On the hunt for the "RISEN" Christ

The crucifixion story about Jesus Christ has been told time without number in film and it has often had Jesus as the main character.

But a new film, still about the same subject has been released with the focus shifting slightly from the man who was crucified.

“RISEN”, a new film by Kevin Reynolds released on February 19 explores the same old subject from a different perspective.

The film focuses on the Roman soldier Clavius played by British actor, Joseph Fiennes who is tasked by Pontius Pilate to look for the body of Christ after rumours emerged that he had risen.

The arduous task for the military man, was to enable the Roman authority disproof Christ’s assertion that he would resurrect on the third day after his death.

“Clavius is overseeing the crucifixion and now he has to go and find the body to prove everybody wrong. The ticking clock is we have emperor Tiberius coming and so Pontius Pilate is putting a lot of pressure on Clavius to have this mess sorted out, so everything is calm,” Fiennes said about his character in the movie.

“Clavius gets caught and sucked into a great murder mystery and, as he continues to investigate, he finds that there are no answers to this riddle, he doesn’t find the body. And what we have is a journey of a man whose conditioning, his Roman military conditioning, is challenged,” he added.

The film also stars Argentinian actress Maria Botto who plays Mary Magdalene, the first person according to biblical records to have seen the risen Christ.

Mary Magdalene is mentioned in the gospels as an exemplary woman who followed Jesus and his disciples until she witnessed his death and resurrection.

“What I learned – it was more of the generosity of a woman who can give her life for what she believes in and for the people she loves. She will fight for what she believes,” Maria Botto said about the character she played.

There have been varied reactions to the film. While some have welcomed the screen adaptation of the epic story told in an original way, others find it uninspiring.

“They had to name Tom Felton’s character Lucius? ha ha!” a critic of the movie reacted after watching the trailer.

“It’s quite sad that the only language that seemed to be understood around here is ‘sarcasm’… You know what, I am just about to write something that has no double or reverse meaning, just a plan statement. Unbelievers: You are wrong and you will have eternity to realize that. Better to know HIM before you meet HIM, I can promise you that! Ask HIM for a sign today, even something crazy and I can guarantee you’ll get one! God loves you and will never give up on you, even when you spend your day releasing hatred, frustration and bitterness on the web,” a fan of the film said.

The film which stars Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth and Cliff Curtis has already grossed some 12.8 million dollars at the box office, barely a week after its release. .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }