciples were great, but I think the movie would have been just as effective if the reveal was a little later on.
Ever since the era of Cecil B. DeMille, Bible stories have been told over and over again on the big and small screen. The Easter story (the Resurrection) has been shown on screen such as in The Passion of the Christ and Son of God. And one has to ask, we've seen the story on screen before. How do you retell it in a way that is fresh and exciting, without twisting anything or offending anyone in the process?
Risen is the near-perfect answer to that equation. It does show the greatest story ever told in an exciting and intriguing way. The role of Clavius isn't exactly shown as being evil, but being more like us. We all doubt sometimes. We all struggle with sin and power issues in our lives. There's a powerful scene towards the end of the movie when Jesus asks him, "You see and still doubt. Can you imagine what what it's like for those who doubt and don't see?" Its a beautiful line that is delivered and hits right at the heartstrings.
The movie is also one of the better-produced and better-directed faith-based films in recent years. Fiennes gets a star turn in the lead, and there's hardly any weak link here in the cast. And like I mentioned before, this could have followed a path that took many exit ramps off the Scripture account. But instead, this film treats this event with respect and thoughtfully shows it in a surprisingly authentic way, while adding some exciting elements along the way (I love the idea of a 1st-century detective thriller).
Now Risen doesn't have the comic relief of the Kendrick Brothers films, nor does it carry a direct and convicting message like those and some other Christian films do. But, as a retelling of the greatest story in the history of the world, it is both intriguing and super cool.
And those who share my faith will most certainly find a lot of exciting and yes, super cool things here too.
Score: 8.6/10
Content Problems Families Should Be Aware Of:
Language: None that I caught.
Adult Content: Mary Magdalene is referred to as a woman "of the street", most likely referencing prostitution. Clavius goes to his soldier's bunkroom and asks how many of them know her, to which many raise their hands. Clavius and Pilate are seen with just undergarments on in a hot bath.
Violence: The violence in the first 30 minutes warrants Risen's PG-13 rating. Clavius and the Romans get into a scuffle with a group of Gentiles, with a moderate body count. Some are stabbed to death or impaled (we only see the action occuring, with the camera cutting away right before the result. Only a few bloody gashes are seen). The crucifixion is also seen shortly after, with some blood. One Roman breaks two's legs, while someone else pierces Jesus' side (again, the camera cuts away before we see any results). The crown of thorns is seen to cause more bloodshed on Jesus' face. The thieves on the other crosses are seen taking their last breaths and dying. Besides that, we see a few disturbing shots of dead, decaying corpses (flies and everything). We see a deceased Roman soldier with a grotesquely stitched-up face (a coin is placed in his mouth). Clavius accidentally slashes Peter's leg. Someone holds a sword to someone's face and chest. We see Jesus' scars from his crucifixion.
Drugs/Alcohol: The Roman soldiers do drink. The guards at Jesus' tomb bring out a flask of wine, and the flask reappears one other time. One scene takes place in a bar, and one of the guards there is obviously inebriated as he tries to tell what happened at the tomb. Pilate also sips wine.
Other: Some characters lie and mislead.
