Mary Magdalene is a new film that seeks to re-evaluate the role of the newly named Apostle of the Apostles, reclaiming her image from the harmful and slanderous reputation that has defined her for the last few hundred years. The film begins with Mary at odds with her community. She is a skilled midwife but her occasionally eccentric behaviour has her labelled an outsider, possibly even possessed. Jesus passes through this small community and immediately establishes a bond with her. She soon decides to leave her home and follow him during the last weeks of his life.
Rooney Mara plays Mary Magdalene with great humility. It’s a very understated performance as she takes joy in the teachings of Jesus whilst expressing great sorrow for his suffering and failures. The film demonstrates that she is distrusted and overlooked by her male contemporaries. This aspect of the narrative, in which Jesus’ closest and wisest follower is the most often dismissed due to her gender, is definitely the strongest of the film. However, she remains elusive as an actual character, just slavishly following her Messiah (which I suppose is what one does with a Messiah. It just doesn’t make for the most dynamic of characters).
Joaquin Phoenix plays Jesus with a great fervour and a somewhat quirky solemnity. His performance does occasionally verge into the comical and he is conspicuously absent from much of the narrative. It is interesting that he is often overlooked by his fellow apostles and worshipers. They appreciate him as an icon to incite others to action, and for his skills as a healer, but his actual teachings are largely ignored. This is seen as the primary motive behind Judas’ actions. Only Mary seems to understand.
The film looks beautiful. The costume design has everyone swathed in light coloured linen, subtle but striking. The cinematography traps the characters amongst rugged and barren landscapes. There’s a post-apocalyptic feel to the Judea of the film, as people carve their settlements into the rocks. Jerusalem looks beautiful in this recreation, an imposing stone city that towers over the surrounding lands.
Director Garth Davis maintains a careful pace, gradually building the drama towards the more sensational elements. There is a serenity and intimacy to the direction. However, without compelling characters, this can feel a little sluggish.
As a non-believer I want to see some sort of universal truth to biblical films. I believe that the stories of the bible can be very helpful allegories for good lessons. The aspect of Jesus’ teachings emphasised within the film is the idea of letting go of hate, and instead taking small pro-active steps towards helping people. Perhaps in a time of twitter campaigns and great apathy, this is a positive message. There is no ambiguity within the film, however, that Jesus is the son of God, that man’s ultimate goal must be to achieve a place in his Kingdom and that divine justice is more important than that of earth. Consequently, I was kept at arms-length.
Mary Magdalene tells a very familiar story from a slightly different perspective and no small amount of style. The film is at its most interesting when it is demonstrating the role of women in the life of Christ and the early days of Christianity. I did, however, find my engagement to be fairly low and in spite of the stirling work of Rooney Mara, I was not invested in the characters.
2 / 5