Chemin de croix

Religious dramas are pretty uncommon in movies these days. I am guessing this is on account of this being a highly contentious subject which is tricky to bring to the screen, while serious studies of the subject tend to only appeal to a small demographic. Not being religious myself, I was a bit wary when approaching this one and wasn't entirely convinced I was going to like it. So, it was a pleasant surprise for me when I discovered that Stations of the Cross was a very engrossing film indeed. The story follows a teenage girl from a fundamentalist Catholic family who simultaneously tries to meet the strict demands of her faith while dealing with her more human desires. The events occur during the highly intense period when she prepares for Confirmation.

Ultimately, this film warns of the destructive potential of organised religion, in particular religious extremism. In this instance the fundamentalists believe in old school Catholicism which disregards any forms of modernism. They espouse a view that popular music and social media are satanic and personal sacrifice is to be encouraged. The film opens with a scene where a priest teaches young teens that sometimes death is better than moral failure. When I watched this opening scene, it did educate me in matters pertaining to religious practise and belief, yet it also reminded me how absolutely none of it makes the slightest bit of sense to me. It is detailed and ingrained yet highly absurd and illogical to me.

The movie itself is divided into fourteen chapters, which seemingly tell of the various 'Stations of the Cross' that detailed Christ's path to crucifixion. These scenes are dealt with cinematically in a manner which is simultaneously extremely minimalistic yet very bold. They take the form of fourteen long single takes, with all but three featuring static camera shots from one angle. It is a very austere method, yet the form accentuates the content and never feels for its own sake at any point. The intensity of the drama is enhanced by these extended takes and the serious tone of the material amplified. By the very nature of this approach, this calls for strong acting and excellent acting is what we certainly get here. Lea van Acken puts in a beautiful performance as the highly sympathetic tragic central character of Maria; it is a very mature turn from a teenage girl and highly effecting. Franziska Weisz is the other significant presence as her fundamentalist mother; a frighteningly monstrous character whose blind intolerance drains the life and vitality of all that surrounds her.

All-in-all, this one definitely qualifies as a very powerful bit of cinema. It challenges yet engages, has interesting things to say and does so using a very bold presentation. Definitely one to take a chance on.

First of all, I'm English and don't speak German. I had to rely on the subtitles. And the film is very dialogue heavy. However, in my opinion this is a very interesting and thought provoking film concerning strong catholic beliefs and the strains of teenage angst. Probably not everyone's cup of tea but I enjoyed it and it kept me thinking afterwards.

'Stations of the Cross' tells the story of the life and death of a young, and very religious, girl, by analogy to the 14 eponymous icons of Jesus's death that are typically displayed in a Catholic chuch; the point is further made by framing the story as 14 scenes, each filmed with a static camera. At first, the movie seems boring, in part because of the lack of camera movement; but as we get to know the characters, it becomes an increasingly intense, and occasionally moving, experience. What is less clear is the exact purpose here: a denounciation of an austere Catholic sect, and a mother figure devoid of the capacity for love, are clear, but the idea that evil can lurk behind claims to be good is scarcely revolutionary, and the absence of any trace of humanity in the film's most monstrous figures is a weakness. In places it reminded me of 'Breaking the Waves', but without any of that film's playfulness.

But it also can be seen as something completely different. The movie juggles both worlds and it actually succeeds in it. Also having found kid actors who fit the story and the way the movie is made is more than incredible. Obviously the religious tones might sound scary for some enlightening for others. What you make of it, will boil down to what you believe and what you see.

While that is up to the viewer to decide and there are some clichés you have to go through to get to the finale, the movie does so in a special style. It's one set up per scene, which means the camera man seems to have the easiest job of his life. Set the camera, roll and let the actors do the rest. As you can imagine the scenes are a couple of minutes long, so not only did the actors have to learn their lines thoroughly, they also had to perform in one take! Not an easy task indeed. If the camera were ever to movie it would have a huge impact ... but does it and if so what is it telling us? You'll have to watch this very intriguing project and make your own mind up about things ...

"Stations of the Cross" (2014 release from Germany; 110 min.; original title "Kreuzweg") brings the story of a strongly religious Catholic girl named Maria. As the movie opens, we see Maria and five other young teenagers getting a last lesson from the local priest, in preparation for their Confirmation, now just a week away. In the next scene, we observe Maria and her family taking a stroll in a park, and it becomes clear very quickly that there are serious tensions between Maria and her mom, who seems to rule the family with an iron fist. What will become of Maria? How will the tension with her mom play out? To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself….

Couple of comments: first, the movie is highly stylish, and for an unusual reason: the movie is brought in 14 chapters, paralleling the 14 stations of the cross that Jesus encounters in his final days and hours. Each of these 14 scenes is brought in a single take, and all but two chapters (late in the film) are filmed with a fixed camera angle. Sitting through the first chapter (with the 6 kids getting Confirmation class), I had no idea whether this movie was going to appeal to me. Literally nothing happens. Then the next chapter comes, and the one after that, and slowly you start to realize that you are watching a harrowing family drama set in a highly conservative Catholic family where any sign of modernism is loathed. The Second Vatican Council reforms are flat-out rebuked, and instead 'old style' Cathlolicism is sought at every step in life. Meanwhile young Maria is trying to find her one path, all the while trying to get her stern mom's love and approval. As it happens, I grew up in an all-out Catholic environment in Belgium in the 60s and 70s. A number of scenes in the movie brought back memories I hadn't thought of in YEARS (such as when I had my Confirmation in 1972). The film features a towering and heartbreaking performance from Lea van Acken as the young Maria, leaving you to shake your head in disbelief, and let's not forget Franziska Weisz as Maria's mom, playing about as unlikeable a character as I've seen in a long time. Kudos to director and co-writer Dietrich Brüggemann for bringing us this highly original, if tense, family drama. I wish we'd get more movies of this caliber more often.

"Stations of the Cross" was released in the US by the good folks at Film Movement, which over the years has released a tons of great foreign and indie movies that otherwise would never have seen the light of day in the US. As usual, the DVD comes with a bonus shortie, and this time it's an 11 min. film from Germany called "One Shot" which director Dietrich Brüggemann made to great acclaim before he had a chance to make "Stations of the Cross". Definitely worthwhile checking out as well. Meanwhile, "Stations of the Cross" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!