Mary (Christian Movie Review)
Netflix’s Mary sacrifices biblical faithfulness to deliver a generic and unexciting action flick that neither entertains nor provides valuable insight into the life of the beloved mother of Jesus.
About the Film
“You may think you know my story. Trust me. You don’t.” These words, spoken by Mary in an opening voiceover, set the tone for one of the most unorthodox religious-based films in years (in more ways than one). Netflix’s new religious adaptation tells a narrative that will indeed be unfamiliar to many audiences, primarily those who know the story only by what is written in the Bible. The decision to reimagine Mary’s story as a supernatural action-adventure movie is certainly an original take on a beloved religious figure. Unfortunately, as movies like Darren Aronofsky’s Noah (2014) taught us, originality in biblical adaptations is not always the prudent path. Netflix’s Mary sacrifices biblical faithfulness to deliver a generic and unexciting action flick that neither entertains nor provides valuable insight into the life of the beloved mother of Jesus.
Prior to its release, the film has been embroiled in controversy due to the current geopolitical situation and the casting of Israeli actress Noa Cohen in the lead role of Mary. The faux social media outrage is hardly worth noting, other than that it led director D. J. Caruso, a Catholic, to respond to the criticisms and to emphasize the importance of the film’s authenticity to the biblical narrative. The casting of a young Jewish woman in the role of Mary, however, is about where the movie’s fidelity to the Biblical text ends.
Much of the plot of Mary derives from apocryphal texts, such as the so-called Protoevangelium of James (or Gospel of James), rather than the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament. For example, emphasis is given to Mary’s own miraculous conception, or to her and her family being on the run from assassins. There is also increased focus on spiritual warfare. The angel Gabriel takes on an expanded role that includes a showdown with Satan himself. Joseph also confronts the devil in a later scene, stabbing him through the chest with a sword.
Even the elements in the movie that are derived from the accepted biblical texts undergo some creative liberty. This includes narrative details (ie. crowds have come to Bethlehem out of anticipation of a Messiah, not due to a census), and a condensed timeline. In other words, beyond the general narrative of Mary being divinely chosen as the mother of the Messiah, the specifics of the story diverge from the biblical account in both substantial and minor ways.
Mary is not a biblically faithful adaptation, and for many Christians that alone may be a dealbreaker. At the same time, the film is designed as a work of entertainment, not just a visual Sunday School lesson. The problem is that Mary is not successful as an entertaining action movie either. The movie attempts to juggle plenty of different narrative ideas and tones, but they never come together to give the film a cohesive sense of identity. There’s a brief romance angle between Mary and Joseph, but after Joseph’s slightly creepy and uncomfortable romantic pursuit and their quick marriage, the story offers more sword fights than it does character-driven scenes between the two leads. There’s also an undercooked political dimension. The always great Anthony Hopkins is cast as Herod, but the character seems to have been given an expanded role in the story due to the quality and fame of the actor rather than the requirements of the narrative itself, as his subplot remains largely disconnected from the main story.
Despite the online noise and rhetoric, actress Noa Cohen does well in the role of Mary, but her performance is undercut by the movie’s indecisive writing. There is a tension in the film’s depiction of Mary. The film attempts to humanize her and explore the relatable emotions and struggles she faced. At the same time, Mary is approached with such reverence as a sort of spiritual superhero, that the movie is prevented from ever probing deep into her humanity. The biblical Mary is one of the most fascinating women in all of history, but the Mary of this film is too distant and ethereal to be compelling. Instead of exploring the emotional and spiritual weight of her task to give birth to the Messiah, Mary gets sidetracked by the heightened external dangers of assassins and enemies. For example, rather than depict her grappling with her miraculous circumstances directly after Jesus’ birth, she instead finds herself upon the roof of a burning building as she watches Joseph engage in a generic Hollywood sword fight.
In the end, Netflix’s Mary lacks focus and a clear identity. It is too divergent from canonical scripture to be a compelling biblical adaptation, and too uninventive and dull to be a thrilling action spectacle. Mary gives the impression of a filmmaker who wanted to make a “swords and sandals” genre film, and found a “biblical aesthetic” the most expedient way to get it made. Creative license is unavoidable in any biblical adaptation and is not always a bad thing. At the same time, the Christian Gospel is the greatest story ever told, and the nativity narrative is one of its most riveting chapters. The story does not require manufactured sword fights or supernatural showdowns between angels and Satan to spruce up the narrative. By Hollywoodizing the biblical story, the film loses the plot of what makes Mary such a compelling and beloved character. Christian audiences looking for a dose of religious entertainment may find some interest in this unusual adaptation of a familiar story. But for everyone else, a far more thrilling and edifying story about the incredible life of Mary can be found instead by simply cracking open the Bible and reading the Gospels.
For Consideration
Language: None.
Violence: The movie is surprisingly violent. A man is repeatedly whipped, leaving his face bloody. A crown of thrones is slowly pressed upon a priest’s head, causing blood to run down his face. A supernatural figure has blood begin to ooze from his eyes. There are several action scenes as characters are slashed or stabbed through the chest. A man has his neck sliced, producing a spray of blood, and another is held into a fire and burnt to death. Herod’s decree to kill the newborn babies is depicted (several mothers are killed, but no babies are shown to be murdered on screen).
Sexuality: A man (eventually revealed to be either Satan or a demon) attempts to seduce and sexually assault Mary and offer her “pleasure.”
Engage The Film
Mary & Apocryphal Texts
Mary is not focused enough to explore many themes with any depth. Much of the film goes through the biblical (and extrabiblical) events in chronological order, providing a story outline, but not a deeper study into the characters. For example, Joseph is introduced by declaring, “I only believe in what I can see with my own eyes,” but this skepticism is never revisited. Therefore, perhaps the more interesting aspect of the movie is how it approaches the character of Mary as a whole.
I am a Protestant, so my understanding of Mary in the Bible will obviously differ from the Catholic perspective of director D. J. Caruso. However, many of the extrabiblical documents that appear to serve as the inspiration for this film were rejected by both the Protestant and Catholic churches. As the chosen mother of Jesus, Mary had an extraordinary divine assignment unlike any other in history. That is agreed upon by all Christian traditions. Where these beliefs diverge, however, is in how special or ordinary Mary was as a person.
For those unfamiliar with the terminology, apocryphal biblical texts are documents that were widely circulated but have highly questionable origins or authenticity. This is because they were written at a much later date, or because the narratives and teachings significantly diverge or contradict the narratives and teachings of the historically reliable and established canon. These texts—such as the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas—have become popular in Hollywood in recent years, inspiring stories like The Da Vinci Code (2006) or last year’s The Book of Clarence. These texts tend to emphasize the supernatural, with Jesus appearing almost as a magician performing tricks, and their more fantastical elements make them attractive for a dramatic cinematic portrayal.
The influence of these writings, combined with the overall heightened reverence of Mary within the Catholic church, result in a Mary character whose own journey appears no less miraculous and divine than that of Jesus. Like Christ, her birth is a supernatural conception; she is tempted by Satan offering her the pleasures of the world; the world rejects her, and ultimately the film ends with her triumphantly entering Jerusalem. Christ’s own birth becomes almost an afterthought in this telling, merely serving as the catalyst for Mary’s own hero’s journey.
