“Meeting the Criterion” is a series dedicated to exploring the arthouse and independent movies within the Criterion Collection. This week, however, the series highlights a film available on Criterion’s streaming service Criterion Channel.
Nominated for Best International Film at the Academy Awards in 2020, the Polish drama Corpus Christi follows Daniel as he impersonates a priest after being released from a juvenile detention center.
The normal redemption arc is turned on its head as Daniel grapples with the duality of fibbing his way into priesthood and becoming a source of confidence for the local parish. His unorthodox approach as a priest becomes successful, but also raises the stakes as his identity becomes more well known.
Corpus Christi could easily devolve into an over-the-top farce during scenes of first-time confessions and impromptu sermons, but instead humanizes Daniel’s effect on the small town’s residents as they struggle with a recent tragedy. Religion’s role isn’t completely satirized, but it’s also not presented as the complete source of answers to everyone’s problems.
Scenes are often shrouded in darkened hues of blue and green and permeate the frame with hint of melancholy, but streaks of light seep in and allow a glimmer of hope as characters are battling feelings of loss, grief, or doubt. While locals struggle with tragedy, Daniel also contends with the redemption of his past wrongdoings and the uncertainty of his future.
Actor Bartosz Bielenia gives a stunning performance as he layers his character’s facades with the contrasting emotional effects from the close connections made within the community. His approach strikes a satisfying balance between the rough experiences at the detention center and his sympathetic nature towards the townspeople. His complexity as neither a perfect hero nor an irredeemable criminal sets up the film as a suspenseful ride that never feels predictable.
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Jan Komasa
Screenwriter: Mateusz Pacewicz
Cast: Bartosz Bielenia, Eliza Rycembel, Aleksandra Konieczna
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