Direction: Jan Komasa
Country: Poland
It’s not surprising that Corpus Christi, a drama film directed by Jan Komasa (Suicide Room) and written by Mateusz Pacewicz, make it to final Oscar nominees for Best Foreign Film in a proud representation of Poland cinema. Engrossing all the way through, the film tells a riveting story based on true facts, focusing on an empathetic young inmate whose religious beliefs take him to miraculous places.
All of a sudden, 20-year-old Daniel (newcomer Bartosz Bielenia is outstanding), sees himself out of the tumultuous juvenile prison in Warsaw, where he spent the last few years for a violent crime, to work on parole in a sawmill in a small countryside village. However, in opposition to what was supposed to, he seeks redemption for his crimes by impersonating the town’s new expected priest and actually helping its disoriented parishioners to overcome their burdens. He gradually adapts to this new life, metamorphosing completely into his new character and introducing innovative methods of spiritual liberation. Yet, he refuses to abide by the catholic conventions, working according to his own intuition.
Impeccably written and powerfully acted, Corpus Christi is one of the most daring foreign films of 2019. This raw depiction of a dream came true (Daniel truly aspired to become a priest) is framed with a careful composition and beautiful faint light, and comes loaded with the right blend of tension, violence, spiritual intention, and good-will. The wit is mordantly dark and one just has to settle back and let this tremendous account do the rest. Expect to be knocked out by a devastatingly potent finale.
