I didn’t want to cry when I saw this masterpiece. The only wish was to fall through the earth and not feel any feelings.
The film is a cry of the soul, a cry of the heart that conveys a hidden tragic message. The picture gives grounds for reflection, making the viewer feel all the current realities of our world. John McDonagh made a very bold challenge, touching on such a sensitive topic as religion.
Stylistically, the movie is perfect. In each frame, an atmosphere of detachment is felt, which makes the tape especially attractive and ambiguous. I would say, even gives the picture a certain pessimistic mood. The aesthetic side of the film amazes and attracts with its philosophy, thanks to which we see real art on the screen. It is impossible not to note the stunning coloristic decision of the film. Despite the fact that the film is filled with sun and light, bright colors create an effective tension that conveys the mood of the film, its message and meaning.
The main character of the film is a priest beaten by life circumstances. Being too smart for the flock, he encounters a hostage of childhood trauma. The film raises the theme of undisclosed gestalt, which grows into a burning feeling of resentment and falls on an innocent pastor. The main character is surrounded by fallen and pathetic people who subject the Rev. Father to psychological violence. And although the description of the film stated elements of black comedy, there is nowhere to laugh. There comes a realization that morally inferior people surround us everywhere. And sometimes that person is yourself. We stop believing and stop appreciating what is priceless. The picture allows you to look at yourself from the outside.
Brendan Gleeson lived a small but tragic life on screen. He showed the fate of the priest, proving that this is not work, but the meaning of life. The death of a loved one killed a lot in him, but not his soul. Father James is an example of a strong and unhappy man who proved to the viewer that as long as you believe, you are invincible.
McDonagh made a dramatic film-confession, pointing us to our own sins, urging us to think about life and that we decide our own destiny. The picture hints to us that the tragedy of our time is the loss of moral values and the fact that people have ceased to live according to conscience. Golgotha is not only a film about the attitude of society towards the church, it is a film about the fact that the three Christian virtues - faith, hope and love - are the most faithful companions in human life, which give us an incentive to live.
At first, the technique - the film seemed long, otherwise - almost perfect. Now to the subject. Indeed, people have a negative attitude towards those against whom they look vicious or even antisocial. I guess you could call that envy. Perhaps, for believers, such a film is like an explosion, a bomb. But to an unbeliever like me, he looks like a shot from a very powerful weapon of influence, but a blank. It is another thing if something like this was filmed outside of religious reference. It could be a masterpiece, but hardly possible. This is only possible in the context of a story about God. Outside of it, the whole story is meaningless. But does this story make sense in terms of faith? I don't think so either. There is no answer to the question, why was this movie made? Well, not to squeeze a tear out of the audience! Except to mention Jesus. Or the important aspect of envy?
Just one question: why is this film (and at the same time the director-writer) so praised?
The film is a pseudo-philosophical nude. All the characters, except deliberately positive, as if just caricature bastards: all they do is demonstrate their moral ugliness because of all their strength. Whether it’s a businessman, a police inspector, a doctor, a bartender, an unfaithful wife, they live in a way that hates the priest, themselves, life and everything except cynicism. And they are not that in the moment I somehow misbehave (no), they are exactly that freaks are always. It doesn't happen! The priest devoted his whole life to serving in a small (I emphasize this point) town, all the above moral freaks attend church, but for some reason no one sympathizes with the priest, no one respects him, does not appreciate him. He is just an object for their jokes and bullying. Always! And other, normal, parishioners are not shown to us. It doesn't happen! I didn't believe in a lot of things, like a businessman who just does what he drinks and feels sorry for himself. Successful people always seem to have some power, don't they? But there is almost no strength in anyone. And the priest, in fact, did not affect anyone, did not make anyone’s life better. So it turns out that the film is essentially: collected dirt and showed. Why watch this? Everything here is not like in life, but much worse: caricatured, stereotyped and flat. And a couple of times they let us know that we're watching a movie, they tell us that we're in the third act of the story, and they think about how hard it is to play them. So this is the feeling of fake from all the action on the screen, but for some reason it is customary to write that in “Golgotha” there is some deep meaning. But look around you, you will find more meaning in every moment than in this whole movie.
Once upon a time I saw an incomprehensible authorship and an unknown but beautiful legend about feelings. In short: once the feelings decided to play hide-and-seek. Driving is crazy. It found everyone but Love. She hid in the thorn bushes. Inadvertently, Madness accidentally poked out Love's eyes. Since then, Love has been blind, and Madness has led her by the hand to atone for her guilt.
I wonder how this romantic thing can inadvertently reverberate many years later in a heavy, depressing, thoroughly Irish film. The priest, who is threatened with murder out of revenge for the whole Church, is still desperate to save his flock. He saves everyone from his own daughter, an unsuccessful suicide, to a cannibal killer who wants love without rage. And the more the Holy Father tries to love and lead the parishioners to the Light, the more Darkness he discovers in them. They have sinned, and they have sinned. They do not believe themselves, and they beat the faith of others. They hate themselves and everyone around them.
Brendan Gleason is great in this movie. Even appearance helped him in this role - in the years, but not yet old, slightly puffy, with a lush gray (but sometimes reddening) beard. The Holy Father in all senses and interpretations. In his performance, this is not only a story about choosing a life path, about doubts, each of which he played amazingly. It is also about wisdom, patience and humility with your duty. Looking at him, you understand why everyone around him trusts him and why everyone, at any moment, in a bar or on the street, comes to him to tell what is on his soul. Confess outside the confessional.
The film can be easily disassembled by personnel. Not only landscape plans, but also large ones look like at this moment the character was filmed for a portrait. A lonely priest in an old black cloth against a gray beach is about sins, God and the fact that Hell is merciful. “Jackie O.” with a bruise under the eye as if respectfully shifted to the right, so as not to cover the green hill and the white sheet rubbing on the rope. Her husband, a raunchy slut on the background of a butchered cow carcass: "Just stabbed!" A manneristic, eccentric, half-naked gay man on the stairs in his “lover’s” house, as if the wife of a millionaire, languidly descending in the morning from the second floor in a red peñoir.
Kant destroyed 5 proofs of God’s existence and created the sixth. Art, the gift of creation, is proof of the existence of God. For me, Golgotha fully confirms this. Not to say that the film can lead you to believe, but it raises large-scale questions that would be useful to anyone, regardless of whether he believes in anything or not. For example, I am now concerned that Hell is a great mercy, the most direct expression of God’s love for people. Only in hell can sinners suffer for their sins and atone for their sins. Not believing in Hell, people punish themselves, lovingly mold their suffering from everything that comes to hand. And the righteous can comfort themselves that the rejection of the earth is not meaningless.
Even love for people is blind. And madness leads her by the hand.
We have to ask ourselves, what does this person want?
Yes, of course he wants to be loved. We all want to be loved.
Not getting it, he wants... to be admired.
If he does not, he will want to be feared.
Without this, he wants to be hated and despised.
We should beware of the man who craves hatred and contempt.
10 out of 10
If you do not understand the prerequisites for the creation of the film, then you can get bogged down in the philosophical quagmire of searching and interpreting metaphors and allegories.
But if we take for granted that the film was released on the wave of pedophile scandals in the Catholic Church, then all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, forming a completely simple (in a good sense) and understandable structure of the narrative.
Each of the characters of the film is a collective image of a social faction.
The Church here, not without reason, is positioned as a single system, with pros and cons inherent in the system, and the clergy are clearly divided into good, gray mass and bad.
As long as any large system is strong, nothing from outside can seriously damage it. But as soon as it becomes weak and the inner demons begin to break out, the system begins to collapse, forgive the tautology, at the systemic level.
At the same time, the gray mass, which is the majority of these processes, is not particularly concerned, they will find somewhere warm and dry in any case. But those who truly did not care about what was happening get all the bumps.
The protagonist of the picture just personifies all the light that is in the clergy, he sincerely tries to bring light, but no one needs this light. By inertia, others still come into contact with him, but these are purely formal actions since the monolith has already broken up into incoherent fragments.
The final of the tape is the logical end of any system. For the crimes of some, completely others are responsible.
8 out of 10
Golgotha, directed by John Michael McDonagh, 2013, starring Brendan Gleeson. At a Sunday confession, a parishioner told a priest how he had been sexually abused by a priest for years as a child. That bad priest had already died, and he had no more "good" idea of killing a good priest to supposedly draw public attention to such crimes. He gives the priest a week to put things in order. The priest recognized the speaker, but for some reason he never filed, as the bishop advised him, a statement to the police. He seems to continue to live his normal life, and we see that the people around him are not so good, that everyone has their own problems, that they do not treat him so well, as, indeed, to faith and to the Church. In general, the problem of faith and the church in Irish society, unlike in the British, where I have not seen it, is still quite important. And James goes to meet his doom, apparently hoping to convince the killer, but he fails. He's going to his Calvary.
Any film is a reflection of the reality of the time in which it is filmed. Even if it is futuristic fiction or medieval fantasy. Because all the participants in the process of creating a picture want to reveal the topics that concern them, share their experiences with us. It's always a dialogue with the viewer. Definitely, “Golgotha” is a conditional dialogue on a huge number of topics.
The name itself refers us to the main biblical plot and the essence of the Christian faith - this is the surrender of oneself to torture on the very Calvary (in the original - Calvary) and the subsequent resurrection after the crucifixion, which is the main symbol of faith.
“Bear your cross” has long been in the lexical everyday life of different peoples and implies the solution of personal problems, patience, the ability to be humble.
His cross carries the main character of the picture – Catholic priest James. He has at his disposal six days of the week to somehow prepare for the conditional "judgment" day. On the seventh day (importantly Sunday), one of the parishioners threatens to kill him in protest at the violence he was subjected to as a child. The culprit was the previous priest.
The main character shares information with the bishop, while not voicing the name of the alleged killer, which, in turn, is the preservation of the sacrament of confession.
The antagonist is usually considered to be one character of the picture. Throughout the film, the vast majority of characters fall into this category. Almost everyone wants to be classified as a suspect, almost like in a classic detective. Disdainful attitude, lies, lack of shame and moral principles - in this environment lives Father James.
Stunning black Irish humor, which with sound criticism should not offend even a believer, definitely gives a sharpness. The dialogue is not stretched.
In the process of viewing, the main character is increasingly sympathetic and somewhere inside there is a desire to see a happy ending.
The film is dark, but it gives hope. A film with incredibly beautiful shots, although landscapes are more often depicted almost in monochrome. It's a confrontation movie. Fighting for yourself and saving the souls of others. A film about philosophy and vice. High and low.
Definitely to watch. For thinking, not afraid of philosophical reflections and critically thinking viewers.
The film is well-built into a fraternal McDonagh lineup. Martin’s Lay Down in Bruges, as well as Once Upon a Time in Ireland (Garda) and John Michael’s Golgotha perfectly line up a number of films with good play on the headlines revealing the truth about Tottenham, but that’s not all that is told in these films. The struggle of the hero of modernity, of the past era, the attempt to use the new world as a tool and the question of the acceptance of the oppression of civilization by the individual culture - this is the driving force of Irish directors. If you don’t like the Western manufacturer, then just watch the first 12-15 episodes of the film “Streets of Broken Lanterns”, which will also reveal this tragic romance in native colors.
"Golgotha" is a very depressing film. You’ll never see the light redemption a la Once Upon a Time in Ireland here. No catharsis. It is already laid in advance and passed at the start, when we are offered the circumstances of the hunt for the “right” and innocent priest. From the go oppressive music and deliberately beautiful oppressive Irish landscapes in muted tones. Again, comparing with “Garda”, no jokes of these oppressive classical compositions will not interrupt you while watching the tape.
Playing with clickbait and very dubious themes is again the McDonagh brothers’ horse for which they can be loved or hated. Hate the use of those yellow press, crime, drugs and pornography, which are very much loved by the audience and which lie on the pages of The Sun – take and write the script of “Streets of Broken Lanterns” in British. On the other hand, no. On this very vulgar and ruminant material it turns out to lead the viewer into a self-growth psychology of the relationships of the characters. It’s like your author chewed on an Orbit without, and gastric juice rebelled your pancreas to internal conflict.
Here the conflict arises on a very unexpected topic. McDonagh by all the above means, including the topic of molesting the youth priests, of course, is several orders of magnitude higher than all stated. The film "Golgotha" is not about the church and not about redemption with forgiveness. This is a situation of confrontation between the strong person and the weak system. The situation can be expressed a little exalted, but it may well be considered a kind of Irish version of Vadim Abdrashitov’s film “The Train Stopped”. After a scene featuring a character named Bruno, the thought of John Martin McDonagh's introduction to films from the end of the stagnation era crept in. Whether it is true or not, we cannot verify it, but the Irish and Russian mentalities are exactly similar in their search for philosophical situations.
A well-made movie. Despite the fact that the plot revolves around the priest, there is very little about the church. It is a parable of redemption, self-sacrifice and the fact that not all people can be helped. In Calvary, the rejection and inner antagonism of people who are confused and vicious towards those who seem to them pure and bright are very prominently shown. It is noteworthy that when the pastor falls out of the closet of his “skeleton”, the rejection of his parishioners only increases. Obviously, for each of the residents of his small parish, the unfortunate priest is the image of their conscience. Everyone tries to emphasize to him his vices (what seems to him to be evil in himself), as if declaring that their life choices are fully conscious, and they are not weak at all. From the technical side, everything is qualitative. Beautiful views, long plans, appropriate, non-bullying music. The actors in the film have a variety of juicy accents. The only thing that confuses in places is that in such a serious picture actors, known primarily for their comedic roles, are not in the last roles. The dull doll Ross of the Computer Workers or the eccentric millionaire Jack Black, who held when the bookstore, somewhat discharge the gloomy atmosphere of the film. Despite the fact that the priest initially recognizes the man who threatened him, for the viewer for some time the intrigue persists in this issue. I was even a little surprised. A good movie for late-night discussions. But it is better to watch it alone.
Unnatural, unconventional, shameful, topical, sinful, sodomistic topics always cause something, a wave, indignation, discussion.
“Killing a priest on a Sunday is going to be a trick,” says one character. Resurrection is a rebellion from the dead. And on that day, someone has to die...just like that. Like Jesus when, dead for nothing. Whether or not he dies doesn't matter. We are only at the beginning of the journey, at the beginning of the film, although Christ knew from the beginning who would betray Him and when He should be crucified.
What can I say? Watching a movie on Sunday. How long have you been to church? How long have you been talking to God, not just visiting? How long have you been talking to Him? Have you ever spoken? I wonder what He said or will say to you when you dare to say something to Him.
That's weird. A person is better versed in mathematics, physics, repairing cars, building houses, raising sons and daughters, in the love of his wife/husband, in the heroes of the Harry Potter tale than in God! For most, God is more of a mystery, a secret room of the universe, an unknown cosmos, which is why they fear. Man in general is afraid of everything that he does not understand, and therefore tries to explore everything incomprehensible, open a navigator or splash his foot on the barefoot, but God is bypassed, as a rule, although they can pretend that they study Him.
_
Monday.
Our film is about the days of the week. We count the days to X-Day... to B-Day... to D-Day. And along the way we meet remarkable people, actors, actresses. Now there is one redhead, familiar to many, for example, in Yellowstone. Burning. She did. I got burned. Or one Game of Thrones brothel owner came along. Another husband from "Family Marriage" aka hero "Get Shorty."
Tuesday.
I know the series isn't easy. The priest, too. People aren't easy, either. Yes, it always happens, it is worth getting to know a person closer, and he reveals all sorts of smells there. Fishing, talking to my daughter. Trying to relax, but already pocketed the gun in the evening, and not as it is sung in the famous song of the new Godfather:
You woke up this morning - Got yourself a gun
But the movie's message is clear. Jesus knew his killer and did not stop him. Our hero also reveals the cards not to us, but to another from the very beginning. We can only guess which one is the Negro.
Wednesday.
I'm doing routine again. Life goes on as usual.
Thursday.
I woke up with terrible ashes in my mouth, and then I slept. He took a little money.
. . .
Saturday.
A lot of things happened... I realized that this movie is not about God, certainly not about Christ. Of anything but our Lord, it would certainly be right to call this ribbon.
Sunday.
It's done. The circle is closed. The film introduced us to death, to life, to the fiery water of the bar, to traditional, omnivorous fire ... with many sins met (adultery, fornication, violence of all varieties of Sodom and Gomorrah, profanity). Is it a good movie dish? By three (although the assessment depends on the personal preferences of the viewer), but very interesting.
So did I survive? What day did I prick? Maybe Monday? Maybe I was gone on Friday. Maybe I left on Wednesday, leaving everything behind. Jesus did not escape in His time. Would you run away or climb your Calvary?
In the cinema, the money question comes up. It is clear that God does not need money. It doesn’t matter to him that the priest or anyone else will steal/spend your money in any way if you donate it. But do you sacrifice or look for excuses not to give them every time? And only as one of the heroes of the movie, you give a lot in emergency mode when trouble comes. It's like going to the dentist, when all the teeth are already hurting, and you say, "Do what you have to do," that's it, I'll pay any bill. You throw money at God, but he does not heal your sinful teeth, for you know that you will again begin to use sweet sin with them. I love sweets, but I can’t eat much of them now.
Yeah. Cinema's making it. You have to be insensitive and callous to the rarity, so that at least something does not penetrate and does not bomb, but will be forgotten in 10-15 minutes. The countdown will start soon... We all forget a lot and we will forget this life. Forget it.
Calvary, 2014. An interesting film made by the Irish, about faith and priesthood in modern society. The topic is traditionally controversial, and pulls to break spears around it - and here it is neither for nor against, neither ours nor yours, in a good way. Here is a lengthy discussion on the subject, allegorical and at the same time very simple. Believers and unbelievers alike will think, although they will think their own way.
This film is valuable, which does not push any conclusions, but it encourages you to think about the problem, although, of course, to whom it is really close, you do not need any motives.
Reminiscent of the classic Bressonian “Diary of a Village Priest”, only there was a young, brooding and stunned priest, a small doomed idiot Dostoevsky – and here a huge such obviously excessive red-haired uncle, of those who enter the room instantly fill the space with abundant experience of alcoholism and gluttony. Brendan Gleeson plays him, a textured, colorful actor, you look at him on the screen, and you feel the beer and onions pulling the ottedov.
The plot is banal, Hitchcock had a similar one: a parishioner came to confession to a cult minister and said that he would be killed in a week. In fact, purely plot matters are not the main thing, the main thing is the above-mentioned reflections on the topic of faith in human life. Not only religious, but faith in general. Extremely simple, I repeat, but there is such simplicity, which is from eternity.
The ending is also simple, and horribly unsophisticated. Everything must be thought out by yourself, and unsolvable questions are needed precisely in order to be stubbornly solved.
Oh yes, one of the characters, the local disillusioned in life major, is surprisingly similar, internally and externally, to the rich Athos. It was as if he had moved to Ireland and made a fortune on familiar toiletries. Unexpected and beautiful.
I also remember my grandfather, a soul barely in his body, who asked the pastor for books and a revolver. A revolver is to shoot yourself when you are in complete infirmity, and books are to read while you still have strength. There are few more noble occupations than reading and writing books.
But sometimes you can watch movies. This one's worth it.
Take control of yourself in the crowd. Life is a game, and people are actors.
And I was seized by confused feelings after watching this film and for some reason I want to cry sobbing.
An elderly priest, Father James, at confession, a local parishioner desperately and furiously tells his bitter and terrible secret - as a child, he was long abused by a dead local priest. And also furiously and desperately, the parishioner delivers his verdict - he promises to kill the "good priest." (And this is Father James, the main character of the film.) The parishioner gives the priest a week to settle all his affairs.
Father James throughout the film outwardly calm, strict and even serene. Just like a priest. But it's just seeming calm. In his soul, too, there is confusion, confusion and bitter reflection. He is selfless and at the same time restlessly trying to settle his affairs. Businesses are worldly problems and troubles of local parishioners, as well as relationships with their own daughter.
Local parishioners at first glance cause persistent rejection and rejection. They all have something in them. They have been caught in sin, lies and depravity. The harsh look and attempt of father James to help the citizens to understand their lives causes them only mocking grin and condescending neglect.
But each of them has a terrible story. And behind a cynical, crooked grin, suddenly, for a second, childish despair and fear appear.
And here's the climax. “What’s the power, brother?” I think Father James asked himself throughout the film. And I think the priest found the answer. For him, strength lies in faith. The belief that goodness must stand and prevail.
I highly recommend watching.
In today’s world, being a religious person is not easy. When everyone around is filled with anger, cynicism, laziness and other vices, they burn their lives in a meaningless existence and have already abandoned attempts to become happy. The crisis of faith is faced not only by ordinary people, but also by the ministers of the church themselves, who, like everyone else, find it extremely difficult to explain and understand this world.
The film tells the story of a Catholic priest in the hinterland of Ireland, who is threatened with death and to avoid it, he must break the secret of confession - one of the main pillars of his faith. The mental torment and torment of a member of the church in the modern world, the theme of sinfulness and vices of the church itself and its members, the imperfection of people as a whole are the main motives of the picture.
The action takes place in a typical European province with all its unsightly inhabitants and mores. How these people are in contact with religion in the person of the hero of the priest, communicating with him each in his own way, what they are looking for and waiting for, what their claims and resentments to the Church - these dialogues are the basis of the narrative.
The protagonist himself also conducts dialogues and struggles with himself, trying to understand and decide how to do the right thing, without betraying himself and his ideals and in his person shows an example of the whole church as modern people would like to see it.
The film is not simple and not everyone will like it. People who are infinitely far from the themes of religion are likely to get bored and will not be close to the main themes of the film. This is a purely conversational film on an important topic for modern Europe, but our viewer can find a lot of interesting ideas here.
The Irishman Brendan Gleeson perfectly fit into the picturesque overcast landscapes of his native island, as well as the supporting actors - all play with dignity, and this is the most important thing for a film of this genre.
The film is worth watching for those who are determined to calmly think about some important everyday topics and for whom the topic of religion in the modern world seems interesting.
It could have been a very promising film that slid into excessive moralizing about the emptiness of the clergy.
Despite a lot of rather colorful personalities and interesting dialogue, the film still goes into a very ordinary routine. And this, unfortunately, takes the film into the void of everyday life. The main character is a clergyman who dutifully accepts all the blows of a traumatized personality and is only able to read lectures already tired of lengthy advice to the inhabitants of a small settlement.
In the course of the film, this priest again appears as a weak man who can not accept the fact of hard work of his own God with his son Jesus, a former carpenter. And many still use these fruits of diligence, avoiding the same occupational therapy for themselves. Many of the residents are so stuck in routine that they have become extremely hardened cynics who see life only in entertainment and self-digging. Only some people are able to understand the world and develop it in the knowledge of the same nature. The main mass leads a rather idle lifestyle, which in general creates a kind of picture of the earthly Limba. And only one of the characters is released from this Limb due to his own sacrifice and acceptance of death for the sins of his colleagues. But the finale, instead of acceptance, causes a sense of frank bewilderment. The same clergyman appears as an ordinary man who suddenly decided to become a priest. And it is not clear how such ordinary people suddenly become allegedly absolutists of sins.
A very strange film that shows the simple routine of life and shows no solutions other than humility. That is, according to the logic of this film, it remains for a person to take everything for granted and do nothing to change the situation. Neither to think, nor to reflect, nor even to reject the false ideals of religion in favour of a more rational agnosticism. Many people forget that the Creator created the world not perfect, so it is impossible to be perfect in this world.
I honestly tried to watch this film, especially since ratings, genre and actors contribute to this. To look unfortunately and could not - the picture is an imaginary, deeply depressed world, which consists only of sinners (look carefully at all the characters) - suicides, rapists, drunkards and fools. In the middle of all these people stands the main character, who walks from person to person and with a sad appearance instructs them (apparently, we should respect him). This would not prevent the viewing, if not for one circumstance - a direct, not particularly developing plot. It would be nice if the storylines were intertwined, developed in the beginning of the film and developed the main character. And so you look at all this and you feel some kind of injustice, boredom and confusion at the unnaturalness of what is happening. From the very beginning, you’re wondering, what’s the point/logic/funny of killing someone who hasn’t done anything wrong? In general - looking a little further than half the picture, not only interest, but also the strength to look further this black nudity is lost.
4 out of 10
The priest listens to confession. He lives in a small Irish town and people believe in God. Or they think they do. A man tells the Father that he was abused by priests as a child. For this reason, he will kill an innocent father. But not now, later. Sunday. Symbolic.
So begins the film 'Golgotha', the story of an absolutely good-natured man who is ready to communicate with his flock and change people's lives for the better. Even under the threat of death, in his opinion, inevitable, he travels around his town and talks to people. A crisis of faith, humanism, the commercialization of the church. The Father himself is deeply unhappy and broken.
McDonagh himself said that the film is not religious. And that's the truth. But this fact does not prevent 'Golgotha' to be a kind of paraphrase of the biblical story about Jesus Christ. The hero of the brilliant Brendan Gleeson changes people around, carries a benefactor in this musty town. But he is destined to die for the sins of his colleagues.
'Golgotha' is a very beautiful movie. It was filmed all over Ireland, managed in five weeks. This is a very original and competent psychological drama, seemingly religious, but in fact not.
Do not despair; one of the thieves was saved.
Do not presume; one of the thieves was damned.
We continue to immerse ourselves in the biography of Martin McDona. The film tells the story of a good priest, who once came to an uncle and said that in a week he would kill him. All week the priest tries to help people around him, at the same time his daughter comes to him.
Yes, the concept of the film, when the outcome is known in advance, is interesting, but also difficult to implement correctly. Did the director cope with this task? In my opinion, this issue is very controversial.
When I started watching this movie, I expected the movie to be in a similar style to 'Once Upon a Time in Ireland' and '39'. Yes, the common things are very well traced: a lot of picturesque landscapes of Ireland, starring Brendan Glisson performs a character who is a head steeper than the others, fractures of the fourth wall and a lot of cultural references. However, in its content and essence, this is a completely different film.
It is rather a reflection of the director (or a lyrical hero, I don’t know if John Michael McDonna associates himself with him) on different topics, the plot in it fades into the background. And for me, this is the main disappointment - the story serves to reveal the main character and it all depends on whether you like the main character or not. In my case, despite the fact that John Michael McDonna tried to make the character as voluminous and human as possible, the character of Brendan Glisson did not make a big impression on me.
Because of this, the film for me turns into a strange revelation with a bunch of unrelated theses, and also has a very weak script - a lot of unfinished lines, extra elements that do not affect the progress of the story, but the main twist is really surprising, and when you re-watch all the hints. Though, stop.
It has only now dawned on me that for viewers this might not have been an intrigue or something unexpected. Perhaps it is because of my incredible inattention, but, in any case, this is an extremely bold move, personally I take my hat off to the director.
However, if you throw aside the element of taste, it turns out not such a bad film, it has its original content, secondary characters are well spelled out as for secondary characters. The director perfectly coped with the task of showing the contradiction of the protagonist with the rest of the world. Most likely, the film is an allusion to the whole modern church as a whole, how religion presents its fading and diminishing influence in society, but this does not change much in my attitude to the film.
So this movie just wasn’t my type, but it’s actually very good, but I think it’s very disjointed and damn slow.
After the pedophile scandals of recent decades, the reputation of the Catholic Church has been so tarnished that further claims to save souls seem impossible. From my Soviet-atheistic point of view, of course. Tellingly, my opinion is shared by most of the characters in this cinematic Irish town. This moral and ethical dilemma is the content of the film “Golgotha”. In the center of the picture is an intelligent, honest and, what is important, really useful for parishioners priest, with true faith in his soul. But is it possible to serve the church from which sin proceeds? The announced murder of a good priest is not atonement at the whim of a madman. This is the inevitable punishment, this is the very responsibility without which faith is dead.
What did you want? It makes no difference that you are good if you serve evil, if you have not condemned evil, weeped its victims, and laid down your life to stop evil. Father James is the best priest, the standard priest. What did he do to save his faith? Somewhere in a parallel universe, corrupting fathers and murderers. And here's Father James all white. You cannot correct all evil, you must be able to forgive, and he also knows how to withdraw. Where was he when his brethren abused their lives and souls? Okay, let him come to church recently. But he knew! And how did he react to this knowledge of children crippled by his religion? - He was pulling away.
The last time he repeats that word, a brilliant denouement arrives, worthy of the best black comedies of modern times. He was given seven days to consider the verdict of his faith, and he was about the dog. The good priest never understood the point. And yet the authors give his faith a chance.
9 out of 10
A village priest, Father James (Brendan Gleeson), was told by one of his parishioners that he had been raped by a priest as a child and would kill a good priest to stop the outrage. The innocent must atone for the sins of others. The deadline is a week.
It is clear that the week is passionate and the result is a crucifixion. But the priest prepares for the crucifixion differently - he is more simply a man than a martyr and therefore continues to live. For the viewer, this becomes a kind of detective - divination, who is the future murderer and whether the priest will be able to avoid death.
Embarrassing this genre in the synopsis - black comedy. Not without irony and not without satirical colors, but still it is a drama that does not turn into a grotesque or a farce. The more serious question is: should you take upon yourself (whether you are a priest or an ordinary parishioner) all the sins of the world? Why is someone else’s misfortune far from us, and our own seems like a universal nightmare? In this sense, Calvary does not idealize the church, but the main character must impress the viewer. Especially since Gleason is brilliant - not everyone is able to play life, knowing about death, and not fall into hysteria or unnecessary tears.
The work of John Michael McDonagh, whose work I became acquainted with is largely thanks to his brother Martin McDonagh (Lie to the Bottom in Bruges), tells us about a provincial priest, played by the wonderful actor Brendon Gleeson, who tries to help all the “lost” in a forgotten Irish town, and at the same time hopes for his salvation, because he was promised that next Sunday he would be killed as an innocent victim of one of his parishioners. The priest does not call the police and does not tell anyone about the threat. Leaving anxiety at heart, he continues his daily routines hoping for the best.
The film has an incredible atmosphere. Despite the fact that it is a heavy drama, it looks very pleasant and easy. Largely due to the spectacular locations, the Atlantic Ocean, the green mountains of Northern Ireland. While watching, you want to breathe the cold breath of the sea, walk along the wide sandy beach and be alone with your thoughts. And largely thanks to well-written dialogue and acting. In addition to Gleason, I would like to mention Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) and Kelly Riley (Sherlock Holmes). Director J. Michael McDonagh has his own style, it has something from Richie, something from Tarantino, although these comparisons are sure to be the most banal, but they are very striking. And that's not bad. McDonagh adds his own “Irish” flavor to everything else, which makes the style unique, and now I will always wait for the brothers’ films, watch and give my opinion.
In the wide box office, the film did not become known, and did not collect a bunch of Oscars, but was noted for the nomination “best foreign film” on Saturn and received a prize at the Berlin Film Festival. At the same time, the film is quite spectator, stylish, it will go to both lovers of arthouse films and just connoisseurs of quality cinema. I recommend it.
It’s not the first John Michael McDonagh movie I’ve seen. I had seen two before and was positively affected. But both films differed by one feature - from and to filled with black humor with different shades.
So I was pleasantly surprised that 'Golgotha' filmed in a different genre.
There is no comedy here, only serious dialogues, replicas through the prism of faith and God. And the narrative itself, the meaning of everything that happens on the screen, is a human search and doubt. Doubts of all, including those who have already decided on something.
39: People swear to God, swear to each other, sometimes lose faith.
- ' Losing faith? This is not a very strong belief. #39
To me, that’s the main idea of the film. And duality. That there is always another side, position, opinion, etc. Anything. Today you believe in it, today you are convinced, and then something happens, some cardinal event and already there are doubts, those doubts and searches that accompany us throughout our life path. Finding yourself.
As for the acting, I have no questions. All the main and secondary characters are qualitatively worked out and contribute to the overall success of the picture.
I also want to mention the magnificent views, the nature of Ireland, where the film was shot. Her identity and beauty. It fits the whole atmosphere of the film.
I liked the beginning of the movie. Beautiful views of Ireland, a colorful protagonist, many declared conflicts. But by the middle of the film, there is a sense of unnaturalness. Almost all minor characters carry a purely negative charge, discharging it into a priest (in the end, literally). It turns out an analogue of our “Leviathan”, only the shades of black were more, and the main character causes compassion. In general, if it weren’t for Brendan Gleeson’s performance, it would have been difficult to watch the film. Before us there is a carnival of all kinds of vices and hatred of the church, through which the main character moves. The ideas of the film cannot be accepted because of the one-dimensional sin of almost all the inhabitants of the town, who for some reason are eager to pour their and others' sins on the priest. The priest accepts this with dignity and patience, but it makes them want to pour more dirt on the priest. The painting of the local Sodom evokes only grin, not amazement. The alternation of sinners and their one-dimensionality impoverishes the spiritual feat of the priest. For this reason, the desire to empathize is replaced by the expectation of a predictable ending.
God is dead. Religion fell with faith in it. People were mired in lust, aggression and anger ... anger against one miserable person who lived his life consciously, believing in the good. He carried this cross with him and took it to the next world, clearly sincerely believing in the light of his deeds and in the fact that every person is able to change for the better. I'm sorry.
That is how the director presented this film to us. His idea, definitely the cry of the soul, spit into the real realities of this world. This is a unique film that can be repeated by thousands, but no one can convey the depth and strength of such a small milestone of our world.
The film is very simple and does not intend to show us anything unusual, its task is just to show one life cut short and give thought to it. A film with further thinking and awareness of everything that happened so quickly and so sad at the same time.
They say that the worst enemy can stand in the eyes of the opponent literally immediately and this film confirms this. No one expected that the most vile, greedy and rotten person would be able to speak directly about purity and return to the original idea of the Supreme. It’s great to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But it's not all that smooth. The world is mired in seven deadly sins and ready to show what chaos can do in one small town. It is almost impossible to listen to everyone, but our sacred and unflappable hero, philosopher of life and former alcoholic listened to everyone and this only accelerated the process of pouring another portion of alcohol, which was clear for a long time.
The atmosphere and nature of Ireland is undoubtedly beautiful and capable of hitting anyone by storm, the green light seems to hint that everything should end in these beautiful places: mountains, plains, endless beach and blowing to the bone winds. Everything speaks of the virgin power of these places, only beginning to taste the forbidden fruit, violating all the established foundations, in spite of the opium of the popular masses and the power of such a significant faith, faith in life and its glorification.
The film takes everything alive, takes everything at once.
After watching it, you can realize a lot, and most importantly understand the idea of the author, who tries to tell us about our sins and that everything is inevitable.
I recommend this film to anyone who has ever thought about the original idea of life and what can corrupt life and make it unbearable.
10 out of 10
Very good philosophical tragedy with a dynamic detective story. The story is about a good priest from a small Irish town, who during confession one of the parishioners he knows promised to kill. Said it was revenge for being raped as a child by a bad Catholic priest. The offended person gives the priest a week to suffer. The priest, of course, experiences, but continues to believe in people and tries to direct sinners to the right path. The whole action revolves around some people close to the priest, most of whom are still bastards and seem to embody all human vices. Among these people, respectively, there is a future potential killer, but the viewer is not revealed until the last moment who it is. The film has a lot of dialogue and not much action, but the roles and characters are so vivid and the conversations are so interesting that everything looks very exciting.
The film was directed by John Michael McDonagh. I watched the movie purposefully, I really liked his previous film Once Upon a Time in Ireland. The main role is played by a wonderful actor and favorite director Brendan Gleeson. The actor is so cool that McDonagh made a movie for him. Gleason's role was great. A kind of embodiment of the ideal righteous, without any exaggeration. It is clear that cinema is a certain metaphor-parable. Perhaps some truth, which lies not in carnal pleasures, but in spiritual humility and goodness, which gives the desire to help your neighbor. Sometimes we get more joy when we give than when we receive. And surely money, lust and all other vicious addictions often bring more suffering than joy. But man is weak. And even realizing that he destroys himself cannot renounce momentary pleasures and finally engage in his spiritual growth.
The film is quite direct and simple, but has interesting references and allusions that make you scroll through what happened in your head for a long time. Analyze events, people, try them on friends and situations in which I have been. It's hard to say how life-affirming an impact cinema can have. But despite the universal sadness, the film is definitely charged with kindness and positive energy giving goodness and soothing, in Brendan his game brings irony and soft humor.
I definitely recommend watching the movie. The Berlin Film Festival received the Prize of the Ecumenical (Christian) Jury (program “Panorama”).
The film stars 12 supporting actors, which naturally has a hint of Christian motives. Among them are Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones Littlefinger) and redheaded beauty Kelly Railly.
What happens if you kill a priest on Sunday? We approach the answer to this question gradually, throughout the entire timekeeping, since the main intrigue is no longer surprising. Why? The plans for Sunday are known in advance. While our attention is presented to the life of the Righteous One, who listens to all parishioners, the picture sets a serious bar by introducing premeditated murder.
Target? Motive? You are told terrible stories about priests, the penitent thinks sanely and knows how to dispose of him. At first you may think that it is the duty of the Holy Father to listen to parishioners, to help with advice and to direct the flock to the way of God, but when the flock reaches the viewer, then you begin to worry, solve the mystery and marvel at the thinking of the instigator of troubles. What impression will people have of killing a sinful priest, about whom everyone has already learned everything? You don’t have to go into details to predict the public’s reaction. But what would the reaction be if a perfectly innocent, good priest were punished? For what? The film takes the psychology of persuasion and shows how you can manipulate completely different people.
A week before the verdict. The film divides the days, voicing each, thereby reminding the viewer of the inevitability of what is happening. Brendan Gleeson perfectly embodied in a cassock, giving a wise and majestic servant to God. In a week, you need to solve all the important cases, take risks and understand who intends to kill him. The picture is shot in beautiful colors, the palette demonstrates the state of the main character, and open landscapes, sea surface soothe, thereby interestingly playing on the harsh events of the plot. You are given anesthesia in the form of nature to perform an operation to reveal the stories of all the people around you.
Padre knows many broken destinies, secrets of parishioners and intends to help in the open, which raises him in the eyes of the viewer. This is not the traditional method of absolution. Immediately rise worn (today) elements of festival cinema: non-traditional sexual orientation, racism, infringement of rights, sins of clergy, corruption. Also with each character, Brendan mixes one of the deadly sins, this does not happen directly, but in the dialogues of the Father, phrases about pride, gluttony, despondency, anger and sadness slip through.
In addition to peacekeeping missions, the scriptwriters introduce the daughter of the hero, who is also sinful, suffers from tough but important vices. At a crossroads, Gleason's character demonstrates at first fortitude, but the closer the fateful Sunday, the more character breaks. And this bar, which should not be crossed, no longer plays a role, it is purely visually for the viewer divides good and evil. The question of persuasion is very skillfully raised, the method of “carrot and stick” in action and, accordingly, the consequences of the marginal actions of the Priest trigger a whirlpool of dramatic events. Is it triggered or aggravated by the Sunday prophecy? This is where the priest comes from.
The film includes many hidden characters who take off their masks only when they see fit. High praise is given to a desperate Father who tries to deal with all events at once. But that’s the problem – is it possible for him to change people? Dialogues that lead to correction have an impact, but what if words are not enough? It is necessary to work physically, which contradicts the appearance of his life path. At this stage, from the middle of the narrative, the audience is met by a completely different person who was at the beginning of the picture.
Dramatically, events come one after another, leading us to the final. But who is the man who will cut off the thread of a priest’s life? Over the course of a week, we met many of the characters, and each had some kind of dissatisfaction with the church. (Not like Yekaterinburg!) An unexpected turn before the curtain drops makes you wonder and meet the titles with deep thoughts. "Golgotha" is not for all viewers. A drama that takes the problems of society and mixes them with religion, demonstrating that all people are not without sin.
Although there are religious references in the film and the characters talk about homosexuality and pedophilia, this is not what you should see in it in the first place.
He devoted his life entirely to helping others. Observing their disregard for his activities, he realizes that he is not believed, his voice is not heard. And the director tells us why, and how the priest is trying to deal with it by showing a week of his life. He understands that he cannot lose hope, and apparently this pushes him to the final decision.
The actors well convey the contrast of mood between the holy father and his flock. The end of the film and the last scene did not leave me indifferent. And all this in the vastness of so sad and at the same time beautiful Ireland. “But I will go On” – when you hear it, you feel with all your heart.
The ending of the film will not leave indifferent whether you accept the decision of the priest or not. The identity of the alleged killer is kept secret until the end.
Golgotha is not only the place of Christ’s crucifixion, but also a synonym for severe torment and trials. The picture of the Anglo-Irish director John Michael McDonagh with the same name interprets this Christian word in its key.
In the depths of an Irish island, a pious pastor suddenly receives a black mark at confession and only a week of life before the retribution for the sins of another clergyman who spoiled the lives of boys for decades.
But the film is not religious. The pastor, performed by the brilliant Brendan Gleeson, does not look like a moralizing righteous man. On the contrary, he can punch and drink, but this does not lose his spirituality. And spirituality consists in realizing one’s mistakes before inevitable destruction, in assessing one’s actions and in the desire, if not to make one happy, then to give final instructions to all the chaos and godlessness around.
The attitude towards being in the holy father is very sarcastic, but his “disciples” (the exact number of supporting heroes is twelve) throw even more cynical phrases. However, each of them has the opportunity to accept the faith. No, not faith as a religion, but faith in one’s own strength and ways. As you know, the ways of the Lord are inscrutable, but we are given by fate at certain moments to stand at the crossroads and decide our way further on our own.
"And both went down somewhere under Taganrog."
Among the boundless fields
And everyone went their own way.
And the train went its own way.
8 out of 10
A very interesting and strong film with a symbolic title, the most intricately doomed to deep problems and many philosophical questions (especially about faith).
This film is not just sad, it is somehow redemptively sad, it does not cause feelings of sadness of hopelessness, perhaps harmonious landscapes, Irish flavor, unhurried rhythm and “living life” add to the picture of confident calm. At the very first scenes of "Golgotha" in memory emerges Ingmar Bergman with his "Sacrament", which heavy seal falls on the soul of the viewer (largely because the priest in the Swedish film, if not losing faith, then has deep doubts). The protagonist of this film is unshakable in his faith (only the magnificent heroine Marie-Jose Croz is unshakable), and this inspires hope.
McDonagh creates a brilliant gallery of unique characters, from the cheerful butcher with horns, performed by Chris O'Dowd, and his vulgar wife (Eagle O'Rourke) to the sarcastic, cynical (and even a little aggressive) doctor-"killer" (Aidan Gillen) and suffering from detachment extravagant rich man, obsessively repeating the words "money", "dear" (Dylan Moran), ending with an eccentral daughter with the most eccentrally (Bran) of the most ecclesiast, and the most difficult work of Ryson (Bran). In fact, there is not a single mediocre character in the film, not a single inconspicuous character, all of them are bright, all of them interesting, and all of them are sinners, trying to become better to the best of their strength and desire.
A very interesting, very ambiguous and quite a beautiful film that explores the question of faith in an everyday context and still leaves a bright impression.
It all begins with a parishioner warning Father James that he will kill him in a week's time on Sunday. The motive is simple: the death of a good priest will be remembered. James has a week to get his affairs in order.
A very straightforward plot in the first minutes of the film leads to a different turn of events than you might expect. For the film, the action of which takes place in the most difficult climatic conditions, there are several suggested ways of development - to bring the antagonist not clean water, to leave the city, to put things in order or leave everything as it is. Each element will be examined in detail by the director for the right of existence. At the same time, John Michael McDonagh is not a director who likes to operate with complex meanings and sketches. Sound cynicism is what the history of the priest and his entourage is built on.
The world of the film cannot be separated from the story of James. The city in which the congregation of James is located is a very small version of a large metropolis, where there are problems that are diverse, in fact, but at the same time in plain sight. In such a situation, the desire to continue to look for meaning in what is happening and try to reason or direct the true path can be doomed to failure. James, given his limited time, tries to reach out, but it turns out no one really wants to analyze their problems. Each of the residents finds an occasion to talk about the insignificant, spending not only the time of the priest, but also moving away from really important issues.
In the film, James' daughter, after a failed suicide, informs her father that what is important to him at 60 and she at 30 are different things and her problems cannot be considered less important than his. This is the second model of the film - maximum loneliness and lack of understanding from others. A pattern of behavior—just talking about the inconsequential—is the only one that makes it possible to make a little contact. Because there's no other reason. James may want to talk to others, but no one sees him as a human being, just as a representative of the church with its rights and responsibilities.
James is suddenly faced with challenges. The character of the daughter is probably the only one whose thoughts set the subject for James to think about. She argues that inaction is a sin. Other protagonists of the film face this, who find themselves in emptiness and inability to admit it. Their actions are like trying to find meaning, but it’s all so clumsy. The same inaction has affected James' behavior. Another question is his challenge to learn to love others and be humble, or does he just realize the meaninglessness of changing the previously created circle along which life rolls?
Directed by John Michael McDonagh, James faces a challenge that leaves no room for a complex dogmatic story. The ability to soberly assess yourself, your life and what is dear to everyone is what the movement is in. Life is not quotes from books, but the experience of daily actions. So some people in a situation can live with it, and others do not. Another issue is that you can’t fool yourself, and James shows that he can’t change himself or his personal path, nor can others around him. Sometimes people simply follow a path that cannot be turned away because there is nothing closer than their own path.
8 out of 10