Polish Director Jan Komasa's Oscar Nominated (International Film) CORPUS CHRISTI is brutal yet uplifting. Mateusz Pacewicz' screenplay is loosely inspired by an incident in Poland where a man impersonated a Priest in a small town. Here, our impersonator is Daniel (Bartosz Bielenia) a former inmate at a particularly grim youth detention center, who nonetheless finds some solace in the jail's religious services. Through a series of circumstances, he finds himself accepted as a Priest in such a tiny village. The church is recovering by a tragedy which has split the community.
Daniel, it turns out, is a natural preacher. What he lacks in clerical background, he more than makes up in energy and enthusiasm. The theme here of redemption is clear, but, it is to the filmmakers' great credit that it is never made too obvious nor easy. Daniel is a deeply flawed young man that a few sermons cannot heal. His demons are always evident, both literally and within his thoughts and actions. Nor does Komasa paint the citizens with a broad brush. They don't act in unison beginning as doubters and then all joining together in support of their new priest. Daniel is neither all sinner, nor all saint. It isn't a 'Hollywood' concoction where all the grey area is stamped out.
Bielenia has a natural screen presence (and very expressive eyes) which grabs the screen. Komasa's Direction is strong and he handles the tonal shifts well. CORPUS CHRISTI is a complex but highly spiritual film, and not strictly in a religious sense. It shows how the human spirit can be uplifted from within, and that it is not necessarily bestowed by trappings such as robes and other religious symbols.
Review of Corpus Christi
