Corpus Christi (2019) ***1/2
Corpus Christi (aka Boże Ciało) (2019) presents the story of 20-year-old ex-convict Daniel, who longs to become a priest but whose criminal records prevents him from doing so. Daniel manages to find a way to make his dream come true by posing as a priest and then being left in charge of a parish when its vicar leaves for rehab. But the town is still traumatized by a tragic car accident that took the lives of several teens. Young Daniel's unorthodox sermon methods are welcomed at first but as he digs more deeply into the events surrounding the accident, he begins to lose the favor of the townsfolk.
The high concept nature of the film stretches the believability here and there but the contrast of Daniel's lifestyle—that of partying/drugs/pre-marital sex—with his more pious aspirations creates an interesting dynamic. The viewer is presented throughout with questions regarding second chances and what is means to truly turn the other cheek.
I'm not familiar with any other work by Corpus Christi's lead actor, director or writer. Bartosz Bielenia as Daniel is excellent—to the point that when the film strays from his narrative, even slightly, it feels a bit off. Jan Komasa's directing and Mateusz Pacewicz's writing is assured—both the style of the filmmaking and the focus on religion in the lives of small town people reminded me of Ingmar Bergman, particularly his "faith trilogy"—comprised of Through A Glass Darkly (1961) (my review here), Winter Light (1963) (my review here) and The Silence (1963) (my review here).
The bombastic and violent finale of Corpus Christi felt a bit jarring after the relative quiet and slow pace of the rest of the film. Obviously this was intentional, but it also felt like it was a piece of a different film. Overall I really enjoyed the film though and without spoiling anything I'll say that I liked the open-ended quality of the ending.
The high concept nature of the film stretches the believability here and there but the contrast of Daniel's lifestyle—that of partying/drugs/pre-marital sex—with his more pious aspirations creates an interesting dynamic. The viewer is presented throughout with questions regarding second chances and what is means to truly turn the other cheek.
I'm not familiar with any other work by Corpus Christi's lead actor, director or writer. Bartosz Bielenia as Daniel is excellent—to the point that when the film strays from his narrative, even slightly, it feels a bit off. Jan Komasa's directing and Mateusz Pacewicz's writing is assured—both the style of the filmmaking and the focus on religion in the lives of small town people reminded me of Ingmar Bergman, particularly his "faith trilogy"—comprised of Through A Glass Darkly (1961) (my review here), Winter Light (1963) (my review here) and The Silence (1963) (my review here).
The bombastic and violent finale of Corpus Christi felt a bit jarring after the relative quiet and slow pace of the rest of the film. Obviously this was intentional, but it also felt like it was a piece of a different film. Overall I really enjoyed the film though and without spoiling anything I'll say that I liked the open-ended quality of the ending.
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