Maria Magdalena (2018)

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Movie
German title Mary Magdalene
Original title Mary Magdalene
Country of production USA , UK , Australia
original language English
Publishing year 2018
length 120 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Garth Davis
script Helen Edmundson ,
Philippa Goslett
production Iain Canning ,
Emile Sherman ,
Liz Watts
music Jóhann Jóhannsson ,
Hildur Guðnadóttir
camera Greig Fraser
cut Alexandre de Franceschi
occupation
synchronization

Mary Magdalene is a biography of Garth Davis . The film premiered on February 26, 2018 at the National Gallery in London. A cinema release in Germany took place on March 15, 2018. The subject of the film is the life of Maria Magdalena and her encounter with Jesus of Nazareth .

action

Only at a late point in time did Mary Magdalene enter the life of Jesus and become his companion. She not only made the acquaintance of his disciples , among them Peter , John and Judas , but also became a witness to his crucifixion and resurrection .

The film begins with Maria diving in the water. Later in the film, she tells Jesus that she used to enjoy diving with her brothers. She also describes her special feeling when surfacing and asks Jesus whether this is the feeling of being one with God. Jesus is surprised by the question because no one else has asked him about it before.

The first real act takes place in Maria's family house. There she proves to be a talented obstetrician, as she succeeds in calming the woman giving birth through intensive eye contact. According to men, giving birth to children is an important task for women - v. a. her father and brother Daniel also very much want her to be a mother, so they want her to marry a man named Ephraim. But she doesn't want that at all because she doesn't see herself called for “this life” (as a housewife and mother). She feels strongly under pressure and goes to the synagogue in the middle of the night , where she whispers and frantically speaks Hebrew prayers. The synagogue master wants to talk to her and help her, but she is not really available, so he lets her family know. According to her brother Daniel, this has brought great shame on her family because as a woman she is only allowed to go to prayer with the family and not alone at night. She goes to sleep, but is woken up by Daniel, who wants to show her something. They go out to the lake, where they want to free Maria from her demonic possession with the help of an exorcist and by submerging several times. Then she no longer talks to her family, which is a particularly heavy burden on her father. One of her brothers therefore brings the "healer".

This is Mary's first encounter with Jesus. He speaks to her about the demonic possession she is accused of by her family and talks to her about her longings and fears. He absolves them of the demons by saying that they are not there.

The next meeting of the two takes place at the lake when Maria mends the fishing nets with another. She sees Jesus and runs to him to listen to him. She is taken with his message, decides against the will of her brother Daniel to follow Jesus and is baptized by him. The disciples are divided: Peter is very skeptical about their acceptance into the circle of disciples, but Jude welcomes them warmly and integrates them. He also tells her about his family, which he has lost. He follows Jesus because he hopes for his coming kingdom and the resurrection of the dead.

In a first discussion with the disciples, Mary feels like she is in a group of soldiers devising a kind of strategy of conquest. She tells Jesus about it, who asks her if she would also like to be a soldier, which she denies. Instead, she is sent off by Jesus together with Peter to preach the Gospel, and in the process she proves to be a merciful and caring preacher who lets her deeds speak for themselves: You come to a village that has just been devastated by the Roman occupiers. Peter sees no hope and wants to go to the next town, but Maria does not give up and at least wants to fetch water for the few survivors, of which she can finally convince Peter.

A particularly memorable miracle that she witnessed is the raising of the dead Lazarus from the dead . Then Jesus withdraws alone and she follows him. He seems to have vague premonitions about what God has in store for him next. She tries to comfort Jesus, who is very depressed and worried. A short time later she meets his mother. Jesus' mother correctly suspects that she loves him. So they both have something in common. Her advice to Mary Magdalene is that she better prepare to lose him.

Jesus and his disciples are on their way to Jerusalem , where the situation is getting worse. Instead of going to a place protected from the Romans to preach, Jesus went straight to the temple. There he performs the " temple cleaning ", so throws away the money of the traders and frees the animals for sale, because God's house should be a house of prayer and not a marketplace.

Then Jesus celebrates the Last Supper with his disciples ; then they go to the garden of Gethsemane . There Judas kisses him, whereupon Roman soldiers approach Jesus. Maria runs towards them and is hit on the head, causing her to pass out. When she wakes up, Judas is with her, who is happy that Jesus can soon finally show his power. She immediately realizes that something is wrong and runs into town. There she sees the blood covered Jesus, who has to carry his cross down the street with his last strength. At first she can't watch any more, turns around and mourns on the floor. But then she goes to the cross to help Jesus in his last moments. She is present at the burial and stays in front of the grave the whole time.

When the sun rises one morning, she sees Jesus sitting in front of the tomb. She sits down with him. Then she goes to the disciples and tells about the resurrection . They don't really want to believe her, but Maria won't let herself be put off. She wants to be heard and tells other women, including some who have already been addressed by Jesus' sermon at a washing place.

The film ends as it began: Maria Magdalena dives into the water and then penetrates the surface of the water to the light.

The biblical Mary Magdalene in popular culture

The film partly develops a new story about Maria Magdalena and Jesus Christ , here a portrayal of Giotto

In popular cultural literature, Mary Magdalene is often understood as the wife or lover of Jesus and associated with the Holy Grail, for example in Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code . Peter Hasenberg , film expert at the German Bishops' Conference , thinks that it has to be said that some things have been invented: “In the Bible we learn very little about Mary Magdalene. It is mentioned once that she was a woman who had seven demons cast out. Then she makes her grand entrance under the cross and of course at the empty tomb as a witness to the resurrection. These are the core components that the film uses. ”That is why the director developed a story that begins with the time before Mary Magdalene comes to Jesus, continues Hasenberg:“ The director tries to bring this character closer to the viewer. It can be said that there is much that is not backed up by the Bible. But I think that what the scriptwriters have invented is entirely in the spirit of the Bible - not speculative - and they don't ascribe anything to the character. ”Therefore, the story of Mary Magdalene is a good invention that might help What is the basis of the Bible can be seen in a new way, so Hasenberg.

production

Staff and cast

Directed by Garth Davis . The script was written by Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett . The score was composed by Jóhann Jóhannsson and Hildur Guðnadóttir . The soundtrack for the film includes 13 pieces of music and was released for download by Milan Records on March 23, 2018.

Rooney Mara took on the title role of Maria Magdalena . The role of Jesus of Nazareth was cast with Joaquin Phoenix . Chiwetel Ejiofor plays the apostle Simon Petrus , Charles Babalola his brother Andreas . Zohar Shtrauss plays Johannes , Michael Moshonov , the apostle Matthew , Tawfeek Barhom the apostle James and Uri Gavriel the apostle Philip . Tahar Rahim in the role of Judas Iscariot to see and Ryan Corr plays Jesus's father Joseph. Shira Haas can be seen in the role of Leah, Hadas Yaron as Sarah and Theo Theodoridis as Lazarus . Tsahi Halevi plays Ephraim.

Filming and publishing

The shooting took place in rural areas in Italy, in November 2016 in Basilicata . Shooting ended on December 2, 2016. Greig Fraser acted as cameraman . As a symbol of the life of Mary Magdalene, which was determined by an intense experience of God, he added the image of a diver that appears at the beginning and at the end of the film. Peter Hasenberg from Filmdienst comments on this: “In submerging, she experienced the feeling of weightlessness and in ascending to the surface of the water and to the light, she strived up to the divine. The experience of God as being carried. ”One of the other optical characteristics of the film, continues Hasenberg, is that it relies heavily on looks, touches and gestures of affection in order to reveal a world in which a peaceful coexistence and a Culture of mindfulness.

In March 2017, The Weinstein Company announced that the film would open in select US cinemas on November 24, 2017. The date was later postponed to Easter 2018. A theatrical release in Germany took place on March 15, 2018. In July 2018, it was released on DVD. The film premiered on February 26, 2018 at the National Gallery in London.

reception

Age rating

In Germany the film is FSK 12 . The statement of reasons for the release states: “The story of the film is easy to understand for children and young people from the age of 12. Occasionally there are more intense depictions of violence (e.g. the crucifixion ) or emotionally intense scenes (e.g. when Mary and Peter stand by the dying people in a village). However, viewers aged 12 and over can view these scenes in the context of the biblical story and process them appropriately. Sustainable impairments are not to be feared. "

Reviews and grossing results

Rooney Mara , here a few weeks after filming at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival , took on the leading role of Maria Magdalena

Peter Hasenberg from the film service remarks that Garth Davis' film is consciously understood as an attempt to rehabilitate Mary Magdalene as a companion of Jesus on an equal footing with the apostles . Already since the Second Vatican Council, and especially in feminist theology, this revaluation has increasingly prevailed, and as quoted in the credits, the appreciation of Mary as "Apostola Apostolorum" (apostle of the apostles) was last expressly expressed in a 2016 by Pope Francis Hasenberg explains the desired decree of the Congregation for Divine Worship, with which the memorial day of St. Mary Magdalene was elevated to the rank of a festival.

Maria Magdalena is not a subsequent cinematic justification of this decree, but a story of this woman, told with many fictional extensions, who is not looking for any sensational reinterpretations, but underlines what is at the core of the Bible , namely that Maria Magdalena is the first witness at the grave and the was the first herald of the resurrection. The performances of the two main actors are impressive, continues Hasenberg. Joaquin Phoenix is not a "sweet" Jesus in the Nazarenes style, but combines strength with tenderness, and Rooney Mara as Maria Magdalena makes the inner glow of a woman of great spiritual power visible.

Arnold Hohmann from the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, on the other hand, recognizes almost only passivity in acting in Mara, where there should actually be a passion, at least with regard to the worldview and the deeds of Jesus: “But it fits well into a regrettably lifeless production in which even the final crucifixion is only approached briefly and with pointed fingers. ”Davis staged Mary Magdalene so obediently and cautiously that she soon barely felt anything of her initially self-confident demeanor, continues Hohmann.

Peter Zander from Berliner Morgenpost says that for the first time the Messiah story will be consistently told from the perspective of a woman, which fits in well with the quota discussion and MeToo debate, even if the film was piquantly produced by the Weinstein Company . The film is not limited to gender correctness or social feminism, Zander continues: "The film actually wants to rehabilitate a historical figure who has been marginalized, defamed and stigmatized for centuries."

Zander remarks on Joaquin Phoenix in the role of Jesus that he was one of the greatest miscast in many years. Even if the actor is always good when it comes to playing torn men who doubt themselves, if not despair, as Jesus he is not only simply too old, but also plays so tormented as if he were constantly by demons would be afflicted, says Zander.

The film scholar Stella Donata Haag from the Babelsberg Film University says in the Tagesspiegel that biblical stories have only proven to be of limited use in film history , because despite their classic dramaturgy, the realism of the cinematic often reaches its limits, even in religions with an affinity for images such as Christianity. The genre is not unjustifiably known for its involuntarily comical effects that arise when religious symbol systems meet the mechanisms of the entertainment industry. Director Garth Davis countered this danger by reducing the aesthetic stimuli, continues Haag: “The landscape is barren, the linen fabrics are undyed, the furnishings are spartan. The scenery thus remains at a safe distance from the cinematic tradition of visual overwhelming. ”Furthermore, Haag notes that the film does not dare to come up with a truly feminist interpretation, even though it wants to establish the female perspective in the title:“ A woman who contradicts men , is a weak comment on the millennia-old antagonism between the whore and the Madonna, which is rooted in the figure of Mary. "The question of whether Maria Magdalena's sexuality is sublimated, transcended or simply repressed, has conveniently disappeared from the film and remains behind an adjusted femininity, so Haag. Rooney Mara provides the beautiful, kitsch-free face and gives the character the strength of a fighter that she has to become when she raises her voice publicly as a woman. Haag sums up: “The underlying finding that a woman in the strictly patriarchal system can only be strong if she puts herself outside of the sexual could develop critical potential. Would the film be interested in it? "

In Germany, the film recorded 121,980 visitors.

Use in school lessons

In spring 2019, the film will be presented as part of the SchulKinoWoche in Baden-Württemberg.

Awards

Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards 2018

  • Nomination for best film

synchronization

The German synchronization was based on a dialogue book and the dialogue direction by Christoph Cierpka on behalf of Interopa Film GmbH , Berlin.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Certificate of release for Maria Magdalena . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry (PDF; test number: 176930 / K). Template: FSK / maintenance / type not set and Par. 1 longer than 4 characters
  2. ↑ Mary Magdalene. Accessed March 31, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Peter Hasenberg: Film expert recommends the upcoming film "Maria Magdalena" "In the spirit of the Bible". In: domradio.de, March 12, 2018.
  4. ^ Johann Johannsson & Hildur Guðnadóttir to Score Garth Davis' 'Mary Magdalane' | Film Music Reporter. Retrieved March 31, 2018 (American English).
  5. ↑ 'Mary Magdalene' Soundtrack Details In: filmmusicreporter.com, March 22, 2018.
  6. ↑ a b Patrick Hipes: 'Mary Magdalene', 'Current War' & 'Wind River' Get 2017 Release Dates From Weinstein In: deadline.com , March 17, 2017.
  7. ↑ Markus Trutt: 'Mary Magdalene': Chiwetel Ejiofor is supposed to play Apostle Simon Petrus in the Maria Magdalena biopic with Rooney Mara In: filmstarts.de, July 14, 2016.
  8. ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3964048/Holy-smokes-Joaquin-Phoenix-puffs-cigarette-relaxes-set-Rooney-Mara-break-playing-Jesus-Christ-biblical-biopic -Mary-Magdalene.html
  9. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BNgm6CzDI26/
  10. ↑ a b Maria Magdalena: The apostle of the apostles in the cinema. Accessed March 31, 2018 .
  11. ^ Anthony D'Alessandro, 'Mary Magdalene' Sets Easter Weekend Debut; 'The Current War' Moves To Late November . In: Deadline . August 21, 2017 ( deadline.com [accessed March 31, 2018]).
  12. ↑ Start dates Germany In: insidekino.com. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  13. ↑ https://www.pro-medienmagazin.de/kultur/film/2018/07/18/maria-magdalena-erscheint-auf-dvd/
  14. ↑ https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/rooney-mara-dazzles-at-screening-of-mary-magdalene-36646862.html
  15. ^ Reasons for approval for Maria Magdalena In: Voluntary self-control of the film industry. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  16. ^ Arnold Hohmann: The movie "Maria Magdalena" is regrettably staged lifeless . ( waz.de [accessed on March 31, 2018]).
  17. ↑ Peter Zander: Because of a sinner: "Maria Magdalena" . ( Morgenpost.de [accessed on March 31, 2018]).
  18. ↑ The first bride of Christ . In: Der Tagesspiegel Online . March 15, 2018, ISSN  1865-2263 ( tagesspiegel.de [accessed March 31, 2018]).
  19. ↑ Top 100 Germany 2018. In: insidekino.com. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  20. ↑ Film selection. In: schulkinowoche-bw.de. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  21. ↑ AACTA Reveals Record-Breaking Number of Feature Films in Competition for 8th AACTA Awards. In: aacta.org. Retrieved August 14, 2018.