Though far from a critical darling upon it's theatrical release, I recall at the time reading a near ecstatic review from Nick Allen at RogerEbert.com. Mr. Allen stated that 'Mary Magdalene' "moved me in a way that no previous film about Christianity ever has." While I do not share his reaction to this film, it did remind me of a time when I had a similar reaction to a different movie, Denys Arcand's 1989 French-Canadian release 'Jesus of Montreal', which I saw for the first time in 2011.
What Arcand's movie did for me, and what director Garth Davis's film did for Allen, was a take a story that had been somewhat calcified by repetition, reframed it and reinvigorated it. Watching 'Mary Magdalne' I was struck that I don't recall ever hearing the Jesus story principally through the eyes of a woman.
The ethereal Rooney Mara is Mary of the village Magadline, a small Jewish fishing community on presumably the Sea of Galilee, back in the first century. She is a quite, introspective woman who yearns for something more meaningful then the time and place of her birth would seem to allow. Her family is trying to persuade her to marry a recent widower with several children, and he seems like he's probably nice enough, but Mary finds herself 'not built for that life'. When a traveling preacher and faith healer visits her village in the company of a number of his disciples, she believes she may have found what she's been looking for.
Jesus here is played by Mara's real life romantic partner Joaquin Phoenix and it's an interesting casting choice. Phoenix has in the role both a magnetism to him, and the ability to come across as a crazy man in a robe. The movie concentrates on this ambiguity, in most cinematic portals Jesus comes across as clearly divine, here it is more uncertain, one can understand both peoples embrace and rejection of him.
Mary and Jesus connect in a way unique among the disciples, she seems to have more sway with him then the others, and helps redirect some of his preaching to concentrate on the women, who were second class socially and theologically amongst the Jews of the time. The scene in which Mary lends a hand to assist in baptizing a large crowd, could be anathema to religious conservatives, but has a sense of wonder to it, emphasizing the radical change promised by this young Jesus movement.
Speaking of radicalism, something else I enjoyed about the film was the way it placed Jesus and his followers amongst the radicals' of Roman occupied Palestine. The disciples are expecting that this ministry is building towards an insurrection, and while Mary points out to them that their savior had not promised political liberation, just spiritual, the others seems to feel that the political aspects were implied. Judas for one is shown as thinking so, the prospect of independence from the Roman's and their corrupt puppet monarchs is what attracted him to the movement in the first place; while he very much believes in Jesus miracles, he perceives them as just the warm up act for revolution. When Judas comes to see that this is not the case, that is when he betrays his savior, hoping his imprisonment will spurs him to action, when it does not Judas hangs himself.
This film is too slow and lacks the sweeping emotion that would seem appropriate for such a story of spiritual transformation, still it is full of interesting ideas, and a perspective on the Jesus story that feels fresh, even as it feels ancient. ***
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