ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Ciarán Hinds

Belfast: The Movie We Need Right Now

by Leave a Comment

I was late on the Belfast train.

Oh, I’d heard it was great. I was at TIFF but missed its screening. I had heard from many how lovable the film truly was. With potential Oscars in its sights, the film has remained a constant in conversations for Best Picture since its release. But there’s absolutely no way that Branagh could have predicted how appropriate the film would become, given global circumstances.

No one could have.

Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh, Belfast is the semi-autobiographical tale of his upbringing in Ireland. Transporting the viewer back to the tumultuous riots of 1969, Belfast is told through the eyes of Buddy (Jude Hill), a 9-year-old boy who is trying to make sense of the world. Living in a poverty-stricken area that’s torn between the Catholics and Protestants, Buddy’s father, Pa (Jamie Dornan) work overseas in England in order to support the family. Meanwhile, his Ma (Caitriona Balfe) takes care of Buddy and his brother as they attempt to figure out what’s next for their family.

Branagh’s story of division and rebellion through the eyes of a child is infused with an undeniable blend of joy and sadness that immediately draws the viewer into the story. Yet, despite the fact that the story takes place in Ireland in the late 60s, there’s something so current about Belfast. Whether it’s the invasion of Ukraine or division of US politics in recent years, Belfast connects deeply with the heart of conflict and oppression while still offering a glimmer of hope. 

Frankly, it’s a remarkable balancing act within the script. 

Without ever losing the traumatic effects of issues such as oppression or poverty, Branagh still manages to highlight the innocence of childhood. In other words, whereas most films of this type highlight the brokenness of the era, Branagh chooses instead to balance it with the infectious joy of growing up. To Buddy, the world around him is simply the way things are. What matters most to him are his parents, playing in the street and the girl next door. (It’s telling that the scariest moments for him involve conversations about leaving Belfast or getting into trouble for stealing a piece of Turkish Delight.) There’s a beauty within this that serves as a reminder that life springs up in the midst of our suffering, especially through our children. This may be a world of black and white (literally) yet Buddy’s world still has splashes of colour. 

Buddy doesn’t understand the depth of what’s going on around him but he does try to piece it together. Filtering his understanding of the world through his love of pop culture, everything about this world feels like it becomes clearer when seen through his eyes. (It is no coincidence that the final confrontation feels like it could have been developed from High Noon.) While the fight rages around him, all that Buddy sees (or wants to see) is the love of his family. As such, there’s an honesty about this film that acknowledges the innocence of Branagh’s childhood but also has a reflectiveness from his adulthood as well.

In terms of its home video release, Belfast is surprisingly enticing. On the surface, the film doesn’t dazzle by its inclusion of the traditional deleted scenes and featurettes. However, what’s most exciting is the fact that, not only does it feature an alternate ending that focuses on Branagh’s return to his hometown (as Buddy), but most importantly (and I cannot stress this enough) there’s a director’s commentary. Honestly, I can’t remember that last disc I’ve seen with a quality commentary attached but Branagh is more than willing to delve into his film with charm. As such, this may be a film that actually benefits from its proper home video release by providing the necessary tools to gain more perspective on the film.

While there are no guarantees whether its name will be called on Oscar night, there is little question that Belfast is one of the best films of the year. Popping with life and love, this is a story of hope at a time when we need it most. Yes, trauma is real. Yes, pain is overwhelming. But love still finds a way.

And that is why this is the film that we need right now.

Belfast is available on VOD, Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday, March 1st, 2022.

Last Days in the Desert – Struggling Fathers and Sons

by Leave a Comment

“He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts’ and the angels ministered to him.” (Mark 1:13, NRSV)

“To prepare for his mission, the holy man went into the desert to fast and pray, and to seek guidance.” -opening title card in Last Days in the Desert

Last Days in the Desert is not the biblical story alluded to above, but it is set within that story. Jesus (Ewan McGregor) is wandering through the desert feeling out of touch with God. Satan (also played by Ewan McGregor) is trying to take advantage of that alienation. Satan tries to convince Jesus that God is self-centered and capricious. Jesus is uncertain of himself and of God.

It should be noted that “Jesus” and “Satan” are not actually named (although the Satan character does refer to Jesus as Yeshua, the Hebrew version of the name). Rather Jesus is usually just referred to as the holy man, while the Satanic character is left completely nameless. I use the name Satan for him in this review because I view him as similar to the role of Satan in the story of Job—a part of the heavenly court, but perhaps the most cynical of God’s servants.

Along the way Jesus comes across the tent and half-built house of a desert dwelling family. The mother (Ayelet Zurer) is an invalid. The father (Ciarán Hinds) and son (Tye Sheridan) are at odds because the son wants to see the world. The father believes their life in the desert is the best way to live. As is often the case, the two generations don’t know how to speak to each other and understand each other’s dreams and desires. Satan offers Jesus a deal: if Jesus can resolve the situation to everyone’s satisfaction that he will leave Jesus alone. Jesus spends time with them, helping them build the house that is to be the son’s inheritance and incentive to stay.

Some will have issues with the way Jesus is portrayed in the film because he is filled with doubts. He worries about knowing what to do to help people. Most importantly he worries over where God is. This leads to some interesting conversations between Jesus and Satan. Satan seems to have no doubts about God, but is very cynical about God’s nature. Many of the things he tells Jesus often create anxiety for Jesus, but they also seem in some way to strengthen his resolve to do what God has in mind for him. It is an interesting choice to have Jesus and Satan done by the same actor. It creates a sense of an internal dialogue as Jesus struggles with his human and divine natures to come to terms with his mission.

While that may be bothersome to some, the Gospels (at least the Synoptics) are not always clear about Jesus’ self-awareness and his understanding of himself as divine. Writer/director Rodrigo Garcia focuses on Jesus’ human side. He says in production notes, “I cannot know what the divine side feels like, so I decided to treat Jesus, his predicaments, and his problems the same way I would treat a regular person. Also, this story takes place before Jesus begins his public ministry. There is a sense that this time in the desert serves in some way as an internship for what he will be doing when he emerges from this forty days.

Because of Jesus’ doubts concerning God, the father/son issues of the desert family become an inroad to consider the relationship of Father and Son. There is a lot of talking about fathers and sons and that relationship. Just as the son in the film is trying to come to terms with his father’s hopes and plans for him, Jesus is also trying to come to terms with God’s plan for him. The boy wants to go his own way and live his own life. Is that an option for Jesus to consider? Of course, there is a great deal of difference between the relationships of the father and son and the Father and the Son. Whereas one is exacerbated by the constant proximity of the father and son, the problem Jesus faces in his relationship with God is the seeming absence of God in the wilderness of Jesus’ life. In both the father/son and Father/Son relationships the difficulty of having faith in the interpersonal bonds is a constant struggle.

The film has a slight affinity to Martin Scorsese’s (and Nikos Kazantzakis’s) The Last Temptation of Christ. That was also a story that was not so much biblical as set within the biblical narrative. It was also a story in which Jesus’ doubts play as big of a role as his faith and that focused on the human aspect of Jesus during his ministry. I have to admit that I am personally more comfortable with the human aspects of Jesus. Like Garcia, I cannot understand what it would mean to be divine, so I relate to Jesus much more as a man, even though I do not deny his divinity. So this film, like The Last Temptation of Christ, is more to my liking than the overly reverent treatments of Jesus’ life that are often produced.

Photos credit: Gilles Mingasson / Broad Green Pictures