GO!: To the Movies – ‘Risen’ arrives in theaters for Lent
On Feb. 25, 2004, during the Lenten season, director Mel Gibson released the blockbuster “The Passion of the Christ,” the cinematic retelling of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Tomorrow, audiences will have the opportunity to witness another biblical story unfold this Lenten season through “Risen.”
The film, directed by Kevin Reynolds (“Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” and “Waterworld”) shares the story of a Roman military tribune, Clavius, played by Joseph Fiennes (“Shakespeare in Love” and “Elizabeth”) and his assistant Lucius, played by Tom Felton (The Harry Potter series) who are charged with the task of finding the body of Jesus Christ after his tomb was opened following the crucifixion, in order to squelch any uprisings in Jerusalem.
In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) with one of the film’s producers, Rich Peluso, said “Risen” will tell the story from a unique aspect.
“We have to think about the fact that when Jesus rose, the grave was empty. There were Romans that were there to guard it,” he said. “What on Earth was happening on the other side of the room that we’re not paying attention to? Something had to happen. At some point, Caiaphas had to get the news that the tomb was empty, and at some point Caiaphas had to confront Pilate with it, who’d had him killed. Pilate, who had to have sanctioned the guards at the tomb had to have been embarrassed, because his military, who’s the greatest army in the world, just failed in their job. So there are all of these political, spiritual, social dominoes that are falling …”
The film is rated PG-13 for biblical violence including some disturbing images.
Other films hitting theaters tomorrow include:
n ”Race” is the biography of track and field athlete Jesse Owens who won four gold medals during the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. The film is directed by Stephen Hopkins and stars Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Irons and William Hurt. The film is rated PG-13.
n ”The Witch” offers the audience a look into the lives of a family living in New England during 1630 after their newborn son has gone missing and their crops start to fail. These hardships make them turn on one another and invites evil into their lives. The film is directed by Robert Eggers and stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson and Kate Dickie. The film is rated R.
n ” Neerja” is the portrayal of Neerja Bhanot who gave her life protecting the passengers of Pan Am flight 73 in 1986 that was taken over by terrorists. The film is directed by Ram Madhvani and stars Shabana Azmi, Sonam Kapoor and Shekhar Ravjiani. The film is unrated.
Sources include imdb.com.