Corpus Christi
Stories about faith, especially when it comes to uneasy relationships with it, are catnip for me. I have some Presbyterian upbringing, but I do not follow a particular religious upbringing in my thoughts on God. Movies are like parables for me, and when they involve the spiritual journey of a character who feels the pull of a higher purpose, it does not matter if the film has a specifically religious text to it- I’m intrigued.
The Polish entry for last year’s International Film Oscar, “Corpus Christi” is inspired by a true story, one that sounds so crazy you cannot imagine it would be true. What it brings to the table is a lead performance by Bartosz Bielenia that is rapturous and alive as Daniel, a young man who finds spiritual awakening in juvenile detention, and is afforded the opportunity to bring it to the masses when he is released. How he does that is the crazy part- it’s also just one of the pieces of the film that is so fascinating.
Daniel is in juvie for reasons we are unsure of, but when we meet him, he is enraptured by the sermon he hears the chaplain give. He is about to get out, and though he has acclimated himself to life inside, he has found himself changed by the message the chaplain gives, and is inspired by his words to want to preach the gospel, as well. His mentor, however, tells him that he will not be accepted into seminary because he is a felon, which deflates him. Still, when he is let out, he makes his way to a small town, and walks into a church to pray. When a young woman (Eliza Rycembel) near him asks him what he does, he claims to be a priest. When he manages to brandish a clerical collar, he is taken to the church’s current priest, and he begins to work with him in the church. One day, the older priest must go away to get healthy after becoming ill, and Daniel must step up.
The screenplay by Mateusz Pacewicz has some interesting depth to it, not just in the individual story of Daniel, but in the community at large. There is obvious contrast the film, directed with thoughtful perception by Jan Komasa, can simply make between the way the older priest and Daniel engage their flocks, but this is a community in mourning. A recent car crash has left an open wound among many of Daniel’s parishioners, and forgiveness in short supply when it comes to the widow of the man who caused the accident. Maybe this is an area where Daniel can be a calming force, although his youth shows through in how he dives right into it. It rubs plenty of people in the community to wrong way, and- when someone from his past shows up, and threatens to expose him- it brings some traditional plot conflicts in the story. When it focuses on questions on the nature of faith, grace, forgiveness, and how spiritual matters can influence people in different ways, “Corpus Christi” is as thoughtful and engaging a film as I’ve seen in recent years on those subjects.
