RISEN is a modest but engaging riff on the old post-crucifixion Easter legend as told through the eyes of a non-believer. In 33 AD Jerusalem, Roman occupiers are under threat of a Jewish uprising. The Jews claim a Nazarene named Yeshua (aka Jesus – played by Clifton Curtis) is the Messiah, so Pontius Pilate (Peter Firth) promptly has him crucified, then orders Roman officer Clavius (Joseph Fiennes) to witness the execution and help dispose of the body. Three days later Jesus’ corpse has vanished from its cave tomb, though the entrance was blocked with a boulder and watched by guards. Pilate orders Clavius and Lucius (Tom Felton), to find Jesus and his disciples at all costs, for fear that if they don’t quickly produce a corpse, the Jews will rise up. Thus begins a manhunt of biblical proportions.
RISEN is the latest Christian-friendly production from (now Sony-owned) Affirm Films, which has produced such churchy fare as FACING THE GIANTS and WAR ROOM. While these do well with their target audiences, they usually aren’t screened for critics, who tend to savage them when given the chance. A more ambitious and less preachy Christian story, RISEN should be somewhat better received. Presenting the story as a mystery is a clever move and showing it from the viewpoint of a character not found in the Bible is a good way of giving the familiar story a fresh perspective, forcing viewers to cast off their own preconceived notions of how this legend should be told. Director Kevin Reynolds has a proven knack for action and thrills, having helmed the underrated WATERWORLD (really!) and the overlooked 1988 tank crew drama THE BEAST. Clavius is introduced in a vigorously-directed (if bloodless) opening battle scene but Reynolds also does a good job in more quiet moments like the key one where Clavius first lays eyes on the smiling savior, surrounded by joyous disciples, who he had last seen dead on the cross.
Unfortunately, once Clavius is confronted with the reality of Christ’s return, RISEN becomes less interesting, settling into an episodic retelling of those Jesus miracles that we learned back in Sunday school. “Throw the net on the left side of the boat!” he instructs his starving followers, and sure enough, an abundance of fish magically appears. Then there he is laying hands on the leper. It’s the way in which the filmmakers try to extend the story that gives it the feeling of a film that really isn’t going anywhere at all. Nonetheless, Fiennes (who looks like he’s been hitting the gym since SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE) does a lot of good work with the material. He brings plenty of energy too, not just in the opening battle sequence but when he gets to deliver meaningful dialogue. He creates an intensity that really powers the whole story. New Zealand-born Maori actor Clifton Curtis is an interesting casting choice as Jesus, definitely the swarthiest depiction of Christ in recent memory. It’s not a big part, but Curtis is a powerful presence. Cinematography, costumes, and other tech credits are first-rate yet RISEN still can’t shake that bland, TV-movie sheen and shallow script that often plague these Christian films. But this won’t matter to its target audience, the ones that will likely make it a modest hit, and they will leave the film satisfied.
3 of 5 Stars
