Looking for a good Easter film that's a little different? Risen (2016) is a biblical drama with an interesting take on Christ rising from the dead. Joseph Fiennes (brother of Ralph Fiennes) and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter films) star in the drama about a Roman Tribune or soldier commissioned by Pontius Pilate to investigate rumors of a risen Yeshua or Christ.
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The investigation has to be completed by the time Caesar visits the city in which they all reside. Clavius or Fiennes worships the god of war Mars and frequently puts down rebellions outside the city. He is a realist and doesn't believe the followers of Yeshua. One of the many first scenes in the film shows Clavius being sent to witness a crucifixion – the one with Yeshua. So, he sees first hand that the man dies. Below is an excerpt about the film.
“After crushing a small scale Zealot revolt led by Barabbas, Clavius, a Roman Tribune, is sent by Pontius Pilate to expedite a crucifixion already in progress. Three days later he is appointed to investigate the rumors of a risen Jewish Messiah. Pilate orders him to locate the missing body of Yeshua, one of the crucified men. In doing so, Pilate seeks to quell an imminent uprising in Jerusalem before the Emperor arrives.[4] Failing to secure Yeshua's body, Clavius, with the support of his loyal aide Lucius, attempts to locate and question the disciples of Yeshua and those involved in his crucifixion and burial for clues to his disappearance.
Numerous leads are dug up, and their accounts soon become increasingly miraculous and difficult to believe. Some of the followers, such as Mary Magdalene and a man named Bartholomew, seemingly speak only in riddles and refuse to betray any others. Clavius' intense investigation begins to disturb both Romans and Hebrews alike, and Pilate, under pressure from many sides and fearful of Caesar‘s wrath, becomes increasingly distant and unsupportive. Running out of new leads, Clavius revisits a disgraced Roman soldier, assigned to guard Yeshua's cave tomb, now a drunkard, and vehemently shakes the drunken man out of a lie that he had previously stuck to. The soldier recounts a fantastic story that, on the morning Yeshua disappeared, a blinding flash had appeared, during which the stone and ropes sealing the tomb disintegrated, and a figure appeared, accompanied by a booming voice that sent him and a fellow soldier fleeing in fear. Clavius does not believe him.”
Source: Wikipedia
The investigation and journey he goes on are fascinating and you see the stories of the bible from a non-believer's viewpoint. I won't give away the rest of the film. The thing I enjoyed about it is that the special effects are simple. You don't imagine there's a green screen somewhere and there aren't spectacular images. I wondered how they were going to portray certain scenes and wasn't disappointed at all.
So, if you're looking for a good Easter film, then this is it. A bit of a mystery and drama. Enjoy the trailer and I hope you check it out.
