Directed by Garth Davis. Reviewed by Paul Sorrell

The Church has given Mary Magdalene a pretty bad rap. For Pope Gregory the Great, she was the archetypical penitent prostitute, illustrating the madonna/whore dichotomy that has long enabled patriarchal societies to keep woman “in her place”. However, in 2016, acknowledging her importance as the first witness to the Resurrection, Pope Francis announced that “the Apostle to the Apostles” would be given her own feast day. This film gathers up these divergent attitudes to Mary of Magdala and echoes back our new understanding of her role as a leader of the first Christians.

Bringing her to life as a first-century woman, director Garth Davis teases out the relationship between Mary (played by Rooney Mara) and Jesus (Joaquin Phoenix) and charts her deepening understanding of his person and message. While the (male) disciples hope that Jesus will spark a revolution against the Roman occupiers — and later interpret his death as a failure — Mary believes that, following the Resurrection, all believers are now empowered to spread the good news of the Kingdom.

A strong feminist thread runs through the narrative. Mary’s rejection of a local suitor is interpreted as demonic possession, and in one scene a group of washerwomen ask Jesus whether they should obey God or their menfolk. Although she never grasps at power, Mary is invested with considerable agency. In a crucial scene, Jesus anoints her and charges her with carrying on his mission. And far from retreating into a passive interior world, Mary believes that the peace and justice yearned for by the disciples will be achieved not by violence, but rather through an inner faith inspired by the life and deeds of the Messiah.

On the technical level, the cinematography is impressive, showcasing some stunning outdoor locations. The contrast between the empty expanses of rural Palestine and the claustrophobic atmosphere of Jerusalem is particularly well handled. The familiar stories of Jesus’s miracles and Passion are treated with skill and originality, with a few key scenes standing for the whole. Jesus — an unkempt figure with a shaggy beard and wrapped in rough linen garments — is convincingly portrayed. A passionate yet vulnerable man, he emerges physically and emotionally exhausted from his acts of healing.

After Jesus’s death, the rift between Mary and the disciples widens, and Peter accuses Mary with the damning words: “You have weakened us.” Here the name Rock suggests obduracy rather than strength and tenacity. While some reviewers have interpreted this scene as a swipe at the established Church, to me it serves as a warning of the perennial temptation to rewrite the Gospel in terms of worldly power — a temptation that the Church has often succumbed to.

Do see this intelligent and finely crafted film and bring your own thoughts and experiences to it.

Tui Motu magazine. Issue 226, May 2018: 29.