Risen

Risen, 2016

Directed by Kevin Reynolds, 107 minutes

Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth, Cliff Curtis

Review by Katherine Scheetz

The Bible epic Risen should not have been marketed as a manhunt, when the eloquence of the film only emerges after the man has been found.

Joseph Fiennes is Clavius, a Tribune on the rise for Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, who witnesses the crucifixion and then is sent in search of a body, once the sealed (literally with red wax pressed by Roman seals) tomb is emptied. How doe-eyed sidekick Lucius (Felton) can even hear Fiennes’ commands though the husky, testosterone-filled whisper he’s suddenly acquired, is beyond us.

With more animated acting we might have been moved by Clavius’ transformation, but deadpan stares through dark eyelashes does nothing for us. By complete contrast, the comradery of Yeshua’s eleven remaining disciples is buoyant, introduced to us first through Bartholomew (Stephen Hagan), 33 A.D.’s dirty hippy, with a smile eternally slapped across his face. Simon Peter (Stewart Scudamore) also resonates by being presented as refreshingly candid. Curtis preserves the enigmatic character of the outlaw Yeshua with thoughtful lines and kind glances.

With filming locations like Spain and Malta, the arid, patchy landscapes and jagged, sun-bleached rock formations provide a majestic set. The lighting team used their surroundings well by letting firelight throw laughs and shadows against open rock faces. Other notable moments include the ethereal beams of light streaming into Clavius’ cross-examination room and candle light against the crown of thorns.     

But the writing is stale and overemphasized, utilizing every synonym for zealot listed on thesaurus.com. The story itself however, takes a momentous turn 2/3 through when Clavius aids the disciples in a successful escape from Jerusalem. It is, ironically, in these imagined interactions, which follow their journey to the sea of Galilee, that the story finally becomes truthful. It’s not the “epic manhunt” the poster promised, and that may have just saved the film.

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