I loved Risen and would totally watch it if Dick Wolf decided to make it a series-Law & Order: A.D. edition or Touched by a Centurion, but Joseph Fiennes would still need to be the star because he makes it work. I’m still giving side eye to the idea that someone cast Fiennes to play Michael Jackson, but he is a really good actor so maybe he can make it work and dear God, don’t do anything more offensive that he can’t come back from.
Risen is about a weary, but effective Roman soldier who is Pilate’s right hand man. Risen follows his emotional and spiritual journey as he squashes rebellions, executes prisoners, trains new recruits and solves mysteries. He just wants to sleep and take a bath, but things are crazy when you are an occupying force, and you can’t satisfy the local rulers. Risen does a great job of fleshing out his character. He has a photographic memory, is thoughtful and observant, but also more concerned with doing his job than relating to people on a human level.
Unfortunately for Fiennes’ character, his latest mystery is who stole a dead body from a tomb. Spoiler alert: the dead body is Jesus’ body! Risen has a great setup: how will a cynical, but hardworking, practical man react when he finds out that the local religious hippies are actually right? Will it change him and how? And how awkward is it that you basically killed the Son of God without raising an eyebrow?
Normally I hate when movies that take place in the ancient Middle East is equated with an all-British accented cast. There is some progress. Jesus is brown-Polynesian, but brown so I’ll take it. Risen’s story and acting feels so organic and natural that I am willing to sign a waiver this time. Risen had a real sense of humor (side note: did not appreciate Mary Magdalene joke, but it works if you only know conventional thought on her story) such as when Peter and the other apostles had to deal with this Roman soldier. Peter has always been my favorite apostle, and Risen did a great job with him basically saying, “I have no idea what the crap is going on! Just go with it, psycho! Here is some hospitality! Seriously Jesus, I have to hang out with this guy.” Risen doesn’t treat people like saints, but like real human beings who are asked to deal with crazy circumstances that defy logic. It is rare for a movie to be riveting when you basically know what is going to happen, but Risen is, and I was sad when it ended.
If you like Christian themed movies, definitely check out Risen. You will not be disappointed, and I actually would not mind adding it to my repertoire of Bible movies that I watch annually.