CORPUS CHRISTI (2019) by Jan Komasa

“Often moving but also disquieting and even intermittently funny, this drama unfurls a spiritual parable that is uniquely Polish but accessible to all.” – Leslie Felperin, The Guardian

“On one side are all the elements of a classic thriller: agonizing tension, the constant air of potential doom, the sense that anything could happen at any moment to bring on chaos and ruin. But these qualities cluster not around questions of espionage, violent crime or high-stakes robbery but rather ideas that are unapologetically philosophical.” - Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

“It is a film of narrow concerns, but it expresses them with uncommon power and delicacy, and no little amount of visual beauty… The film is about a lot of things in small ways, but it all comes down to the desire to find some kind of anchor in a world that doesn’t offer any.” - Tim Brayton, Alternate Ending

***

[Peter]

April is the month of Easter, the most important day on the Catholic calendar (sorry, Christmas), and what better way to explore themes of sin, redemption, and holding on to one’s moral compass in a seemingly godless universe than to dive into some modern cinematic gems from Poland, a country steeped in Catholic heritage and finding its way in a post-Communist world, and a veritable breeding ground for brilliant film directors (I see you, Krzysztof Kieslowski).

Our journey starts on April 12th with CORPUS CHRISTI (by Jan Komasa), a fascinating character study of a juvenile delinquent who inexplicably finds himself as the priest of a village parish. On April 19th, we will discuss IDA (by Pawel Pawlikowski), a masterpiece which tells the coming-of age story of a young nun-to-be who discovers a shocking family truth a few days before she is to take her vows. Finally, on April 26th we will end our Polish tour with AFTERIMAGE, the swan song of Andrzej Wajda (the godfather of Polish cinema) and a biography of Polish painter Wladyslaw Strzeminski, a contemporary of Kandinsky and a man who literally lived and died solely for his art. These three films are very different in tone and style, yet all focus on protagonists who, when logic and tradition would dictate otherwise, find their humanity through the unique expression of their souls.

You can stream CORPUS CHRISTI for free on Kanopy or Hoopla. Happy viewing!