Calvary

Beautiful, beautiful film about forgiveness, grief, and faith. It left a strong impact on me, and I obviously got sad at the end of the film. I like how it shows deep-rooted problems in the Catholic Church and in society in general. Every person Father James meets represents some kind of mortal sin. For example, the doctor represents cynicism and nihilism. He has basically lost faith in everything and enjoys provoking others. The wealthy man represents greed and pure materialism. He thinks he is above everyone else just because he is wealthy. The prostitute represents lust. I actually liked her character because she’s open about what she’s doing and why she’s doing it. Funny enough, she’s one of the least hypocritical people in the town. “Calvary” is the place where Jesus was crucified. Father James knows he might die, yet he still walks toward it while trying to do the right thing. I felt bad for the killer too, obviously. He was broken and abused in a way that is disgusting, and it was done by a priest. A priest is supposed to guide and protect you, but he and other children only received abuse. He was angry, and I understand that. Why didn’t the Church do anything? The prison scene where Father James’s daughter meets the killer is very powerful, because in the end forgiveness is still possible, especially if you’re a Christian. One thing is that it was a little boring in some parts, but that’s how this movie is supposed to be. So yeah, I loved it.