Well crafted, Christian-faith films are a rarity to come by, but do happen every so often, as is the case with 2016’s Risen—an alternate take on The Greatest Story Ever Told (or, more accurately, its epilogue), shown from a Roman tribune's perspective. The alternate perspective is a refreshing twist to a done to death story (though amusingly, the Coen Brother’s recent Hail Caesar! satirizes the idea as a film within their film), yet what successfully sells the film are three aspects: acting, subtlety, and cinematography.
The acting is solid in Risen, particularly from its anti-hero tribune, Clavius (Joesph Fiennes). It’s remarkably fun having the usual villain characters cast into the protagonist spotlight—particularly in a Christian-focused film—though it’s only for the first two-thirds. Pontius Pilate (Peter Firth)—a Roman prefect the New Testament portrays in a noticeably complex light—offers a unique perspective on Christ’s death and influence. Here, Pilate is portrayed as a fleshed out anti-villain: a stressed out ruler barely keeping his province under control from riots resulting from Christ’s crucifixion, and later, supposed resurrection. I almost feel sorry for the guy, trying to calm uprisings before his boss, Emperor Tiberius, comes to visit, in addition to appeasing the all too demanding Sanhedrin—who insist Pilate publicly burn Christ’s body to dispel rumors of resurrection (much to Pilate’s exasperation). I never would have guessed Risen’s wittiest humor would come from conversations between Pilate and the Sanhedrin discussing various ways to dispose of Christ’s body. There’s actually a surprising amount of dark comedy directed towards Biblical figures, such as when Clavius asks his men for a show of hands on how many have slept with Mary Magdalene—which the majority confess to after an amusingly awkward pause.
Risen subtly handles its Roman tribune’s religious conversion, which is very, very unusual to find within Christian cinema, or any religious-based media for that matter. Christ (Cliff Curtis) is given a deliberately average looking appearance, that is a bit jolting at first, but becomes a refreshing, welcomed change from his usual blue-eyed, divine look. The film is even brave enough to create non-Bible canon scenes between Christ, his disciples, and Clavius (there has to be pressure when a writer's asked to write new, serious conversations for God himself). The film is wise enough to keep Christ’s new dialogue to a minimal, letting characters such as Clavius do most of the reflective talking while Yeshua (how Christ is referred to in-film) acts as a spiritual psychologist of sorts. The film’s background visuals are beautifully well-made, in particular the shots where Clavius walks beside a massive stone prison (this review’s title picture) and the disciples fishing under a glorious, starry sky. Risen is an unusual, yet effective mix between fast-paced action sequences, witty banter, and reflective, religious discussions. Its unique perspective on Christ’s death and resurrection, combined with its previously mentioned, effectual aspects, distinguishes the film from the typical religious format—making it a rare Christian-faith film that not only succeeds on a religious level, but on a general entertainment level as well.
