Risen is something of an answer to my cinematic prayers. Out of all of these faith-based and/or religious-themed films we’ve gotten over the last couple of years, this is one of the few that gets it right. Why? Because its filmmakers actually bother to tell a story and give us good performances instead of beating us over the head with a Bible in such a clumsy, obvious fashion.
The movie is a fictionalized account of after the Resurrection of Jesus and it’s told through the perspective of a Roman centurion named Clavius (Joseph Fiennes). He’s been ordered by Pontius Pilate (Peter Firth) to investigate the disappearance of Christ in which His body has is believed to have been stolen by His disciples. Tom Felton from the Harry Potter films is Clavius’ second-in-command.
The movie does follow the outlines of the Gospels to an extent insofar as staying true to the material while introducing enough intriguing elements in order to keep the drama and intrigue fresh. It attempts to have much more of the epic feel of something like Ben-Hur or The Passion of the Christ rather than the campy, flamboyant tone of Jesus Christ Superstar.
When Clavius finally does encounter the Risen Jesus (Cliff Curtis), He is shown with His reunited disciples who see He is actually resurrected by touching his wrists and feeling his once-speared side. Once Clavius sees Jesus Himself, he follows the group all the way through until Jesus’ ascension. Post-spoiler alert.
As for concerns of accuracy or authenticity, director/co-writer Kevin Reynolds does create a Biblical world complete with old-fashioned yet convincing detail. Even with a budget of $20 million, the movie is able to compensate for certain ways in the production department.
Some people may have been turned off by examine a Biblical story from another point of view, but I promise this is no Last Temptation of Christ or eve Noah. Risen is finally the faith-based film I’ve been wanting to see for quite some time.
Grade: B+
(Rated PG-13 for Biblical violence including some disturbing images.)
