Written by Mateusz Pacewicz
Directed by Jan Komasa
Starring Bartosz Bielenia, Aleksandra Konieczna and Eliza Rycembel
Running time: 1 hour and 55 minutes

by Ashley Jane Carruthers

“How am I supposed to act on your behalf if I can’t handle my own life?”

Have you ever felt like you were meant to do something? Like, *really* meant to do something. That relentless feeling of being pulled toward something is so mysterious and intoxicating, if you allow yourself to be led by it. It never takes a rest; it doesn’t let go. It can also be really damn scary to venture into the unknown, especially alone. In Jan Komasa’s Academy Award-nominated, slow burning and beautifully shot film, Corpus Christi, we follow young Daniel, who finds himself precisely in this situation.

Daniel has been serving time in a juvenile detention centre for second-degree murder. While there, his desire for spirituality has awoken. He now wants nothing more than to become a priest. However, because of his past, his mentor Father Tomasz tells him he simply can’t. This is the last thing Daniel wants to hear. As we look at his very serious face, with his steely-eyed determination, we just know he won’t give up (I think he might be a Taurus, like yours truly).

Daniel shows up in a small town to start his new life as a free man. After backing out of a possible job at the local sawmill, he, instead, attends a church service. While there, he essentially decides, ‘Yeah, I could probably be the priest here.’ He tells a woman at the church that he is a priest, and she believes him, as many do trust religious leaders with no hesitation. And so it is. He has the clothes for it, so why not? Turns out, the local vicar has to leave due to illness. He sees an opportunity and grabs it with both hands. He has arrived at a time of sadness and need in the community, as there was a recent tragedy that has left 7 young people dead. Daniel is mostly seen as a breath of fresh air, an unexpected vessel of comfort, and we get to experience how he truly helps people grappling with their grief. However, not everyone is as welcoming. He is met with suspicion from some, lending to the very tense atmosphere of the movie. On top of that, there is strong foreshadowing that it’s only a matter of time until the inevitable happens - Daniel’s past does catch up with him.

Bartosz Bielenia’s portrayal of Daniel was nothing short of striking. He had such an infectious energy. In the scenes where he is passionate and earnest, I felt the same. In the scenes where he is anxious and unsure, so was I (oh believe me, I felt this). The scenes where he feels sad, guilty, and helpless? Oof. It’s actually been years since I saw a performance that I felt so oddly in tune with in a symbiotic way. It’s not that I share his specific beliefs, because I do not. But I felt like I shared his feelings. Daniel truly believes that he can do good. He witnesses how his unorthodox ways are making a difference in the community. Yet at the same time, he is struggling with the knowledge that it can all implode at any moment. He doesn’t have the right to be here. He has no training, and no one to rely on – just himself, and what he believes to be right. Imagine trying new methods in one of the oldest old dude clubs on earth.

Sure, there are characters other than Daniel, but he is what makes the film for me. He is far from perfect. He’s not some holy preacher boi who has seen the light and now must tell everyone that they better see that same goddamn light OR ELSE DIE! Because that is a big NO from me. He’s not forceful. Most of all, he’s incredibly human, like the other people in the town. He drinks. He smokes. He fucks. Some of the things he does can be viewed as shocking through a traditional lens – but nothing is ever done to illicit attention or a reaction. He genuinely does not know what he is doing a lot of the time. Yet he is all in, without reservation, doing what he feels he was meant to do. As he stumbles through his first mass, we witness the kind of passion and drive to dive right into something without the fear of failing for lack of experience, and it’s stirring. The faces of the crowd responding to his first mass were touching. Sometimes people are just looking for someone to be real with them. And for that fact, I found this movie to be inspiring and beautiful.

One of my favourite scenes is where he hears his first confession. At first, we see his trepidation. He grips his smartphone with an internet search open to the protocol of what a priest is supposed to say. At first, I felt nervous along with him. But then as the conversation goes on, we see the very natural way he has in speaking with others – in getting to the heart of the matter and what’s really going on. He’s onto something.

The religious and moral ambiguity of this story is, admittedly, very much in my wheelhouse, as I find organized religion to be fascinating. It is also a sobering commentary on this timeless cycle of guilt, action, and punishment. The hypocrisy of many folks I personally have known, is that they don’t actually want people to be better, even when they say they do. Those who know who Daniel really is do not want him to do better. It has nothing to do with the manner in which he has gotten to this point – they don’t really care about that. But they cannot stand to learn that he is good at doing something that he was told he couldn’t do, or that he *shouldn’t* do. It eats them up. Rather than note the good he is doing, or god forbid be happy for him, they are hellbent on shoving him back where they deem he belongs. The same cycle they live in day after day. Where Daniel truly shines is when he recognizes this, realizes his time is limited, and still throws himself fully into the challenge at hand. But can he keep it up?

Corpus Christi also painfully highlights the limitations of being human. Sometimes you want to help, but it’s not within your power. It’s easy to give too much and get worn down. Also, starting over in life, even at a young age, is not easy. You may think you have your past beat but, as Daniel learns, you never know when something will pop up to shove it all back in your face. Added to that cycle, it can be a lot for one person to handle. How do you overcome it? Well, this movie won’t answer that question.

Days after watching, I’m still not sure how I feel about the ending, but it doesn’t really matter. The deep kind of journey Daniel was on doesn’t typically have a simple, uniform ending. Is there even supposed to be an ending? Or is it just a part of the cycle Daniel is in? Religion is a drug, but faith is entirely different. Where is the line between escapism and faith?