Jesus of Montreal (1989)
How Should the Story of Jesus Be Told?
Jesus of Montreal' is an unconventional movie in the Jesus film genre. Director Denys Arcand explores Jesus's identity through characters interacting with the story, framing it not on a notion of belief but on how the story is told. In the documentary "Jesus Christ Movie Star," Arcand says of the film, "The only way to talk about this story is through someone researching [the relevance] of this story."
The movie follows Daniel, a young actor in Montreal, who is commissioned by Fr. Leclerc of the local Catholic Shrine to modernize their annual Passion Play. Daniel becomes obsessed with discovering the historical Jesus and rewrites the play to reflect his academic findings. Daniel also recruits four other actors to assist with the play, and they all become fast friends. Fr. Leclerc is outraged by the significant deviations from the Gospel story and works to have the play stopped. However, among the locals, the play is a huge success. As Daniel continues his production, he becomes indistinguishable from the real Jesus, even to the point of his daily life mimicking events described in the Gospels.
Jesus of History vs. Christ of Faith
In Religious Studies, there's a concept referred to as "Jesus of History vs. Christ of Faith." This idea suggests that the person Jesus who lived in 1st Century Palestine sometimes differs from the idea of Christ that nourishes faith communities. For centuries, the idea of how to handle the human and spiritual implications of Jesus of Nazareth has been debated. On the surface, the film implies that the historical implications of Jesus are the only ones that matter. Although commissioned by a Catholic Shrine, a place of faith, Daniel conducts his research at a University, a place of history, to find answers for his play. He rewrites the production's original chorus of "Behold the Lambs" for a (since debunked) theory about Jesus being the illegitimate son of a Roman officer.
Scenes like this and the refreshed response of the audience can make Fr. Leclerc's disappointment in the play seem unfounded. On the surface, Daniel's play implies that the only correct approach to Christ's story is historical. The Christ of faith is an infinitely malleable and invented version of what we do not understand. The truth frees people, and that is only found in facts, not feelings. For those of us whose lives have been transformed by the salvific implications of the Gospel, that can be a challenging reading. But the movie presents a more complicated and varied picture than that. The depth of the film's spirituality makes it one of my favorite Jesus films.
A Modern Myth
Sections of the play are broken up across the film. In one scene, Daniel, who plays Jesus in the production, interacts with the crowd during one of his monologues. A woman in the crowd runs up to Daniel, who is worshipping him, convinced he is the real Jesus. On the first day of art school, my professor taught us about "verisimilitude." It's a word that means "like truth." Art has the power to appear truthful even when it can never actually be because it is always through someone's perspective. The question I have about this scene in the movie is whether Daniel is recognized as Jesus because of his production's verisimilitude or because he is transforming into the real Jesus.
““This man was supposedly a revolutionary. They killed this man, which suggests he had some passion or spirit for his fellow man that threatened people in power.””
I lean more towards Daniel's transformation into Christ. Even though Daniel has sought Jesus academically, we understand the historical Jesus in the film more through the events in Daniel's actual life. This forces Daniel to act similarly to how Jesus did in the Gospels. Daniel flips tables when he sees the treatment of his friend Mireille, stands trial in court, confounding the judge, and confronts the priests during his play, calling them hypocrites. When Daniel is fatally injured on the cross, his last words are a monologue of Jesus's prophecies.
We understand the Christ of Faith because of the circumstances surrounding Daniel's life. The story of Jesus is impactful, not just because of its historical value, but because of its ability to enrapture those who interact with it. This is the genius of this movie! Whether or not you believe the historical notions of Daniel's play doesn't matter. The power of the story (and, by extension, the Christ of Faith) is felt by the timelessness of the events surrounding it. Director Denys Arcand discusses casting a Christ figure for this film, saying, "This man was supposedly a revolutionary. They killed this man, which suggests he had some passion or spirit for his fellow man that threatened people in power."
So, How Should We Tell the Story of Jesus?
My takeaway is that we tell the story with our lives. Part of being a Christian means that I inherit that same passion Jesus had for justice and mercy. Carrying this story with me means so much more when it is enacted and not just recited. The Gospel cannot solely live in the theoretical; it must also exist in the tangible messiness of everyday relationships, uncertainties, and life. To search for the real Jesus means being transformed in his image and ultimately moving in his likeness.
