'The Book of Clarence' Is Faithfully Original Enough
Jesus lives! The Book of Clarence is a humorous, modern look into the lives that Jesus has affected. It's a film about having faith when faith is lost and how having that faith can save us. It's a mostly effective tale that isn't a cheap black angle on ancient material. The Book of Clarence makes its stamp as entertainment that aims for a deeper meaning. The film wastes no time jumping straight into the action as the movie opens with a man being crucified, then cuts to a chariot race similar to Ben Hur. The Book of Clarence, in fact, is a love letter to the epics from the 1950s and early 60s. The title cards are reminiscent of those classic films. The background is a nice shade of blue with golden frames posted around its corners, resembling a framed painting. The title cards break the film into three acts, like chapters from a book.
The inspiration it draws from is brought with a grain of salt. Characters in one sequence take a hit from a bong and then float in the air. In another scene, a man stops rocks being thrown in midair like he's using the force. It's magic and fantasy mixed with biblical events that feature magic and fantasy, depending on who you ask. Is it possible that Moses parted the waters or Jesus rose from the grave? We don't know. But I doubt any of the apostles floated in the air after smoking some dope. The Book of Moses has a contemporary feel. Its score blends large orchestral pieces with modern-day hip-hop.
The effects of it work surprisingly well, with the exception of one scene where everyone is at a party where there's music playing. Where's the diegetic music coming from when I see no band playing? I doubt boom boxes were available in A.D. 33. Writer/Director Jeymes Samuel is telling the audience not to take this film too seriously. It's, by many accounts, a comedic look into Jerusalem and Ancient Rome. The style works until it gets disruptive. Its jokes counteract its more serious moments. The movie doesn't know if it wants to be a comedy or a drama. It mixes graphic scenes of crucifixion similar to The Passion of The Christ, then jumps straight into a joke like one from a Mel Brooks film. It's thematically jarring but not to the effect where it ruins the film. The Book of Clarence's strength lies in its protagonist's growth.
The story follows the path of Clarence (LaKieth Stanfield), a man who doesn't believe in God. The miracles that Jesus performs to Clarence are nothing but showmanship. Jesus didn't resurrect anyone from the dead, cure the blind, or change water into wine. It's all a ruse that Clarence exploits to gain wealth to pay off his debt and win the woman that he loves. Clarence is a nobody. He's a hustler who has no intention with his life. He's seen by many as a joke.
By thriving to be Jesus' thirteenth apostle, Clarence aims to change his status in history so he can be somebody. To do that, Clarence frees Barabbas (Omar Sy) by engaging in one-on-one gladiatorial combat. When Clarence defeats Barabbas, he is set free. But Clarence goes further by freeing even more enslaved people. He begins to preach the words of Jesus while staging phony miracles to the public. As a fake Messiah, Clarence engages in fraud, where Clarence's actions are seen as blasphemous and punishable by the harshest means available. Although engaging in a fabrication, odd things begin to happen to Clarence. Suddenly, he's beginning to gain something he thought he'd never have. Faith. By helping others, Clarence begins to believe in the good of humanity.
Clarence's road to salvation is a fresh spin on the biblical genre that's not afraid to be bold. It's a black take on the Bible loaded with wit. Sometimes, that humor can be disruptive. In one scene, there's a group of people being crucified. One of the men on the cross suggests to God to kill the man making a painting of his slow death. It's out of place during such a heavy scene. The gag drew laughs but at a cheap expense. The Book of Clarence is like if you mixed The Ten Commandments with The Last Temptation of Christ. It's, by all accounts, entertainment fiction. Jeymes Samuel rewrites pages from the Bible, similar to how Scorsese did with Last Temptation. Samuel has Clarence meet biblical figures who help him on his journey to being a Messiah during meetings that never happened. There's a hilarious exchange between Clarence and Mary Magdalene (Teyana Taylor) where Clarence thinks he can call bluff on Mary's virgin birth. There's even an appearance from Jesus (Nicholas Pinnock) —a Jesus who's black.
Although the movie intentionally gets the history wrong, it's transparent in what people actually looked like in Jerusalem. Jesus wasn't the white figure with long blond hair as depicted by Western civilization. He was a Jewish Middle Eastern. Would he really look white? The film highlights this point even further when a homeless white man (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) covered in dirt is washed. Once cleansed, the man is the spitting image of the Jesus we all know. Everyone around the imposter is taken aback by his striking resemblance to Christ. Thank you for finally giving the audience something closer to the real Christ. If only the rest of the characters were as memorable.
The film has a large cast. Perhaps too large, as not everyone gets a chance to shine. Some characters could be cut, and the film wouldn't lose any value. There are great celebrity appearances from David Oyelowo, playing a Baptist who resents Clarence—and James McAvoy, who plays a perfect conniving little dirtbag as Pontius Pilate. The rest of the cast doesn't shine as bright as its star, LaKeith Stanfield, who's able to draw tears in an instant. We can see Clarence's inner turmoil through Stanfield's expressive face. But is his performance enough to carry an entire epic? Not really. It's too dry but lively enough to get the theme of redemption across.
Although not an entirely successful take, The Book of Clarence's biblical epic is a funny, insightful enough spin on ancient history that's mostly original. Its journey of conman turned believer is an engaging look into history that isn't scared to shake things up a bit in its contemporary approach. Clarence's journey into sainthood speaks to those who have sinned and seek redemption. From selfish to selfless, Clarence faces religious persecution yet finds peace within himself. The messaging of race, redemption, and power resonates with hit-and-miss humor, rendering The Book of Clarence an enjoyable, new take on the good book.
