The Book of Clarence

The Book of Clarence
Starring LaKeith Stanfield, RJ Cyler, Omar Sy, Anna Diop
Directed by Jeymes Samuel

There's nothing more touchy then when you mess with something millions of people consider sacred: the story of Jesus Christ. From the iconic Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ" to the horribly acted "Color of the Cross," it seems that Jesus is ripe for cinematic parody, or at least having His story told in different ways. In either event, there's bound to be backlash when a film like "The Book of Clarence" comes out, where Jesus is depicted as a Black man - something that most American Christians can't adhere to. After all, everyone knows Jesus was a beautiful white man with long flowing hair (#sarcasm). So while they're looking at Jesus's color, they're missing out on a movie that, sadly, goes in every direction without landing a cohesive finish but instead leaves so many open-ended moments scattered on the ground it's almost painful to watch at times.

In Jerusalem in 33 AD, Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) is a down-on-his-luck man who is trying to scrape by and make money however he can, along with his ne'er do well friend Elijah (RJ Cyler). He finds himself owing money to a powerful loan shark who's sister Varinia (Anna Diop) he's in love with. Hoping to make some money off the back of this new Messiah named Jesus (Nicholas Pinnock), he approaches his twelve Disciples in hopes of being the thirteenth - and being laughed at mercilessly. Judas (Michael Ward) says he can be an apostle if he frees the slaves, and tries to bargain with the slave owner, who will allow their freedom if he can beat his best man. He does, but the only slave he frees is that man, named Barabbas (Omar Sy), who joins Clarence and Elijah.

Then Clarence gets another idea - he'll become a Messiah himself, since he doesn't believe Jesus is truly the Son of God but rather a con man, and sets out to con people himself. As he amasses funds, however, he comes under the watchful eye of the Romans and ends up arrested and brought before Pontius Pilate (James McAvoy) who thinks he's a new Messiah, leaving Clarence to question his doubt and belief.


The Good:
The film is beautifully shot. Cinematographer Rob Hardy and editor Tom Eagles craft a wonderful visual story from the onset with an epic exciting chariot race through the streets of Jerusalem that's reminiscent of "Ben-Hur," even including real-life horses instead of cheap CGI that adds to the excitement. The scenic shots are expansive and vast, showcasing the beauty of Italy (which served as the location) and making it all the more glamorous. The costumes are above the generic ones you find in faith-based films that look like they were dusted off the shelves of a mega church production, and it helps convince you that you're seeing a movie set in the time period.

The actors perform admirably with the script they were given, especially LaKeith Stanfield who's unjustly left holding the heft of the film on his shoulders. He plays Clarence as a man who wants to prove that he's not a nobody, and who's atheist views go against the "new hot thing" in Jesus's preaching of a higher power. You see him progress from a man with no faith to a man struggling with the concept of faith to someone who accepts faith as something important in his life, and Stanfield makes it all the more believable with his natural charm. Supporting actors Omar Sy nails it as Barabbas who may or may not be invincible, and RJ Cyler gives off a believable heir as Clarence's best friend Elijah.


The Bad:
Director Jeymes Samuel is known as the singer-songwriter The Bullitts, and much like his directorial debut "The Harder They Fall," makes a film more akin to a music video than one that actually tells a cohesive story. Yet even then the movie is rather devoid of music save for a few numbers that aren't that memorable or catchy, and that's coming from someone who loves musicals.

The story meanders its way painfully slowly, so much so Clarence doesn't get the idea to copy the Messiah until about thirty minutes into the movie after his other hare-brained schemes fail to work, which makes it feel like you're watching two movies with the first one being incomplete, or rather the end of a first unseen story. Samuel includes numerous subplots that go nowhere as well, including Clarence's desire for Varinia, Clarence's estranged brother Thomas (also played by Stanfield) who's actually one of Jesus's disciples whom Clarence blames for turning his back on their mother, the aforementioned mother's financial woes, and the struggle between Judas and Jesus. None of these stories ever land anywhere, and only add to the already-too-long film that makes it drag at a slug's pace.

Samuel seemed to want to tell a story of systemic racism in the time of Jesus, as Clarence and his friends are looked down on by the white Romans, but even this is haphazardly told without a real clear direction. There's some moments where the Romans regard Clarence and his friends in derogatory remarks, but those moments are glossed over in favor of trying to tell one of the several other stories Samuel wants to tell. It's a jumbled mess that doesn't connect in any meaningful way.

The part that's most depressing consists of James McAvoy's Pontius Pilate, who steals the show with his eccentric performance. There's so much more that could've been unraveled in his character, but he's reduced to a caricature of a person that feels frustratingly empty. Then there's Benedict Cumberbatch who serves as a cameo for a character that pretty much any American Christian would know, but even that's hollow and dull.


The Summary:
Despite LaKeith Stanfield's performance and beautiful visuals, "The Book of Clarence" is too long and includes too many subplots that don't go anywhere, serving as a faithless endeavor devoid of any meaningful story.


The Score: D+