There are films that catch you off guard, that overwhelm you with unexpected beauty or agony or power or some combination thereof.  “Calvary” is one such film.  In a day in which our cinematic choices are increasingly formulaic and uncreative, it is rare to encounter a film that you might call truly unique and, indeed, a work of art.

This is an Irish film about a priest, Father James, who is informed by a parishioner in the confessional in the opening scene of the movie that he is going to kill Father James one week from that day, on a Sunday on the beach.  The reason is because he wants Father James to pay for the sins of the priests who have sexually abused countless children over the years, of which he, the man making the threat, was one.  It is a chilling opening, and one that jars the viewer from the very beginning.

In the week that follows we are able to see the various colorful and often disturbing characters that live in the beautiful village where Father James lives.  Through these characters, director John Michael McDonagh offers a panoply of embodied accusations against the Church and the clergy on various fronts:  (most notably) sexual abuse, the Church’s wealth, and the Church’s abuse of the poor in the overseas missions.  Furthermore, some characters embody doubts about or challenges to the Church’s theology of God.  This is done through the character of an atheist doctor as well as a doubting priest.

Through this fascinating and often disturbing assemblage of eclectic but poignant personalities, Father James walks with wisdom, a sharp mind, a strong but sensitive faith, and an increasing awareness of the burden that he, who is seen as a representative of the Church, bears.  As a pastor I resonated with his obvious sense of belonging without ever really belonging, of being a part while all the while being an outsider.  Even so, the people of his parish are drawn to him even while most of them have strong misgivings about the Catholic faith and, in part, about him.

There are parts of the movie that are profoundly thought provoking.  Father James’ relationship with his daughter (he was married and his wife died before he entered the priesthood) who had recently attempted suicide is handled with beauty and a sense of pathos, but ultimately with a note of redemption.  Father James’ courage at confronting the violence within his own parish bolsters the sense of this man as a man of integrity and courage.  The grace with which he handles the threat of murder as well as his ultimate decision not to flee evokes Gathsemanean overtones that will not be lost on the viewer.  The pure, faith-building, empathetic relationship he has with the wife of a man killed in a car accident offers the viewer a respite from the otherwise tendentious relationship that he often has with his parishioners.  The pained look on his face when, after exchanging brief pleasantries with a girl he encounters on a road while walking, the girl’s father pulls up in his car, hops out, and angrily and accusatorially tells the priest not to speak to his child is a deeply saddening moment and one in which the devastating effects of the Church’s crimes are fully realized by Father James.

I suppose what struck me above all else was the way the film unflinchingly looked at the deep, deep damage caused by the wickedness of pedophile priests without dispensing with the Church and priests at large.  In this, the film avoided a caricature that would have been very easy to embrace.  It is almost as if McDonagh is trying to say, “The Church has done great harm, and harm for which it is rightfully accountable, but there might yet be a beautiful and necessary truth in the heart of the Church, despite her grotesque failings, with which we had best not dispense.”

I will not reveal the conclusion of the movie.  I will only say that it is memorable and will stay with the viewer for some time.  I will conclude by offering one caution:  this is not a “Christian movie” in the way that American evangelicals have come to think of such.  This was not produced by a church or a denomination.  There are some rough scenes and, of course, rough language.  Furthermore, the specter of sexual abuse hangs over the entire movie as the primary crime of the Church, so there are obviously adult themes and conversations throughout.  Even so, the movie presents Christian themes through the person of Father James in ways that are deeply and profoundly moving and effective.

Lastly, the cinematography and soundtrack for this film are beautiful.  I actually am close to believing that this is, overall, the most beautiful soundtrack I’ve ever heard.  I was thrilled to see that the entire soundtrack has now been made available on YouTube.  Here it is.