Director: Dietrich Brüggemann
Cast: Lea van Acken, Lucie Aron, Anna Brüggemann, Michael Kamp, Franziska Weisz
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 107 minutes
Synopsis: A young girl questions her fundamentalist Catholicism as she follows 14 Stations of the Cross to save her brother and attain holy sanctity in heaven.
I have to admit that the mere mention of words like Catholicism and Stations of the Cross, particularly if used in the same sentence, makes me want to turn heel and run in the opposite direction. As a catholic, I spent my early childhood at church every Sunday morning, praying up and down on my knees (hurting) on old wooden kneeling benches, hearing mass in English (and Latin) all whilst staring at 14 paintings of…you guessed it… the Stations of the Cross which were positioned equidistant from one other along both sides of the church. I was taught (*coughs* ‘indoctrinated’) by old school nuns in habits and remember making up the strangest sins to confess at confession (I failed to share Milo with my brother…a lot).
But despite all this, one can’t help but be drawn in by the form, technique and understated beauty of Dietrich Brüggemann’s (MOVE, NEUN SZENEN) moving painting STATIONS OF THE CROSS. Powerfully constructed into 14 fixed angled long shots, 12 of which are static (meaning the camera stays in a single position), each shot is its own chef d’oeuvre. The setting within each frame along The Way from ‘Jesus is Condemned to Death’ to ‘Jesus us Laid in the Tomb’ exude pious restraint, allowing the actions and catechistical dialogue to convey Maria’s (Lea van Acken) youthful conflictions regarding her love for God, her family’s fundamentalist beliefs and its place in modern society.
In the week leading up to her confirmation in the puritanical ‘Society of St Paul’, protagonist Maria finds herself increasingly anxious and examining as she tries to find a balance between living up to the mature expectations of her extremist faith, pressures emanating from home, and the ridicule she endures from classmates over her religion. She decides to follow the path Jesus took and give up her life for her three year old brother Johannes who has never spoken a word.
As she traverses her Way, she ‘Falls for the First Time’ when she meets fellow school student Christian (Moritz Knapp) who invites her to attend his choir practice at a different congregation. Flattered by his attentions, Maria decides to withhold certain details from her controlling and virtuous mother (Franziska Weisz) who would be aghast over the singing of soul and gospel music that she believes contains ‘Devil Rhythms’. Becoming increasingly burdened by her wrongdoing, Maria confesses her transgression to her priest who relieves her of her venial sins, due to her innocent mind and unknowledgeable heart.
Instilled with the dogma sin – confess – repent, Maria returns to her enlightened path, eschewing Christian’s attempts at friendship and the use of ‘Devil Rhythms’ in her gym class with this particular scene being an entertaining relief in an otherwise austere and reflective film.
I won’t enlighten you on the rest of her journey in the hope that you engage yourself in this complex, yet rewarding, story. The film takes a realistic position in its observations of fundamentalist religion and the devastating affects it could have on innocent minds if left unguarded. Van Acken is compelling as Maria whilst Weisz is particularly thrilling in ‘Jesus’ Clothes are Taken Away’ when Maria’s doctor challenges her maternal competencies.
[usr=4] STATIONS OF THE CROSS is a hidden gem worthy of much greater traction than what it will probably receive and an art-house film at its finest.
It’s out in UK cinemas now.
