This film is quite unpopular in China. It was screened at the Venice Film Festival in September 2019. The film was nominated for "Best Picture". Nominated for the 2020 Academy Awards for "Best International Film", it is "one of the favorites" among the newly released films, and the other is "Hunger Platform".
The poster is very well done. The dark spots are redeemed and sublimated. The demons and gods once merged together, as if there is no gap between good and evil.
The video is roughly divided into two parts:
In the first part, Daniel was introduced to a sawmill in a remote small town after being released from the juvenile control house. Because of his sincere yearning for Christ, he went to the church in the small town and, by chance, pretended to be a priest and performed the priesthood in place of the sick Father Thomas. By chance, I learned of a car accident in the town and more inside stories.
In the second part, Daniel blessed the mayor's new sawmill. He met Pinczer, a cellmate of the juvenile prison, and prepared to escape the town. But after thinking about it, he chose to stay, and decided to use his "clergy" to bury the unforgiven driver in the town. When people recognized Daniel instead of God, understood the love of forgiveness, and agreed to the driver’s burial, Daneil’s house was burnt down, and he came to the town to take the bus. The policeman who knew his true identity appeared in front of him... The priest also appeared in front of him...Daniel was facing a huge risk of his identity being revealed at this time, but he insisted on completing the final mass and returning to the juvenile management office...
The film uses extremely deserted and fixed shots, as a bystander, gently and restraintly tells Daniel's story of "searching for Christ, searching for self, searching for faith and transmutation and sublimation". The director is Jan Komasa, and his Virgo "Suicide Room" is the first Polish film familiar to Chinese audiences. The photographer is Piotr Soboschinski Jr., and his father is Piotr Soboschinsky who has taken the shot of "Red, White and Blue Trilogy" and "The Ten Commandments".
1. Many contrasts and confrontations before and after the plot.
1) The confrontation between the sawmill and the junior management office and the comparison of identity and inner spirit
In the first scene of the film, the location is in the sawmill. The prison guard who is looking after the juvenile departs suddenly. In the prison, Pinczer and his partner bully the inmates. Daniel is their lookout. Although Daniel believed in Christ at this time, he was not so firm.
This scene contrasts with the scene where Daniel returns from the town to the juvenile office at the end of the film. It was also the prison guard who left suddenly, but Daniel was not a lookout person, he became one of the parties in the battle. His mood has also changed. Daniel may not regard Christ as his faith, but his faith has been deeply rooted in his heart.
In a sense, this battle is the last step of the "Holy Blood" ceremony in Christ in the "Holy Blood" (detailed later), Daniel's last salvation for himself, plus the previous Mass in the church ( "Communist" ceremony), Daniel completed all the rituals, it can be said that he became Jesus and completed the redemption.
The sawmill in the first act has set the tone for the film. Like the sawmills that appear frequently later, it represents the juvenile management office, the prison, and the few places in the world that can accept criminals, and here is controlled by power. There is a certain confrontation with the plot of "Blessing the Mayor's New Sawmill" later in the article. At that time, Daniel's blessing to the new sawmill represented that he had escaped from the sinful place of the juvenile jail, and it was equivalent to replacing God's blessing for himself.
Although Daniel believes in Christianity, he hopes to go to seminary and become a priest. But the priest in the prison in the film is extremely mocking of what Daniel said, and the church is not a place to accept criminals.
At this time, Daniel still didn't understand the meaning and influence of this sentence for him.
2) The sway of Christ in Daniel's heart, the cross and the light.
In the second scene of the film, Daniel and the inmates cleaned the room in order to welcome the priest. Daniel put the cross neatly on the table and sang the Bible. This paragraph shows that Daniel is a criminal who believes in Christ very much and is loved by priests. The cross represents Christ's just and sacred position in his mind.
The cross stands on top of the earth, in the center of the picture.
This scene is in contrast with the end of the film. Daniel returned from the small town to the juvenile prison and found Pinczer before eating to confirm whether he had betrayed himself. Betrayed Daniel). After getting confirmation, Pinczer was afraid that he was too close to Daniel and was revenge by Daniel's enemy (the power man in the prison at the time, the brother of the boy that Daniel killed by showing off his mistakes), and immediately sat down The table behind. The prison guard walked in and prayed before the meal. The brother of the boy who was killed stood behind Daniel. The inmates on both sides stood up and prayed, but Daniel still sat to eat and did not pray for the meal.
At this time, Daniel did not no longer believe in Christ, but really understood the meaning of Christ for a person. Prayer is only a form. Compared with the form, it is not as good as the sentence the prison priest said to him, "There are many ways to do good in life." "Expression: Practice is more important. (That is, he used his priesthood to help the drivers in the town to be forgiven and buried smoothly)
It also confirms the following passage from the priest Thomas of the small town:
"God talks to us through various events in our lives. Sometimes we think that this cannot be God's plan. Various Heyang tragedies have attacked us, but the most important thing is to never lose faith... This is a parable about how far you are from God, including everyone, even me." —Father Town
2. Contrast and confrontation between light and light
The film's opening is very special, in the third act of the film. After being refused entry into the seminary by the priest during the day, Daniel sat on the bed in the juvenile prison prison, praying with the light on. Suddenly the prison light (cold light) turned off, and Daniel remained unmoved and continued to pray. The light (warm light) from the window with the railings shot in, and it happened to shine on Daniel's body. As the camera turned, Daniel raised his eyes, and the title came out.
The lights of the prison may be a symbol of Christ, exuding high-cold lights, not under Daniel's control. Even if God turns off the light, Daniel still has that persistent faith. The light outside the window is like oneself, the light that supports oneself.
Daniel is praying.
The lights are off.
Contrasting the plot: In the middle of the film, Daniel was introduced by Eliza's mother Lidia to a family to give a tribute to the dying old man. That was the first time that Daniel gave a confirmation. In fact, there were many loopholes, and he was extremely flustered. Daniel stepped into the old man's room alone, and the old man lay on the bed dying, just waiting for his arrival. Daniel held the old man's hand, the old man was looking forward to the arrival of "God", and died just after his left hand was overlaid.
At this time, the room only relied on candles and the red lamps surrounding the picture of Jesus on the wall emitting a faint light. The untightened curtains cast out the light outside the window, a white light symbolizing holiness, shining on the upper body of the old man. Daniel sat in the shadow of the curtains, holding the old man's hand in a daze.
This is my favorite scene, followed by Mass.
At this moment, Daniel felt the weight of death and the power of Christ's faith. He truly realized that what he should do as a "cleric" is not just to memorize scriptures, but to bear the value of every faith and the right power to convey the spirit of Christ.
In the film, a sentence often judged to be a clergyman, "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen". The Father refers to God, the Son refers to Jesus, and the Holy Spirit refers to the pious vision received by the believers. Amen represents conviction.
The priest of the church is equivalent to God for devout believers. Daniel wants to work hard to be a god, a god who can truly become the faith of others.
3. Constant swing and firmness of identity, doubt and conviction.
The sway and firmness of identity comes from Daniel himself, which is also the sway and firmness between his doubts and beliefs about his identity.
The first swing was when Daniel was only joking about being the godfather, but was taken to Father Thomas's house. While waiting, he wanted to escape through the window but failed, so he had to bite the bullet and play the trick.
The first firmness is when you make a confirmation. (Longer time)
The second swing is when Pinzer appears. Daniel is threatened by Pinzer and prepares to leave the town. But the second determination also followed. Daniel gave up and decided to stay in the town. (Short time)
The third swing is Eliza. The two love each other. In the night they went to Father Thomas’s main house... The cross between Daniel’s neck also swayed between the two of them... At this time, the cabin where Daniel lived was next to him. Was burnt down. It also attracted the police from the city. It was the policeman Daniel encountered who knew his identity when he came to the town.
Daniel relied on Eliza to avoid part of the questioning (at this time, Eliza should have confirmed the false identity of Daniel's godfather), and relied on Eliza to strengthen his belief. Even if he saw the priest in the prison at the driver's funeral, Daniel didn't make any waves. He still decided to complete the final Mass, and escaped from the window where he wanted to escape but failed.
In fact, Lidia also has doubts about Daniel's identity. When Daniel met Father Thomas, the priest asked him if he had a drink, and Daniel drank. The camera shows Lidia standing at the door, suggesting suspicion. (Priests can’t drink or get married)
Later, when Daniel’s mass and prayer in the church were different from other priests...Lidia was later than others’ applause and praise at the same time... let Daniel live in the cabin but not let live in the main house and emphasized that the main house is the priest. At the time... after Daniel entered the room and Lidia closed the door... Lidia already knew Daniel’s false identity, but helped Daniel to conceal it (or perhaps for Father Thomas’s medical treatment), but in the end Lidia did. Because Daniel obtained the influence, forgiveness and faith that God passed to mankind, forgiving original sins.
Among them, Daniel experienced self-doubt, others' doubts, and finally gained firmness and conviction.
4. Love can conceal all transgressions, and love is also the beginning of redemption.
The first time Daniel pretended to be a priest to hear someone confess, the other person was a mother. The mother came to warn her for beating her son and asked how to get her son to quit smoking and how to make compensation. Daniel first explained to her according to the words in the scriptures, but he smelled the smoke from the woman. Daniel did not accuse the woman, nor did he ask the woman to apologize to his son for what he did. Instead, she wants her to accompany her son to ride a bicycle, that is, to atone for sins and to resolve conflicts with love.
This is similar to the second line of the film's plot. A group of children in the town died in a car accident due to improper driver. Among them was Eliza's younger brother and Lidia's son. The people in the small town hated the priest for his unforgiveness of the driver. He was not allowed to be buried and erected, and his ashes could only be placed at home, and the widow and wife of the driver were also isolated. (A dark thought. The priest may be the father of Lidia's dead son. Therefore, as a believer, Lidia saw such an incompetent priest Daniel and did not expose him. Therefore, he walked so close to Father Thomas...Generally priests would treat this kind of Time to persuade others to forgive...Of course, it may also be just because Lidia has taken care of him for many years, and has empathy for her dead son)
Daniel held a prayer for the driver, persuading the people in the small town to forgive, and also used the topic of love to complete the atonement and forgiveness, and finally erected a monument for the driver.
5. The final mass
Daniel ran away at the end to complete the final mass.
[A popular science about Mass: Mass comes from the Last Supper of the "Bible·New Testament". According to the Gospel records, at the dinner on the eve of the crucifixion, Jesus picked up wheat flour bread and wine, thanked and blessed, turned the bread and wine into his own communion and blood, gave it to the disciples to eat and drink, and ordered the disciples to eat and drink. Do this to commemorate him; after dinner, Jesus was delivered, suffered, was crucified and died on the Calvary Mountain, and sacrificed his life. Jesus established the Eucharist at the Last Supper and held the first Eucharist. And his dinner sacrifice and his great sacrifice on the cross on Calvary are inseparable. He consecrated bread and wine separately as his Eucharist and blood, indicating that he suffered and died. Fully poured out his own blood. From the perspective of the nature of sacrifice, the sacrifice of the Last Supper and the sacrifice of the cross on the Calvary Mountain are one and two, two in one, and cannot be separated at all. When the church celebrated Mass, it was in accordance with Jesus' orders, to directly re-execute his supper sacrifice, and indirectly to repeat the sacrifice of his death on the cross of Calvary.
Mass is the most important and most celebrated ceremony in the Holy Church. Its purpose is to become the Eucharist, to sacrifice to God, to express admiration, gratitude, supplication, and atonement to God. The main religious activities of the church revolve around Mass. Mass is the main body and center of Catholic liturgical life, and it is also the peak. 】
In fact, when Daniel saw the call from the police on the bus and the prison priest, he had already realized that he would eventually return to the juvenile prison. So when he was at the funeral, he did not panic or dodge when he saw the priest of the juvenile detention center. He only hoped that he could complete the last mass. Daniel escaped, wearing a green sacrificial clothing. The green sacrificial clothing represents life and hope.
Daniel looked at Jesus during Mass, said "He is too holy", took off his green sacrificial clothes, walked out of the church topless, and showed the people in the town his tattoos. He was evidence of a criminal. . And left the necklace between the necks in the church. At this time, Daniel had given up hope and life in his heart and returned to the juvenile prison.
In the plot, Daniel has completed the "Communist" part of Mass, and he is only one step away from becoming "Jesus".
6. What I think is the ending
At the end of the film, Daniel was beaten and swayed out of the juvenile prison. Behind him were the prison guards chasing him. The plot of "Holy Blood" has been completed. Daniel and Jesus become one, and the Eucharist and the Holy Blood are used as atonement, which is the same as the mass science ceremony mentioned above.
The ceremony was completed, Jesus was nailed to the cross to make atonement for the world, and the ceremony was completed, and Daniel made atonement for himself. So Daniel's final outcome is death.
Where is he going? Small town? Obviously impossible.
Daniel came out because of a belief. He already understood the meaning of Christ for himself. At this time, he finished the film title "Christ Eucharist". So he has achieved the Eucharist of Christ-sacrifice. He redeemed the driver who was not allowed to bury and held funerals in the town, redeemed the driver’s wife, redeemed the family members who lost their loved ones in that car accident, and himself...
So where does he go? I think it's a church.
And these are just guesses.
Still running, it means that there is still faith, and there is hope, right?
But the idea of making another ending shot:
Daniel ran out, ran to the big lawn, looked at the top of the church in the distance (no need to give the camera), stood still, a faint light shone on his face, opened his hands, and the film stopped abruptly.
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