Jesus of Montreal

     Yesterday, Good Friday, the only responsible option for observances of the day being whatever could be  done behind the walls of one's home with whoever else was residing there, my daughter Theresa came up with the idea after dinner of watching the movie "Jesus of Montreal."   

       This not-well-known but scintillating French-language-with-subtitles Canadian film is is one of my favorites. As many times as I've watched it, it never fails to inspire and move me, and watching it again last night I still found it thought-provoking and insightful. And the music is beautiful.
      The story line is of a Catholic shrine in Montreal that draws pilgrims who come to see the Passion Play put on there every summer. However in recent years attendance at the play has been down. The priest who is the director of the shrine hires a young actor, Daniel, to write and direct a new, more modern production of the Passion Play to generate more interest and draw a bigger audience.

       Daniel, who has just recently returned to Montreal after a time of traveling, researches the biblical and historical accounts of Jesus for his script,

...and seeks out among the fringes of the Montreal acting community several  for the roles in his Passion Play.  One by one, the actors drop what they're doing and go with Daniel.

    The little troupe bonds,

...and under Daniel's direction they put on a  relevant, radically new interpretation of the  Passion Play which is a hit, begins drawing huge crowds and becomes the talk of the Montreal entertainment media.

      As the story unwinds it plays out the gospel story of Jesus, with some interesting touches and engaging characters,

...including a conflicted priest,

...a smooth media lawyer who takes Daniel to a fancy restaurant with a spectacular view of the city and promises Daniel that he could arrange for him to have it all,

... a John the Baptist type with a twist who is sought out to be the face of an ad campaign for a men's product called "Homme Suavage" - "Wild Man,"

...and a group of greedy, exploitative show business moguls.

      "Jesus of Montreal" is definitely a movie that one has to watch several times to catch all the scriptural references and  symbolism. 
       But if you've never seen it, this Easter weekend, when we're all locked down and feeling more in need of a little inspiration than ever, might be a good time for your first viewing. Or if you've already seen it, to see it again.
       The only place we could find it streaming was on Youtube:

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiBBl4bNINM

       But it was a good production, and, as always, a great film.