Priest
Controversy is certainly a fine decider of whether a film succeeds or fails at the box office. Unfortunately, the only time a movie does succeed is when the controversy is over the amount of sex and nudity that the film contains. And perhaps that's just more of a reason for everyone to see Priest, which caused so much controversy that the Catholic church protested against it. When I first heard about all the fuss being made over the movie, I thought it was about sex or nudity. After seeing the film, I have realized that it wasn't about that at all. They were protesting because the film depicts the realistic portrayal of priests in the Catholic church. It would seem that with all the believers that the Church has, it still has to cower behind protests and ridicule.
And how ironic that sounds, especially considering Priest's subject matter. Priest is a daring film which doesn't hold back what it has to say for a moment. It's subject matter is extremely touchy, and many people will be offended by it quickly. However, those who take an objective look at it will realize that it's saying something about our society as a whole. It's not just about Catholicism--it just uses that as a front in order to tell its rather simple story. Priest's plot is pretty basic, but the underlying messages are its central purpose. If we are to deal with a subject, we have to look at it face on. Most people will call the film ridiculous and point out simple flaws that may only be there to enhance the story. These people are just the people that don't want to face their own hypocrisy.
Priest follows two different characters: Father Greg (Linus Roache), a young priest who believes in being a moral guidance counselor more than a social advisor; and Father Matthew (Tom Wilkinson), an older, more liberal priest who sleeps with his housekeeper and gives opinionated services in mass. Father Greg is the center of the story, and we witness his slow descent from a seemingly faithful and diligent worker of God to a man so desperate for completion that he feels ending his life would be the only possible absolution. Father Greg arrives in Liverpool, and rooms with Father Matthew. Both give services, and both critique each other. However, once Father Greg's world begins falling apart, Father Matthew becomes his only friend.
Father Greg has a secret which he has hidden from everyone as much as possible: he is homosexual. This lifestyle he leads directly conflicts with the Church's beliefs, and he tries to deal with it as much as he can. Taking off his collar and putting on his black leather jacket, he rides his bike over to the local gay bar. Here, he meets Graham (Robert Carlyle), and they have a passionate night of sex. The next day, a young girl (Christine Tremarco) enters the confessional and tells Father Greg that her father sexually abuses her. Due to the seal of the confessional, Father Greg is not able to tell anyone, and this causes him to lose control. Her father even makes threats to him, claiming that incest is "deep down, what everyone really wants to do."
The final hour of Priest involves Father Greg's mental struggle to figure out what to do. He pleads with Christ, and asks other priests what he should do. As he progresses, his mental stability soon deteriorates, and he is no longer able to cope with the stress of knowing and not knowing. The final scene of Priest may be called overdone and melodramatic, but it had me in tears. While the film started out good, it ends perfectly, resolving the emotional ties left undone. Everything portrayed in the final scene works because it is true to life. Bible quoting may seem cliche, but it's exactly what people do. In order to protect their own social beliefs, they rely on religious literature to give them a reason to ridicule.
Many people are sure to dislike Priest for its uncompromising portrayal of Catholicism. Some may say that Priest challenges the idea that priests should or could be chaste. I disagree. Priest merely shows what human nature is, and how religion sometimes puts restrictions on our own physical desires. The priests depicted in Priest could abstain from sexual pleasure, but they don't. That, in no way, means the film is campaigning against abstinence. It's merely suggesting that some priests can't or won't. Perhaps Father Greg looks at sex as a way to release the pressure placed on him by his religion. Unfortunately, just when he finally finds his own place in society, society turns its back on him, and forces him to cope with even more problems.
Jimmy McGovern's screenplay handles all of this with near perfect precision. The script carefully balances the touchy subjects with some rather very funny humor, and then uses strong characters to enforce his ideas. Not everyone will agree with his claims, but when you think about them, they seem quite logical. McGovern doesn't bother to answer all the questions he raises because that gives more for the viewers to think about. With all the love and compassion that Christ showed, we can't find it in ourselves to love someone who may have a different lifestyle. As Father Greg quotes, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." This dangerous subject can get an amateur screenwriter slaughtered, but McGovern manages to produce a thought-provoking story that finally makes us witness our own flaws.
One of the most important things for a film of this nature to do is find an appealing and sympathetic cast. Linus Roache finds the perfect tone for Father Greg, delicately expressing his mental pain with one simple expression. Roache never overplays his character, and becomes a pawn of the screenplay (which is good, in this case). Tom Wilkinson, who later went on to co-star in the hit The Full Monty, is a little less engrossing, but his fight for Father Greg is touching and heartfelt. His careful performance perfectly portrays a priest who suddenly loses faith when society turns against one man. Christine Tremarco is very believable as the vulnerable and frightened fourteen year old girl. Robert Pugh displays hidden anger and lust behind tired eyes, giving a very daring performance. Robert Carlyle (the star of The Full Monty) gives a very good and underrated performance as Greg's lover. And yes, there is Paul Barber from The Full Monty in a brief appearance. But amidst all these strong performances, it is Roache who shines through, deftly playing a man caught between his love of God, and his love of men.
Priest is rated R for depiction of mature themes involving sexuality and some language. Director Antonia Bird has crafted a magnificently daring motion picture which should be viewed by almost everyone. The sex is filmed in a romantic style, declining to show any actual nudity, but instead, the faces of the actors. The controversy surrounding Priest is rather humorous, as all the protests seem to be against the one thing that most people have: hypocrisy. Most of the people against the film probably haven't seen it, and so this just detracts from their credibility. After all these years of evolution, we are still no better than when we first began on this earth.