Jésus de Montréal
Canada / France,
1989, 118 min
Shown in 1990
CREDITS
- dir
-
Denys Arcand
- prod
-
Roger Frappier, Pierre Gendron
- scr
-
Denys Arcand
- cam
-
Guy Dufaux
- editor
-
Isabelle Dedieu
- cast
-
Lothaire Bluteau, Catherine Wilkening, Johanne-Marie Tremblay
- source
-
Orion Classics, 711 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10022, USA, FAX: 212-486-0648
-
COMMENTS
Closing Night film. Denys Arcand attended the screening.
OTHER
Jesus of Montreal is funny, biting, startling, stirring and (dare we say) relevant. If The Decline of the American Empire introduced this Canadian director to Stateside audiences, this latest achievement is certain to cement his reputation as a talented filmmaker drawn to challenging subjects. Winner of the Special Jury Award at Cannes, Jesus of Montreal foregrounds the impossible contradictions of principled living. When Daniel, a young actor, is commissioned to stage the church's annual Passion Play, he is given free rein to revitalize the stock production. With a small troupe of actors, he revamps the story and creates a critical hit that sparks controversy, obscuring the lines between theater and reality. In Arcand's assured hands, this absorbing modern parable never falters from its course. From Daniel's unorthodox auditioning method to the brilliantly staged Passion Play to the conclusion, the film speaks volumes on the actor's craft, the media, critics and publicity, love and friendship, integrity's precarious position in contemporary life. Where Scorsese recast religious history in Last Temptation, Arcand and his superb cast explore how tenuous religion has become, its history ossified, its purpose dissociated.
—Laura Thielen
FACTOID #273
In 2006 the Festival widened its scope, screening films at seven satellite venues throughout the city including an arts venue (Intersection for the Arts), a pub (Edinburgh Castle) and a fire station (San Francisco Fire Station #7).
