Review of Risen (2016) by Kevin A — 23 Feb 2016

This is a new take on the generic swords and sandals pic that has been a Hollywood staple since the original Ben Hur in B & W by D W Griffith. Joseph Fiennes plays a Tribune, sort of a general in the Roman army and the right hand of Pontius Pilate, well played by Peter Firth.

The bad boy from Griffindore ala Harry Potter's nemisis Malfoy, the rising young actor Tom Felton, is assigned to assist Clavius (Fiennes). As everybody knows, after his crucifixation, Christ's corpse is placed in the tomb of Joseph of Aremethia for a proper burial.

But also as everybody knows, Christ's tomb is empty in three days. The Jews and Roman rulers aren't getting along very well and Pilate has the Emperor Tiberius arriving for inspection in 10 days.

So Clavius is tasked with finding the body that went missing, almost any body as decay is quick in the heat of the desert and Pilate needs to show the masses that He has not Risen, lest Pilate have a martyr Messiah on his hands to foment the locals with his boss Tiberius arriving soon.

Clavius is relentless in turning over every tent and even digging up the recently dead in order to find that missing body. Along the way Clavius begins to have his agnosticism challenged; is it magic or has the Messiah arrived and left as he foretold? Thoroughly compelling although the story is almost eternal, it is a delightful new take on this most familiar story.