Review of Risen (2016) by Frances H — 03 Dec 2016

Having been born in 1950, I grew up seeing all the big Biblical epics, which I always enjoyed--The Ten Commandments, The Robe (a good contrast to this film), Ben Hur, King of Kings, The Greatest Story Ever Told (with the great Max von Sydow in his first American role), The Bible (with the first male naked buttocks), Barnabas (with the great Anthony Quinn), and Quo Vaddis, to name just a few.

There was always the Cinemascope treatment, Technicolor, the cast of thousands with lots of big stars, huge sets, and a thundering score by somebody like Miklos Rosa. Then came the 70s with Jesus Christ, Superstar and Godspell.

with their modern music and minimalist staging. In the 90s and early 21st century, it was the controversial Christ re-telling, films that were not very popular, since critics like them, but audiences were shocked.

Now, with this film, perhaps a new treatment and I liked it--a practical man who tries to come to grips with an experience beyond his ability to reason. The filming style is bare bones and realistic, no awe-filled thundering score and theatrical, Shakespearean declaiming here, Christ is very much just a gentle, loving and compassionate man whom the disciples greet with hugs and smiles.

His ascension isn't staged like a Baroque painting--he blends into the morning sun. I liked it--it was a story on a human scale and actually left me with more to think about than the epics, which made all the decisions about how you were supposed to feel for you, super-imposed on you almost against your will.

The treatment here is--this is what this practical, cynical soldier saw, he accepted it. Whether you do or not is up to you, the viewer, who saw it as he did.