Cast: Rooney Mara, Joaquin Pheonix, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Time: 1 hour, 59 minutes
For almost 2,000 years it was believed (erroneously) that Mary Magdalene, one of the followers of Jesus Christ, was a prostitute. It is only in recent times, that the Vatican has set the record straight and declared her the apostle to the apostles – the first one to whom Jesus Christ appeared after His resurrection.
Garth Davis’ film portrays her as an equal of the more famous 12 apostles and a true follower of Jesus Christ (played by Joaquin Pheonix). While the apostles were waiting for a revolution and for Jesus to establish an earthly kingdom, Mary Magdalene (played by Rooney Mara) kept an open mind and truly believed in Him. She was faithfully by his side through his death on the cross and his burial.
In the early part of the movie, we find that Mary from the village of Magdala runs away from home to follow Jesus because she felt only He could fill the vacuum she felt in her soul. She did not want to conform to the Jewish ideal of marriage and children. Her family, unable to understand, get exorcists to try and ‘cure’ her of the demons that surely torment her…..because which woman in her right mind would not want to marry and raise children? Mary Magdalene was already far ahead of her times.
Mary Magdalene makes full use of the creative license to tell stories that are not mentioned in the Bible. An example is the story of Jesus sending her and Peter (played by Chiwetel Eijofor) to Samaria to preach to the people. On the way, they come across a village decimated by the Romans. Some people are still alive but barely so, holding on to the last moments of life. Mary Magdalene, overcome with compassion, runs to fetch water for them and comfort them in death. Peter decides it is better to leave since very little hope is left for them. In this depiction we see Mary Magdalene truly embodying the love that Jesus taught.
At times the movie moves slowly and drags on a bit and it will take more than an ounce of patience to get through it. However, Mary Magdalene makes the case for women’s important role in the church and just for that, it is a recommended watch.