Corpus Christi (2019) User Reviews

An ode to forgiving

[gbill-74877 · 8/10 · 18 March 2020]

"You know what we're good at? Giving up on people. Pointing the finger at them. 'Forgive' doesn't mean 'forget.' It doesn't mean 'pretend nothing happened.' 'Forgive' means 'love.' Love someone despite their guilt. No matter what the guilt is."

Engaging from beginning to end, with a deeply soulful performance from Bartosz Bielenia, the young man who stumbles into impersonating a priest after getting out of juvenile detention. His character brings pragmatic, meaningful spirituality to the town, and tries to help it heal from a tragedy that not only left seven dead, but a woman ostracized. I loved the theme of forgiveness and how hard it is to truly reach this state emotionally, and how it applied to both this poor woman and the imitation priest, who were both in desperate need of it.

The film toes the line between showing religion as a positive influence - making people better individuals and a source of great comfort - and getting a few criticisms in, such as mentioning that it was just a pope along the way who thought celibacy would be a good idea, and "now it's a problem." Mostly though, it shows the power of spirituality to lift people above their baser instincts, and the best moments are those when the young priest wields this power. The scene where he leads a funeral procession down the road and we see the rich mayor washing his car is one of many of this type, and it's stirring.

As much as I liked Eliza Rycembel's performance as a young woman searching for answers in the wake of her brother's death, I wish there hadn't been a growing love between her and the young priest. The film is not without flaws but none of them are too glaring, and director Jan Komasa tells the story well, keeping it engaging from beginning to end. It's solid and one that I'd recommend.

The God, the Bad and the Ugliness

[come_xxx · 9/10 · 22 September 2019]

This film could easily slide into an anecdote about a disguise that causes real change. However, it is a perfectly told film that asks important questions about the place of spirituality in a person's life, and about the chance to make amends. Contrary to being embedded in the reality of the Catholic Church in Poland, it is a universal challenge for viewers who are not afraid to check whether a bad person can do good things and what is the value of spiritual transformation committed for low motives. Greatly played by a couple of young, yet experienced actors Eliza Rycembel and Bartosz Bielenia, while the rest of the cast creates a perfect background for the small-town world, which, although on the outskirts, is not a province.

A multi-dimensional journey of a young man

[vittoriok · 9/10 · 13 October 2019]

This is the kind of movie that captivated me from start to finish. The story itself unbelievable as it may seem is actually based on a real story of young man from the Masovian voivodeship. I will not spoil any of it and will just say that 'Corpus Christi' touches on important matters and values and it's main message translates to 'love thy neighbor'. Amazing performance by the main actor and I loved the camera work. Highly recommended by a non-practitioning catholic.

Beautiful and Captivating

[atractiveeyes · 9/10 · 7 February 2020]

I finally got the chance to see Corpus Christi, the Oscar nominated movie from Poland for best international feature film, and it did come up to my expectations, so beautiful and very well made. First, the story (which is a true story) is so interesting and captivating, keeps you fully involved the whole time and tackles many values like spirituality and sins. It triggers your thinking on so many levels mainly about the good that could come from a bad person and vice versa. In addition to the story, the movie is so decently made. The cinematography is amazing with many stunning frames and so is the directing. The screenplay is brilliantly beautiful. And the main actor's performance is so solid and superb and so is everyone else. Also, the cast, the locations, the town all are great for the theme and mood of the movie. Corpus Christi is easily one of the best foreign language films and one of the best movies ever. I can't recommend it enough. Thanks to the Oscar nom that made me see this film and fall in love with it, much love to the European cinema in general from Lebanon- Middle East.

incarnations of faith

[dromasca · 8/10 · 17 December 2020]

The story in 'Corpus Christi' (2020), the film by Polish director Jan Komasa, takes place in contemporary Poland. It belongs to a category of films coming from the former communist states in Eastern Europe, which portray in various forms the religious renaissance and the growing role that national churches play in people's lives and in the social and spiritual structure of post-communist societies in these countries. At the same time, the film discusses universal issues about people's ability to forgive, about the social reintegration and spiritual recovery of those who have served their sentences for past crimes, and about those who are or may be the spiritual leaders of communities. It is a film about faith and atonement, but at the same time a brutal and quite pessimistic film. In any case, the cinematic experience is powerful.

The hero of the film is a character descended as if from Dostoevsky's novels. In him are gathered simultaneously good and evil, God and the Devil, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the juvenile delinquent Daniel and Father Thomas. Being released from the toxic environment of the prison where he still had time to study theology and to watch if not to officiate religious services, the young Daniel (the extraordinary Bartosz Bielenia) is assigned to a remote village in Poland but instead of working in the factory of timber he was sent to, he ends up, more or less by chance, being confused with a young priest, a recent graduate of the theological seminary. He had dreamed of becoming a priest, he had the vocation and the charisma, but he had not been able to achieve his goal due to his criminal record. He does not refuse the opportunity to assume the role of the priest at the pulpit when the local priest asks him to take his place while he treats his illness. Soon the young and unconventional 'priest' becomes the spiritual leader of a small rural community facing the specific problems of the transition period in Eastern Europe (lack of interest and especially lack of faith from the parishioners, disoriented and futureless youth seeking refuge in alcohol and drugs) but also confronted with the trauma of a car accident in which seven inhabitants of the village perished in an instant, an accident that traumatised the families and segmented the community that ostracises the widow of the alleged culprit. Gradually gaining the trust of the villagers, 'Father Thomas' enters in conflict with the local baron, the holder of the political power (he is also mayor of the village) and of the economic power (as owner of the sawmill). The threat is twofold. Thomas is bitten by his own doubts, and knows that sooner or later what in the eyes of the authorities (church, legal) is an imposture will be discovered. Will the call and good done in the name of the Lord be enough to save him?

Not being a religious person or a good connoisseur of Catholic rites, it is difficult for me to appreciate how credible the details of this story are, although I am reading that it has its origin in various real facts. Beyond the so-called technical aspects, the film asks some valid questions in any other beliefs or moral systems. Can a sinner, a murderer become a source of good, a leader or mentor of a community? Can good deeds absolve those who committed grave mistakes (sins) in the past? Does the cassock make the priest or his deeds and the way he inspires his parishioners? If there is one message to resume this film that at times manages to be sublime and emotional, and at other times pessimistic and brutal, it would be that the answers given to these questions by the legal system according to the scale of social values and even by the institution of the church are different than those that inspire faith in the hearts of those who believe. The film is very well written and produced, the story has rhythm and fluency, the cinematography is expressive. The success of 'Corpus Christi' in places where it has been seen so far is largely due to the exceptional performance of Bartosz Bielenia, an actor of great talent and intensity, who manages to render the whole complexity of the character, with his contradictions and internal fires. The merit of director Jan Komasa is that he manages to ask important questions and lets us judge and answer ourselves, the spectators. 'Corpus Christi' is full of details about church life but you don't have to be a Catholic or a believer to resonate with the dilemmas and feelings of its hero. Same as Father Thomas's sermons and words which are addressed to all the villagers, believers or not, Jan Komasa's film is addressed to all audiences.

can people change?

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 5 February 2020]

Greetings again from the darkness. There are two camps of thought. You either believe people don't change, or you believe that people can change. This feature film from Poland has been Oscar nominated for Best International Feature Film. In this film inspired by true events, director Jan Komasa and writer Mateusz Pacewicz will challenge your thoughts on people and change, as well as the role of Faith.

Twenty-year-old Daniel (a powerful and mesmerizing Bartosz Bielenia) is being paroled from the Juvenile Detention Center he's been at since committing a violent crime. While incarcerated, Daniel has experienced a spiritual awakening, and is disappointed when Father Tomasz (Lukasz Simlat) informs him that his criminal record bars him from attending Seminary and becoming a priest. After a night of partying with his old buddies and attending to other releases not permitted at the center, Daniel eschews the provided job at a sawmill. He then stumbles into a temporary spot as a priest in a small community where the elder vicar's (Zdzislaw Wardejn) health issues require him to take some time off.

Wearing a stolen priest collar, Daniel studies feverishly in order to lead mass and hear confessions. He falls back on what he has seen and heard from Father Tomasz, and even assumes that name for identity. Daniel has stepped into a community that is still reeling from a tragic car accident that took the lives of many locals. The widow (Barbara Kursai) of the "other" driver has been ostracized by the community, while mourners gather at the same site each day. Daniel befriends Marta (Eliza Rycembel), the sister of one of the victims, and he is assisted with his duties by Marta's mother Lidia (Aleksandra Konieczna), who is suspicious of young Daniel, and still carrying much anger towards the man (and his widow) responsible for her son's death.

Of course we know, even if Daniel sometimes forgets, that his past will eventually catch up with him. In the meantime, his enthusiasm and sincerity and youthful wisdom win over many in the community, and start the healing process among those who didn't think it possible. These are people desperate for guidance, and they find themselves drawn to this young man so devoted to helping. Some of the most interesting scenes include the town mayor (Leszek Lichota), who also runs the sawmill. He's a power broker for the town, and Daniel instantly recognizes his arrogance.

What is true Faith? Has Daniel turned a new leaf or is it an act? We know violence is in his make-up, but we also see that he is actually helping folks - he's making a difference. There is a funeral procession that is quietly affecting, and the theme of forgiveness is crucial throughout. Mr. Komasa's terrific film has been very well received at festivals, and it is sure to inspire many deep discussions. People are drawn to those who will assume the pulpit, and though the ending is brutal and crushing, we are reminded that no feeling compares to doing good for others ... it's addictive.

Get over subtitles and watch a well told story

[rick-55129 · 10/10 · 11 January 2020]

I saw this movie as part of the PSIFF. There were 2 movie houses packed for this performance. The story is detailed in the preview. I felt that the writing, and the performances made it one of the best films in the festival. At the end of the screening the audience were clearly awestruck. The message about the real reason for believe, not in a religion, but the power of people was uplifting. I know that some might find the story anti-Catholic, but if I met someone that was a committed to being a good person as Daniel I would be at his services.

Much like First Reformed, Corpus Christi is anchored by a strong lead performance and a slow burn with lots of moral ambiguity and ideas

[andrewroy-04316 · 7/10 · 7 February 2020]

In another strong year for the international film category, Corpus Christi deserves its spot as a nominee. It's a slow burn film with religion and moral ambiguity at its heart, and even if the climax wasn't quite everything I was hoping for, the relentless tension up to that point was more than enough to make it a good movie. Daniel, the protagonist, is the engine for all the moral searching central to the movie. He wants to be a priest, but can't be one as an ex-convict, so he pretends to be someone else making it up as he goes along. He quickly realizes that he has a talent for it and that he has the ability to really affect people's lives. The whole time, there's the uneasy tension that this can't last, which ratchets up to full throttle when an old juvie friend comes by blackmailing him. While Daniel knows his days in the happy and impactful life he's been living are numbered, he still throws himself fully into the challenges of the town, particularly blame for a tragedy that left 7 people dead. The ending was harder for me to interpret - maybe the goal was to show that you can't run away from things forever, and no matter how much good you're doing those old ghosts will come back and you'll end up back where you started? The circularity of the plot, despite the spiritual experience Daniel has, is clear. Regardless, it's very well shot and developed as a story, and Bielenia is great as the lead.

What It Means to Be a Priest

[LeonardKniffel · 10/10 · 11 November 2019]

A simple plot summary (Juvenile delinquent poses as priest, transforms village) does not begin to describe the nuanced and complex moral dilemma explored in "Corpus Christi," Poland's 2019 entry into the Oscar race. Violence, nudity, sexuality, and vulgarity--that in another film might seem gratuitous--here remind us that the world is full of angry people whose religiosity is more rooted in revenge than redemption. The central question: Is the road to love, forgiveness, and salvation more navigable when mapped by a man who wills himself into the priesthood and defies blind obedience than it is when directed by soulless compliance? Prepare yourself for a shocking and perplexing answer. Extraordinary performances, direction, and cinematography.

Different

[bryangary65 · 7/10 · 15 May 2020]

Interesting enough drama involving religion and doing the right thing

The ending got you thinking though

Often moving but also worrying and even intermittently funny, this drama unfurls a spiritual parabola that is uniquely Polish but accessible to everyone.

[eminkl · 8/10 · 26 October 2019]

Always disturbing but also worrying and even intermittently amusing, this drama unfurls a religious parabola that is distinctly Polish but open to everyone. Bartosz Bielenia, an actor with blazing blue eyes and the ability to be so still, it's as if he can freeze the frame on his own, stars like Daniel, a young ne'er from Warsaw who is in juvenile detention for crimes only later revealed. He was first seen watching the gate as some teenagers in a metalwork class brutalize a boy while the guard is out, but sheer luck opens another door for him. Drawn to religion but not allowed to join a seminary due to his criminal record, he travels to a rural town once he has been paroled in a sawmill to take up work. A little gray lie allows him to take the identity of the young new priest, Tomasz, that the city expects, and soon Daniel will perform mass and hear confessions, while the old resident curate will drip out in rehabilitation for a while. Around this midpoint, the movie risks sounding like an episode of Father Ted as directed by Robert Bresson, as Daniel / Tomasz gets used to being looked after by bossy matron Lidia (Aleksandra Konieczna) in luxurious new digs and gets to know the city folk. The plot takes an interesting turn when Daniel learns that the family has been traumatized by a horrific road accident and discovers an uncommon pastoral ability when he tries to help restore the battered psyches of the bereaved-many of them barely younger than himself, including the pretty teenage daughter of Lidia, Eliza (Eliza Rycembel). All the above may lead you to expect some sort of soppy redemptive course, but that's not where this film ends up, landing on a much darker, reflective note instead. The blue-tone cinematography of Piotr Sobocinski enhances the rapturous atmosphere and enhances suspense in a smartly written, disturbing job.

admirable trip

[Kirpianuscus · 22 August 2020]

It is a film for feel it. Scene by scene. The implausible story becomes more than adaptation of a slice of reality, but embroidery of familiar details, ordinary facts, remorses and gestures , reflection of a life perspective,after loss, after guilty and hard build of apparences. The axis - the impressive performance of young Bartosz Bielenia. . A special, in profound sense , film because it can be discovered as precise definition of the essence of Christianity, authentic vocation, envy, hate and sides of evil . A great film more about life and about near reality , reminding Dostoievsky universe . Short - an admirable trip across essences of life, faith, justice, devotation and profound truth.

Good Premise for a Screwball Comedy

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 10 September 2020]

"Corpus Christi" sounds on paper like it could be a screwball comedy: a young man recently paroled from juvenile detention becomes the substitute priest in a small town through a case of mistaken identity. The punchline is that he's really good at being a priest and the parishioners like him -- that is until his younger, more liberal attitudes and his experience as a troubled youth begin to rub them the wrong way when he wants them to heal the festering wounds that resulted from a town tragedy from the recent past.

This is not a comedy though, not even close. First of all, it's Polish. So that should tell you something right there. Secondly, there's not a laugh to be found in this somber story. I admired everything about this movie, but there was just some intangible ingredient missing that would otherwise allow me to recommend it enthusiastically. There's nothing wrong with it, but there's nothing great about it either.

The ending is shocking and bleak, and will probably leave people thinking. I'm still not sure how I feel about it.

Nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 2019 Academy Awards.

Grade: B+

Provocative, but also manipulative and ultimately flawed

[canadude · 4/10 · 15 February 2020]

Well-directed and well-acted, but ultimately melodramatic, unconvincing, and morally repugnant, "Boze Cialo" is the story of a criminal, charlatan, and hypocrite who seemingly finds redemption in a small town that is also redeemed by him.

Daniel, a convicted criminal, leaves juvie and through a series of small (and largely selfish) but significant decisions ends up impersonating a priest in a small, grief-stricken Polish town as the town's vicar goes away on sick leave. The movie goes to great pains to show us how Daniel sweeps the townsfolk off their feet with his vim, verve, and youthful energy, his improvised and unorthodox sermons and spiritual reflections. Broken by a tragedy, he guides the residents through physical grief processing, which involves vibrant arm movements and shouting to process the pain and offers them words of wisdom and soothing. The movie has moments of dramatic power, but also of cliche and falseness, its central premise ultimately tending to the melodramatic and unbelievable.

As he settles into the role of town guide, the movie cannot obscure the fact that he fully embraces and is congnizant of the power he wields in the town - power that stems partly from the role of the Catholic church in Poland and the deeply-rooted tradition of deference to it and partly from the profound grief the townsfolk want to escape so badly they'll listen to anyone who will provide solace.

"Boze Cialo" attempts to tell a complex tale of redemption, but ultimately betrays one of exploitation made easy by the hero's hubris, by tradition, and by inconsolable loss. The hero's interventions in the town's life, both to reconcile its residents and to hold certain powerful individuals to account (e.g. the mayor) ring false and hypocritical because it is not clear the hero himself ever fully comes to terms with his own guilt and his crimes. Given the political situation in Poland, with the church loudly supporting the anti-democratic regime in power, the town's embrace of a more modernist priest seems aspirational rather than true, particularly in a small rural town. Particularly problematic is his deliberate involvement in a conflict between the residents with roots so painful and deep that his attempts at resolution come off not only as egotistical (he's only a tourist in the town with no real sense of its trauma) but also morally perverse (he's a criminal himself with no right to a moral high-ground).

In the end, the movie reminds us that escaping one's past is not possible - and it deserves credit for its conclusion, which I won't spoil here. However, while there is no doubt that Daniel's encounters with the various parishioners transform him, their transformation by him is less palatable, as is the account of how both occur. This is a well-made movie about wishful thinking rather than an account of faith.

Everyone's a Sinner Baby...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 21 April 2020]

... that's for sure, but some are more forgiven for their immoralities than others, regardless of their affect and intent. Many stones thrown in this intense and emotional story of deceit from Poland that will exercise your own moral compass on the actions of the unrighteous.

Just consider watching this movie

[miloszp · 10/10 · 2 January 2020]

I know watching foreign stuff maybe difficult, but if you're able to, just watch it. I'm Polish but I don't feel any sort of connection to the movie's background and yet the story still amazed me on so many levels. Each and every performance is so honest and breathtaking and I personally love the technical side of this movie. It's a must watch of this year

A genuinely spritual cinema experience

[gortx · 5 March 2020]

Polish Director Jan Komasa's Oscar Nominated (International Film) CORPUS CHRISTI is brutal yet uplifting. Mateusz Pacewicz' screenplay is loosely inspired by an incident in Poland where a man impersonated a Priest in a small town. Here, our impersonator is Daniel (Bartosz Bielenia) a former inmate at a particularly grim youth detention center, who nonetheless finds some solace in the jail's religious services. Through a series of circumstances, he finds himself accepted as a Priest in such a tiny village. The church is recovering by a tragedy which has split the community. Daniel, it turns out, is a natural preacher. What he lacks in clerical background, he more than makes up in energy and enthusiasm. The theme here of redemption is clear, but, it is to the filmmakers' great credit that it is never made too obvious nor easy. Daniel is a deeply flawed young man that a few sermons cannot heal. His demons are always evident, both literally and within his thoughts and actions. Nor does Komasa paint the citizens with a broad brush. They don't act in unison beginning as doubters and then all joining together in support of their new priest. Daniel is neither all sinner, nor all saint. It isn't a 'Hollywood' concoction where all the grey area is stamped out. Bielenia has a natural screen presence (and very expressive eyes) which grabs the screen. Komasa's Direction is strong and he handles the tonal shifts well. CORPUS CHRISTI is a complex but highly spiritual film, and not strictly in a religious sense. It shows how the human spirit can be uplifted from within, and that it is not necessarily bestowed by trappings such as robes and other religious symbols.

An ingenuous guy

[valadas · 7/10 · 13 February 2020]

As we know Catholic Church is very strong in Poland and influences deeply the mentality, spirit and culture of the people, And this movie shows it truly and authentically through the whole performance. Daniel is a young man who came out of a detention center where he was for a crime he has committed . But his ambition is to become a priest Since he could not be admitted to a seminary because of his criminal record, he disguises himself as a priest and profiting from the absence of the local parish-priest he goes to minister to a small town where people are bitterly divided about the guilt of a driver that caused a traffic accident that killed a few of them. He managed to be well accepted there since people think he is a real priest and succeeds in pacifying the moral crisis there. However this ends disgracefully when he is denounced by someone who knew him before. A movie to be followed attentively from the beginning till the end.

Spiritual Journey

[billcr12 · 8/10 · 9 February 2020]

Peter is a man with serious character defects who has been released from a juvenile facility. He finds himself at a small town Catholic church where he dons a priest's collar and becomes a beloved charismatic leading his adoring flock. The Polish Peyton Place slowly reveals its' secrets as the good "father" hears confessions from the flock and performs masses with inspiring homily's. As a lapsed Catholic, I found the film very realistic and sentimental. The lead actor is excellent and I would place it just behind "Parasite" as the best foreign language movie of 2019.

The be-all and end-all of Corpus Christi is to bring a new, meritocratic perspective on our modern-day Christianity

[lasttimeisaw · 7/10 · 19 March 2020]

"The healing process of purging the caldron of anger, grief and guilt out of a handful of small-town parishioners pans out with step-by-step lucidity and the ultimate embrace of forgiveness and agape is a hard-won reward but Komasa rarely overreaches himself into making a schmaltzy or homily fest out of it, the film's forte is in its clear-eyed, committed presentation of a none-too-credible story, and piling on the obvious and the understated (the tantalizing sexual consummation, a blackmailing juvie belong to the former and the solemn Last Rites, a tacit love interest the latter), CORPUS CHRISTI roundly puts Komasa's name on the map as a filmmaker very nearly edging his artistic maturity, not to mention it has obtained an Oscar nomination against fierce competition."

read my full review on my blog: cinema omnivore, thanks

Great movie

[scenesfrommovies · 10/10 · 11 November 2019]

This is one of the best films in Polish cinematography. Multidimensional, thought-provoking, revealing Polish vices and played at the highest level

sex & violence almost ruin wonderful film

[juantheroux · 7/10 · 8 January 2021]

For over an hour the film is an absolute gem. But no self-respecting Catholic girl would seduce a priest (or who she thinks is a priest). The violent ending which also was obviously thrown in for commercial appeal serves no purpose other than to create a crazed zombie. Plus some deus ex machina inserts could have been handled differently, i.e., the snitch is not fully believable as presented, neither is the vicar's exit and return, nor the ease with which the hero convinces everyone that he is truly a priest. The film is best when it sticks to its spiritual themes and the acting is superb.

Delinquent succeeds as fake priest

[maurice_yacowar · 9/10 · 5 March 2020]

Here another carpenter grows into a saviour. Daniel is an undefined criminal in a Polish detention center for juveniles. There he catches the Christian spirit and aspires to holy orders. But as the prison priest re-affirms, no seminary would accept someone with his record. Clearly the Church hasn't caught the allegoric implications of the film's first line: "Use the whole saw. Cut at right angles." That is, everyone should be admissible to divine service, whatever the person's past and limitations; everyone can be turned to rectitude, to stand aright. As proof, here sinner Daniel is paroled to a remote village sawmill. Instead he drifts into the role of priest. The vicar's salutary absence puts him into full-time service, as Father Tomasz. With his devotion, humility and his hunger to serve God and man unbroken by the usual formal training, he proves a most effective village priest. Daniel brings a worldly earthiness and honesty to his engagement with the congregation and the village outsiders. In particular, he exorcises their grief over the five teenagers killed in a traffic accident. The head-on collision was caused by a man whose wife has since been ostracized and vilified in a most unChristian manner. Father Tomasz confronts them with their viciousness and directs the poor man's postponed burial. When another ex-prisoner spots the fake priest, he tries to blackmail him. Daniel resists the temptation to use the money he raised for that funeral. Betrayed, Daniel is returned to the detention center lions' den, where he's set up for a vicious beating by Bonus, the prison's largest brute. Earlier Daniel was the watch for another victim's sadistic assault. In defending himself now he turns into the warrior saviour. Our last view is of him bloodied and bowed, but with his destiny unclear. Will he be charged with murder? Will he beat the rap? We don't know because we're not told because it doesn't matter. Here a sinner grabbed his fleeting chance to serve God in the Christian spirit and he did it right. He instinctively grew into his office. After that height, no nadir he falls to can diminish him. Imprisoned himself, before and after, he has liberated the villagers, incoluding the young woman who lost a brother to the accident and her mother to unforgiving bitterness and now seeks a new life. The "priest" freed her to love and to sing.

Good film all in all, but moments of greatness are missing

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 9 September 2020]

"Boze Cialo", which means "Corpus Christi", is a co-production between Poland and France from 2019, but the focus here is clearly on Poland because Polish is the only language from beginning to end and also the movie is set entirely in Poland. It runs for slightly under two hours and scored a great deal of awards attention from bodies all over the planet. It took until now, September 2020, for the film to reach my country Germany, but it probably would have happened earlier without the pandemic. I mean we're neighbors. Let's go on with the basics: The director is Jan Komasa and even if he has been for 15 years in the industry, he is still under the age of 40. We can certainly be curious what he has coming up in the next decades. This film here catapulted him into the elite of Polish filmmakers. After all, it was nominated for an Oscar. I just forgot to say that. This was of course the icing on the cake. But as young as Komasa may be, the writer Mateusz Pacewicz is way younger. He was in his mid20s when he worked on the screenplay here and is still under the age of 30 now. In fact, after a short film that he co-wroter and co-directed, this movie here was his very first full feature project. Quite a way to enter the stage. Polish films, also the modern ones, are always a bit on the bleak side and this one here is definitely not an exception. But I will get to that later. Now a few words on the cast. Clearly, it is difficult for non-Polish audiences to find any familiar faces here, biut not impossible. For example the older guy, who played the protagonist's mentor early on is a very experienced actor. His name is Lukasz Simlat. And there are others too. Some of the cast members are pretty young though and thus not too experienced. This also applies to lead actor Bartosz Bielenia, who is really the heart and soul of this movie and physically reminded me of a young August Diehl and now seeing his photo again, the first name that came to mind is Chris Walken. Not too shabby to be compared to those. If he is also on a similar level talent-wise is something that time will tell. I would not say he blew me away and I also feel other actors could have played the part equally well, but like I said, he is basically in this film every minute from beginning to end and it as a huge challenge for such a rather young actor. I can see why he received such a great deal of awards recognition too, even if it may be a bit exaggerated.

Now as for the story, we have a young man in prison and he is released and moves to another town where he is bound to work in a sawmill. However, his own motivation is becoming a priest, but without a good degree from school that is impossible. So what does he does he do? Go to school to fulfill his dream. Not quite. He poses as a young priest to a local girl he meets inside the church and as she is close to the priest there, things develop quickly and he is accepted in the community. Maybe a bit much of a coincidence that the resident priest is struggling with his health and has to leave for a short (then long) time to go to a health resort or something and the young gun (actually very fitting description given his past) takes over. And really dwells in his new profession immediately. His talented singing voice is of great help when he initially is not too sure about the exact process when it comes to masses. So yeah, he manages to quickly make a connection with the old and young there and with the girl he meets early on there is even more. We hear his thoughts on celibacy, see him with beer in his hands etc. so there are clear signs that he is not a professional priest, bit nobody really realizes. By the way, when he hangs out with all this young folk there was also a moment I did not find too realistic how it escalates exactly when he is with them out there for the first time and apparently this was not the first time it happened. This escalation is linked to a car accident that happened a while ago, in which six people lost their lives: the driver of a car as well as five youngsters in the other car. The sole driver is considered the scapegoat for all that in the town, but the priest is keen on changing that and at least make sure that the man gets a funeral and grave, so that his partner can say goodbye to him. There are twists around that on several occasions. One would be when we find out that the sole driver may be innocent because he was not drunk. Another would be when we find out the sole driver may have been suicidal after an argument with his girlfriend, which once again turns him into the big culprit, even if the kids in the other car are not entirely innocent either. Or at least the one who drove was not. This critical situation and the new priest's role there result in him also clashing with the mayor of the local town. The scene with the kneeling down is a prime example of how he will pull through with what he thinks is right, maybe a bit too much for his own good. I must say I struggled a bit with this. Of course, he is headstrong, but he was so new to his profession and should be careful to not get caught and that everybody would find out he is a fraud. But yeah, his impulsive character was supposed to explain that. It's up to you if you believe it is true. It not terribly unrealistic, but there are a few moments like these that I struggled with and the sum of them makes it clear to me that I would not call it a great film and that maybe the Oscar nomination is a bit exaggerated, even if admittedly the actual winner from the category (also Best Picture winner) is not really any better and also massively overrated. Okay, but now back to this one here: There is not too much I wanna say anyway anymore. I guess you get the message. The ending is also again pretty controversial. He is back to jail, probably lost contact with everybody from the town, maybe also the young woman attracted to him, and has a brutal fight with the guy who hates him from the start. And eventually he prevails and the others are about to burn the place down. Is that even possible in a prison? But it is some kind of murder then you could say. Or killing at least, so a breach of a commandment going strongly against his religious career. The role of his mentor is also interesting. Even when he sees that the young man received a great deal of fanmail you could even call it from people happy with his work as a priest, he cannot let him go on because it would go against his sense of morality and responsibility. I liked it. it felt realistic and not like a forced ending. But it is actually funny, well "funny", that it was a "fellow" man of the church who brought him down in the end and not the other thug that he actually managed to somewhat convince that he is doing the right thing. Alright, that is all then. Go see this film, especially if you care about modern religion-themed movies. Then you should also watch the German film "Kreuzweg" from a few years ago. I give "Corpus Christi" a thumbs-up, albeit not an enthusiastic one. Rating here on imdb and awards recognition are a bit too much.

Violence? Redemption?

[gpompele-21160 · 5/10 · 10 October 2020]

This is a mixture of heartfelt faith and brokenness. There is repair, but, at the end, I was not sure what the film amounted to. Maybe what it amounts to most is the hypnotic, starved blues eyes of Bartosz Bielenia.