Director: John Michael McDonagh
Writer: John Michael McDonagh
Foxfire Category: Fine Wine
One-line Review: a character study in sacrifice and forgiveness
MPAA Rating: R
SPOILER WARNING: In this review, I give away the ending of the film, but hide the identity of the parishioner in the confessional (see trailer). Consider youreself warned.
Calvary. The title evokes images of the crucifixion—Jesus’s body hanging on rough timber; a criminal’s execution; the dying man extending forgiveness to His killers. McDonagh’s film overflows with Christian themes, but this is no Christian movie. It does not follow the stock formula for that “genre.” There are no stunning conversions, no step-by-step explanation of the significance of our Lord’s passion. If you came looking for a Christian movie, this is not that.
Calvary follows a week in the life of a priest: Father James. He is a good man: a kind father, a gentle pastor, an astute observer, and an honorable clergyman. For this reason, Paxton intends to kill him. You see, Paxton was molested by priests when he was young and now he’s out to settle the score. His molester is dead already, and to kill a guilty priest would not settle the score anyway. Since Paxton was not guilty when the priest abused him, only the death of an innocent man could accomplish justice for the abuse of an innocent child. Motivated by this twisted logic, Paxton enters the confessional and promises to kill Father James in one week’s time. The movie cuts from this disturbing threat to the Father giving of the sacrament later that day.
The rest of the movie is not easy to distill into words. It unfolds with scene after scene of the Father interacting with the people around him—his colleague, his parishioners, and the townspeople. His daughter, Fiona, arrives from London, wrists bandaged and heart broken, bearing shame for her failure and struggling with some lingering resentment toward her father. This Irish town is full of sinners. Swindlers and adulterers, drug-users and serial killers, prostitutes and drunkards. As Father James minister to each them, we find ourselves wondering who made the threat. At times though, we forget about the threat entirely and get caught up in the individual predicaments.
This film does not play like a thriller or a mystery. It has elements of both, but is billed as a dark comedy. Brendan Gleeson is brilliant as Father James, embodying the role so completely. His character is supported by a slew of others, each bringing a wonderful flavor to the town. By many of their own admission though, they signed on mostly because they loved the characters McDonagh had written for them.
Like I mentioned, this film is not a Christian film, yet Father James embodies the life of Christ. First of all, the movie follows his passion, the final week leading to his death. He is about to die for crimes he did not commit—and exactly because he did not commit them. He faces a Gethsemane moment in which he contemplates giving up, taking off the cassock and leaving for Dublin. But in his moment of despair, an angel in the form of a widower ministers to him. He dies between two criminals, one a murder and one a swindler. The murderer ends up in prison. The swindler repents, or at least takes steps in that direction before the Father’s death. And lastly, Father James offers forgiveness to his killer. The Father is by no means a perfect man, but he offers an example of the type of love that Christians are to have for others.
I love this movie. It has rewarded numerous re-watchings and each time leaves me contemplating my own discipleship. Am I willing to sacrifice my life for Christ, for others. Do I forgive as I have been forgiven? Do I love others, even when they mock me? Do I speak truth even when it is difficult? I commend it to you heartily.