Genre: Drama/Biopic
Related Titles: Mary, Judas, The Passion of Christ
By Leanne Harragan
A biblical drama based on the life of Mary Magdalene. Watch as she devotes herself to Jesus becoming one of his most loyal followers.
Mary Magdalene is the first film of the year that I went into without seeing a single trailer. The title is pretty self-explanatory so there were no big surprises along the way. It is not an exciting film, there is lots of walking and lots of deep conversations but not a lot else along the journey.
The film follows the journey of Mary Magdalene, devotee to Jesus and ends with the well known story of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. The draw of this film is that it is from the perspective of Mary, a woman whose name has been besmirched, as being a prostitute especially as a woman who didn't follow the typical tradition of being married and having children.
Like I said this film features a lot of walking and is beautifully shot, every scene has been carefully designed and it pays off because it is visually stunning. Another thing that is really enjoyable is the score. Jóhann Jóhannsson's final score and it is a beautiful one, it adds emotion and character to the scenes.
The cast in this film are outstanding. Rooney Mara as titular character does a wonderful job at portraying a caring, loving woman. There are two scenes in particular that stand out, the opening when shes helps a woman through the pain of labour. There is a scene later on where she stumbles upon a village decimated by the Romans and finds a woman who is on the verge of death and helps her through the moment by taking her hand and talking to her about the safety she'll find in the afterlife. Joaquin Phoenix is another powerhouse actor in this film, his portrayal of Jesus shows him as exhausted and as a man who struggled through until the end.
While this film isn't exciting or action packed, it is a great tribute and a tasteful RE lesson, that clears the name of a besmirched woman. It also shown a different light on Judas and his background and the things that led him to make the choices he did.
Rating: 6/10
By Rebecca Mannick
So I could write this review entirely based on my opinion/non opinion on whether this a representation of a true story - or just an overdone fictional movie. But what I know for sure of is the true beauty and ambience of the cinematography. It seemed to me that they filmed a lot of scenes and establishing shots in 'golden hour' which for photographers and videographers is the hours shortly after sunrise and just before sunset. The natural lighting was able to complement the natural beauty of the Earth. I was hoping that it was filmed in Israel but its actually filmed on locations in Southern Italy.
You first pick up with Mary with her family in Magdala where she does not fit into a normal life that is expected from a young Jewish woman. This is because she does not want to marry a man nor have children, so in the eyes of the men she has no role in their society. Without any purpose in her life she gravitates towards Jesus with promises of a new world. Mary then leaves behind her family to follow Jesus, she is the only woman to do so at this moment in time. Jesus is able to influence through preaching but most of all by performing miracles which leaves him exhausted and fragile.
Rooney Mara is effortlessly natural and stunning. There are a number of close-ups which would usually poise tricky for actors but every detail for Mara is on point. She is able to portray someone so serene but who also has grit and determination. The relationships Magdalene is able to make seem so authentic due to Mara's ability to compliment other performances.
If you're super religious, this is definitely a picture you should catch. It is a good adaption of the story that is very well known. However I do feel this perspective from Mary Magdalene is often overlooked, so it's nice to see in that respect. But if you're like me and not religious it's just an alright movie and nothing special. It will all mean something different to each individual person.
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