The Polish film Corpus Christi, which received an Oscar nomination in the best foreign film category, did not win an academy award like Parasite, but it was no less wonderful and is even more profound than the latter. I think from the perspective of the depth of thought and the complexity of society reflected in these films, the nearly plain-narration style of Corpus Christi is better.
What does it mean to be saved? Is it once and for all freedom from sin, or a necessary continuous struggle against sin in the world? Is salvation a transient status within the walls of a church, or a life-long status? Is the effectiveness of salvation from God or from a religious system? Is the Church an ivory tower or a microcosm of society?
The film explores not only issues of faith but also those of religion. Viewing religion as a node in society, the film explores the complexity of society and human nature and presents a microcosm of the country of Poland.
A young priest comes to an ordinary Polish town. By coincidence, the original priest must leave town for treatment due to his illness. The self-proclaimed young graduate priest of a seminary in Warsaw takes his place. The young priest presides over Mass, breaking the rigidity and dreariness of the traditional ceremony by advocating breathing freely during mass, freely experiencing God, and freely communicating with God. His youthful enthusiasm and his approach to ritualistic reform are totally refreshing. Soon everyone accepts and likes the young priest.
Viewers of the film may be happy with the reform brought by the new priest up to this point, but the hidden truth also appears at the beginning of the film.
This young priest is a fraud! Yes, as a juvenile he spent time in a detention center for offences like fighting, drug abuse and illegal sex - he did it all. At first he was sentenced to work in a lumber factory near the town for his misdeeds, but he did not go to the factory. Instead he came to the town as a fake priest.
Right before the mass and hearing confession, he searches on his phone for how to carry out the religious ceremonies. Then he immediately puts into practice what he learns while his memory is still fresh. He also imitates what he learned from the priest in his juvenile detention center. The mass he prepares is a bit less organised but his passion and simplicity are in sharp contrast to the past cumbersome ceremony to which people are accustomed.
What does it matter if the priest is a fake? Is religion itself not a hoax? A mother, who is distressed by her son's smoking habit, pretends during confession to be a pure mother who does not smoke herself. Yet her pretense is spotted by Daniel, the fake priest. Those who cry out for forgiveness cannot let the driver of a car who caused a terrible accident rest in peace even though he is no longer alive. Doesn't religion provide a beautiful outlook on life?
Daniel begins to seriously work as a priest because he believes what the priest of his detention center tells him, that "Each of us is a priest of God". The priest's remark is ironic because of the contradiction between "each of us" and the religious system, because the priests seen in each of us all are also the ones that must be recognized by the religious system.
Daniel does not cheat and take advantage of his priest identity by leading a debauched lifestyle--he takes the position seriously. He raises money for disabled children and mingles well with young people. The cards of gratitude he receives show how seriously Daniel treats his faith.
When Daniel first comes to the town, it is immersed in sadness. One of its citizens crashed his car into another car carrying six young people from the same small town, killing all seven of them. All the citizens agree that the driver who caused the accident was a murderer, and they refused to bury him in the church cemetery. This decision was supported and implemented by the original priest. The prejudice against the family of this "seventh man" kept them from attending Mass. It is as if they were the outcast sinners described in Jewish society.
Fake Priest Daniel feels that God forgives and loves all, so the seven persons who died in this accident was each innocent and suffered pain. Each soul should be accepted by God. There are no sinners in Daniel's eyes but only people created by God.
But it is not easy to break the former priest's decision and get everyone to accept a proper funeral for the "seventh man" who caused the accident. In the negotiation process all the parties are so involved that the young priest's house and his beloved motorcycle are set on fire. In the trial and conviction of the "seventh man", religious and secular powers are involved. Breaking the verdict does not only involve conflict with the former priest, but also facing pressure from the mayor.
What's worse is Daniel's fake priesthood is under threat because of the appearance of his fellow inmates. However, he insists on working with all the parties involved, and in the end, the "seventh man" is accepted and a funeral is held for him. This may not be because of religious forgiveness, but because of the touch brought by the false priest Daniel, who persisted and struggled for what he thought was right.
In the campaign for the "seventh man's" proper funeral, viewers experience the town's repressed religious system, its mayor's authoritarianism, and the dreary paternalism, all of which tell the story of the state of contemporary Polish society. The youth have little hope and are forced struggle against tradition and power or they may eventually escape it all by either agreeing with the status quo or by living in depression.
In the end, the priest in Daniel's detention center learns of the fake priest. He angrily rushes to the town to drive Daniel away because in his view, the purity and majesty of the religious system needs to be upheld. He wants to stop this criminal's offense to his religion, but what Daniel does is completely neglected. Eventually Daniel leaves, and like Jesus crucified he strips himself naked at the church's altar and leaves the town in full view of everyone, returning to the detention center. In fact, what difference is there between the town and his juvenile prison, since everyone is living in repressed cages?
Between God and the religious system, which one provides true salvation? Sometimes we may encounter a similar issue: if a pastor is removed from his position because of adultery, would the baptisms he performed still be spiritually valid? A fake priest, who was formerly a criminal, performing baptisms--are these baptisms still valid? Is it a blessing and pleasing to God for a man who has not been baptized to perform kindness, even if it is not done in the name of Christianity?
Between religion and faith, is our Christian identity given by God or a religious system; do we pursue God's justice or the goals set for us by a religious system? The film does not give us the answer as it just condenses and illustrates the issues into a product.
The answer may be in our hands.
- Translated by Charlie Li
观《基督圣体》有感：上帝和宗教体制，哪一个才是真救赎 与电影《寄生虫》同时被提名的波兰电影《基督圣体》，虽然没有获得奥斯卡奖，但同样不输于奥斯卡获奖电影的精彩，甚至比《寄生虫》更加深刻。如果按照电影所反映的思想的深度和社会的复杂性来说，我想几近白描的《基督圣体》更胜一筹。 得救意味着什么？是一劳永逸地脱离罪恶，还是需要继续与世间的罪恶斗争？救赎是教堂围墙内的短暂状态，还是整个生活的状态？得救的有效性来自上帝，还是宗教体制？教会是象牙塔还是社会的浓缩？ 电影探讨的不仅是信仰的问题，还有宗教的问题，是通过作为社会节点的宗教，来探讨复杂的社会和人性，也是波兰这个国家的缩影。 一个普通的波兰小镇，来了一位年轻的神父，阴差阳错，原来的神父因为身体不适，必须去外地治疗，这个自称毕业于华沙某神学院的年轻神父，就接替了他的位置。年轻神父主持弥撒仪式，打破了原来仪式的僵硬和沉闷，他提倡在弥撒中自由地呼吸，自由地感受上帝，轻松地与上帝交通。他的青春热情，平易近人的仪式改革，让人耳目一新，大家很快接受了他，并喜欢上这个年轻的神父。 也许读到这里，你会为这样的神父所带来的变革高兴，但是其中的隐情也在电影的开头就出现了。 这个年轻的神父是个骗子！ 没错，他原来在少管所，打架斗殴，嗑药淫乱，无所不能。本来他是被少管所分配到小镇附件的木料厂劳动改造的，但是他没去木料厂，却来到小镇当上了假神父。 在弥撒仪式和忏悔仪式开始之前，临时抱佛脚用手机搜索程序和内容，然后现学现卖，临场发挥，把在少管所神父教导的内容模仿上去。仪式虽然凌乱，但却简单，也投入了他的感情，把过去的繁琐一扫而去。 神父是假的又怎样！宗教不就是一场骗局吗！ 一位因为儿子抽烟而苦恼的母亲，在忏悔室里伪装成不抽烟的纯洁母亲，但是还是被丹尼尔识破；那些喊着饶恕的信徒们，却无法接受一个车祸肇事司机的入土为安，宗教不就是一张华丽的外皮吗？ 丹尼尔认真地做了神父，因为他相信他少管所的神父对他所说的，“我们每个人都是上帝的神父”，这里的“每一个人”与宗教体制之间的矛盾，让牧师这句话成为讽刺。因为人们眼里的神父必须要得到宗教体制的认可才行。 丹尼尔并不因为自己是冒牌神父，就仅仅骗吃骗喝，他认真地对待了这个神父职分。 丹尼尔为伤残儿童筹集善款，与青年人打成一片，从他们感谢的贺卡里，展现了丹尼尔认真对待信仰的一面。 当丹尼尔来到小镇的时候，小镇沉浸在一种悲伤当中。一个市民因为开车不幸出了车祸，将载有六名小镇年轻市民的小车撞翻，七人全部遇难。所有市民都认为第七个人——那个一人开车的司机是凶手，从而拒绝将他安葬在墓地。这一决定得到了神父的认可并执行。第七个人的家人也备受歧视，无法进入教堂参加弥撒，俨然一个犹太社会的罪人一般。 冒牌神父丹尼尔觉得，上帝赦免和爱所有的人，所以这场七人丧生的灾难，每个逝者都是无辜的，都是痛苦的，每个人的灵魂都应该被上帝接纳，丹尼尔的眼里没有罪人，只有上帝创造的人。 但是要打破一项原神父的决定谈何容易，在试图让大家接受第七个人的葬礼时，各方势力参与其中，以至于他的房子和心爱的摩托车被人纵火烧掉。这场第七人的审判和判罪中，宗教权力和世俗权力参与其中，打破这个判决不仅要与原神父博弈，还要面对镇长的压力。 更重要的是，丹尼尔的假神父身份，因为狱友的出现而面临威胁。但是他还是坚持在各方势力中周旋，最终，第七人被大家接受，举行了葬礼。这可能不因为宗教的饶恕，而是因为丹尼尔这个假神父的坚持与周旋所带来的感动。 在为了这场第七人葬礼的周旋中，小镇压抑的宗教体制，镇长的一手遮天，以及让人沉闷的家长制，无不诉说着波兰这个社会的现状，看不到希望的年轻人，只能百无聊赖地挣扎，要么最终逃离，要么认可现状，要么压抑地活着。 最终，丹尼尔的少管所神父还是知道了这个冒牌神父的事，迫不及耐，又恼羞成怒的赶到小镇将他赶走，在神父看来，他要维护教廷体制的纯洁和威严，他要制止这个罪犯对宗教的冒犯，但是丹尼尔做的什么他全然无视。最终丹尼尔离开了，他像耶稣被钉上十字架一样，在教堂的圣台之上脱光上衣，在众目睽睽之下离开小镇，回到少管所。其实少管所被这个小镇有什么区别，都是压抑的牢笼而已。 在上帝和宗教体制之间，哪一个才是真的救赎？ 正如我们有时候遇到的问题，一个犯了淫乱罪而被除名的牧师，他之前的施洗还有没有属灵的效力。那么一个冒牌的，本来是个小混混的罪犯冒牌的神父，所施的洗礼是否还继续有效；那么一个没有受洗的人，一个不以基督徒的名义所做的善事，是不是也蒙上帝的祝福和悦纳呢？ 在宗教与信仰之间，我们这些基督徒的身份究竟是上帝给的，还是宗教体制给的，我们是追求上帝的公义，还是追求宗教体制为我们制定好的目标？电影并没有给我们提供答案，只是把这些浓缩成了一部影视作品。 答案也许在我们手里。 https://www.christiantimes.cn/news/31361
The Polish film Corpus Christi, which received an Oscar nomination in the best foreign film category, did not win an academy award like Parasite, but it was no less wonderful and is even more profound than the latter. I think from the perspective of the depth of thought and the complexity of society reflected in these films, the nearly plain-narration style of Corpus Christi is better.
What does it mean to be saved? Is it once and for all freedom from sin, or a necessary continuous struggle against sin in the world? Is salvation a transient status within the walls of a church, or a life-long status? Is the effectiveness of salvation from God or from a religious system? Is the Church an ivory tower or a microcosm of society?
The film explores not only issues of faith but also those of religion. Viewing religion as a node in society, the film explores the complexity of society and human nature and presents a microcosm of the country of Poland.
A young priest comes to an ordinary Polish town. By coincidence, the original priest must leave town for treatment due to his illness. The self-proclaimed young graduate priest of a seminary in Warsaw takes his place. The young priest presides over Mass, breaking the rigidity and dreariness of the traditional ceremony by advocating breathing freely during mass, freely experiencing God, and freely communicating with God. His youthful enthusiasm and his approach to ritualistic reform are totally refreshing. Soon everyone accepts and likes the young priest.
Viewers of the film may be happy with the reform brought by the new priest up to this point, but the hidden truth also appears at the beginning of the film.
This young priest is a fraud! Yes, as a juvenile he spent time in a detention center for offences like fighting, drug abuse and illegal sex - he did it all. At first he was sentenced to work in a lumber factory near the town for his misdeeds, but he did not go to the factory. Instead he came to the town as a fake priest.
Right before the mass and hearing confession, he searches on his phone for how to carry out the religious ceremonies. Then he immediately puts into practice what he learns while his memory is still fresh. He also imitates what he learned from the priest in his juvenile detention center. The mass he prepares is a bit less organised but his passion and simplicity are in sharp contrast to the past cumbersome ceremony to which people are accustomed.
What does it matter if the priest is a fake? Is religion itself not a hoax? A mother, who is distressed by her son's smoking habit, pretends during confession to be a pure mother who does not smoke herself. Yet her pretense is spotted by Daniel, the fake priest. Those who cry out for forgiveness cannot let the driver of a car who caused a terrible accident rest in peace even though he is no longer alive. Doesn't religion provide a beautiful outlook on life?
Daniel begins to seriously work as a priest because he believes what the priest of his detention center tells him, that "Each of us is a priest of God". The priest's remark is ironic because of the contradiction between "each of us" and the religious system, because the priests seen in each of us all are also the ones that must be recognized by the religious system.
Daniel does not cheat and take advantage of his priest identity by leading a debauched lifestyle--he takes the position seriously. He raises money for disabled children and mingles well with young people. The cards of gratitude he receives show how seriously Daniel treats his faith.
When Daniel first comes to the town, it is immersed in sadness. One of its citizens crashed his car into another car carrying six young people from the same small town, killing all seven of them. All the citizens agree that the driver who caused the accident was a murderer, and they refused to bury him in the church cemetery. This decision was supported and implemented by the original priest. The prejudice against the family of this "seventh man" kept them from attending Mass. It is as if they were the outcast sinners described in Jewish society.
Fake Priest Daniel feels that God forgives and loves all, so the seven persons who died in this accident was each innocent and suffered pain. Each soul should be accepted by God. There are no sinners in Daniel's eyes but only people created by God.
But it is not easy to break the former priest's decision and get everyone to accept a proper funeral for the "seventh man" who caused the accident. In the negotiation process all the parties are so involved that the young priest's house and his beloved motorcycle are set on fire. In the trial and conviction of the "seventh man", religious and secular powers are involved. Breaking the verdict does not only involve conflict with the former priest, but also facing pressure from the mayor.
What's worse is Daniel's fake priesthood is under threat because of the appearance of his fellow inmates. However, he insists on working with all the parties involved, and in the end, the "seventh man" is accepted and a funeral is held for him. This may not be because of religious forgiveness, but because of the touch brought by the false priest Daniel, who persisted and struggled for what he thought was right.
In the campaign for the "seventh man's" proper funeral, viewers experience the town's repressed religious system, its mayor's authoritarianism, and the dreary paternalism, all of which tell the story of the state of contemporary Polish society. The youth have little hope and are forced struggle against tradition and power or they may eventually escape it all by either agreeing with the status quo or by living in depression.
In the end, the priest in Daniel's detention center learns of the fake priest. He angrily rushes to the town to drive Daniel away because in his view, the purity and majesty of the religious system needs to be upheld. He wants to stop this criminal's offense to his religion, but what Daniel does is completely neglected. Eventually Daniel leaves, and like Jesus crucified he strips himself naked at the church's altar and leaves the town in full view of everyone, returning to the detention center. In fact, what difference is there between the town and his juvenile prison, since everyone is living in repressed cages?
Between God and the religious system, which one provides true salvation? Sometimes we may encounter a similar issue: if a pastor is removed from his position because of adultery, would the baptisms he performed still be spiritually valid? A fake priest, who was formerly a criminal, performing baptisms--are these baptisms still valid? Is it a blessing and pleasing to God for a man who has not been baptized to perform kindness, even if it is not done in the name of Christianity?
Between religion and faith, is our Christian identity given by God or a religious system; do we pursue God's justice or the goals set for us by a religious system? The film does not give us the answer as it just condenses and illustrates the issues into a product.
The answer may be in our hands.
- Translated by Charlie Li
Film Reflection on 'Corpus Christi': God or Religious System, Which Brings True Salvation?
