Lent Reviews Year 6 Week 4: Cavalry (2014)

     Cavalry was released on April 11th, 2014. Written and directed by John Michael McDonagh it stars Brendan Gleeson as Father James, a Catholic Priest who is threatened by one of his parishioners during a confession. The man, who was raped by a priest as a young boy, plans to kill Father James the following Sunday in order to make a statement about the clergy sex abuse scandal in Ireland. He specifically targets James because he is a good priest, and people will take notice if he is killed. He gives him one week to get his affairs in order during which the priest tries to minister to the struggling, sinful members of his flock.

     I was too young to really be effected by the clergy sexual abuse scandal when it initially exploded in 2002. It was not until the release of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report last August that the crisis really hit home for me. A few years ago I would have had little interest in watching a film like Calvary but now I felt, somehow, that it was something I ought to do in order to come to terms with this issue.

     If I was looking for catharsis this was the wrong place to look. The film offers no answers; No solution to this crisis and no laying of blame. But then, how could it really be expected to? How can we heal and move forward, institutionally? I don't think anyone has any concrete answers. What this film offers, particularly in its end scene, is more of a question: is reconciliation possible? Can good priests, like Father James, atone, in some sense, for the sins of their corrupt brethren? The answer you come away may say as much about you as it does about the film.

     The film is, essentially, a Passion Play. Father James must go through his agony and face ridicule and rejection from those around him in the week leading up to his looming confrontation with death. He struggles to help the people of his town, many of whom have gone astray, suffering from broken marriages, sexual frustration, and religious and moral indifference. He also struggles to decide how he should react to his would-be assailant, a man he (but not the audience) knows the identity of. In the face of escalating violence (the church is burned down and his dog is killed) he must make a choice between self-defense (either through the use of a revolver he borrowed from the local police chief or by reporting the man to the authorities), flight (at one point he contemplates taking an extended leave of absence) or a confrontation that may result in his death but is the best hope of redemption for his would-be assailant. His ultimate choice is an admirable one though the audience may question whether it is the prudential one.

     John Micheal McDonagh's script crackles with wit and irony. Under his pen Father James is a pragmatic and world-weary but still hopeful and faithful priest. He does the best he can in some very difficult circumstances. The supporting characters, with a few notable exceptions aside, are exaggeratedly cynical and jaded. Although the film is, mostly, grounded in reality, there is an element of melodrama in the not-quite-nihilistic world it paints. For anyone familiar with the work of McDonagh's younger (and more famous) brother Martin, this should not come as a surprise. If McDonagh doesn't quite have his brother's talent for sharp dialogue he makes up for it with the relatable, humanistic qualities he imbues his characters with.

     Brendan Gleeson does a superb job in the lead role. He imbues Father James with a sense of authority. Though rebuked and scorned throughout the film he always seems in command and, when called for, is an incredibly compassionate and caring shepard for his flock and a loving father for his daughter (he became a priest after the early death of his wife). Kelly Reilly also does a fine job as his depressed daughter Fiona, who serves as one of his few sources of comfort. The rest of the cast all do a fine job as well, particularly Chris O'Dowd and Dylan Moran.

     While not exactly pious viewing, I would still recommend Cavalry for mature (and discerning) Catholic viewers. It handles a deeply challenging theme with care and paints a picture of a truly good and faithful priest in a corrupt and faithless world. For that alone, McDonagh deserves credit.

Score: 9/10