Made 30 years ago, ‘Jesus of Montreal‘ is one of those films upon which time seems to have passed without a trace. The movie was created by director Denys Arcand and it is likely that the recent launching on-screens of his ‘The Fall of the American Empire‘ has led to the re-screening of some of his older films at our local cinematheque. The original theme and the interesting structure of his 1989 film shows that Arcand is one of those directors consistent with the art and messages of his films, pursuing quality and waiting to gather enough material, substance and emotion before involving himself into a new project. In the three decades that have passed since ‘Jesus of Montreal‘ was made, the Quebec film maker directed less than ten movies, but each one is special, is worth seeing and invites debates.
The enacting of the Passion is part of the Christian tradition in many places around the world. It is a story about faith and love, about suffering and redomption, which lends itself well to theatrical performances, and ‘Jesus of Montreal‘ is built around such a performance in Montreal in 1989. The modern city is always in the background. Invited by the local priest, a team of actors and its director enter, with talent and passion, in the roles of the New Testament drama, creating an event that resonates in the souls of the spectators. The well-documented and modern vision created by the director, brings to the hills that dominate the city the old story with its historical and human truth, however, the show starts to disturb despite or perhaps due to success. The church authorities consider it too daring, the show-business world is trying to turn it into a source of profit, and during this time the actors begin to pay the price of their passion for theater and of their spiritual involvement in the enacting of the story in the Bible.
The religious and artistic messages of the film reach the viewers. The script is cleverly written, the characters are alive on the screen, drawn from a few replicas each, but still real and expressive. The film talks about the passion for the art of theater and about the state of faith in the corrupt and mercantile world of the late 20th century. Faith lives on, but Jesus can die many times in many ways and salvation is possible in multiple forms. Denys Arcand builds his film by sprinkling it with symbols from the Passion, both through scenes inspired by the Biblical parables but also through expressive visual elements. The team of actors does a wonderful job, especially Lothaire Bluteau in the lead role. ‘Jesus of Montreal‘ is a film that induces emotion and engages its viewers.