Read

In John Michael Donagh’s Calvary (2014), Brendan Gleeson plays Father James Lavelle, an Irish Catholic priest who learns his days are numbered. In the film’s opening scene, Father James hears the most shocking confession of his clerical career. An unseen member of his congregation threatens to kill the priest in one week, on a Sunday no less. The anonymous assassin reveals he was the childhood victim of a pedophile priest, and for revenge, he plans to murder Father James. Not because the clergyman is guilty, but because he’s innocent. Basically, Father James is the perfect martyr, and his death would send a powerful message.

Only instead of calling the cops or hitting the open road, Father James decides to stay in town. Even though he knows the identity of his would-be murderer (he recognizes the man’s voice), the priest spends his final days caring for his flock and preparing to face his killer. This would be difficult under the best of circumstances, but unfortunately for Father James, he happens to live in the parish from hell. Even though they regularly attend mass, his congregation is a Who’s Who of sadists, degenerates, and outright jerks. In addition to flouting their sins and cynicism in Father James’s face, they’ve also turned him into the local punching bag, taking every opportunity to mock him, challenge him, and in some cases, literally beat him down.

Actually, the townsfolk (played by the likes of Aidan Gillen, Isaach de Bankole, Oria O’Rourke, and Chris O’Dowd) are so hateful towards the kind-hearted, world-weary priest that they’re more “caricatures” than “characters.” Father James, on the other hand, is a beautifully-written protagonist, a fully fleshed out human being. While he struggles with demons of his own (alcoholism and family issues), he’s truly a decent person. Of course, that raises a rather interesting question. If Father James is portrayed as a real person, then why is almost every other character a spiteful psycho?

As director/writer John Michael Donagh and most of the cast are actually Irish, we can’t blame xenophobic filmmakers. In fact, we probably shouldn’t blame anyone at all. Donagh is fully aware his characters aren’t actual human beings. Instead, they symbolize a country’s collective rage. In real life, religion in Ireland is on the decline, largely thanks to the Catholic sex abuse scandals, and just like actual Irish citizens, the townsfolk in Calvary feel betrayed by the Church. This is a parish jam-packed with disillusioned people who’ve turned their backs on that powers-that-be. As a result, they’ve transformed Father James into a cassocked scapegoat. Since they can’t punish the Church itself or any of the pedophile priests, they’ll pick on Father James instead. Instead of crafting complex characters, Donagh has created a microcosm of Ireland’s anger against authority.

However, if the characters in Calvary represent a nation’s resentment against corruption, then why do they seem so vile? Why are the townsfolk portrayed as villains instead of Father James? Is Donagh trying to gloss over the Church’s crimes? The answer is decidedly NO. Instead, by making these characters so nasty, McDonagh is actually taking dead aim at the Vatican and all its crimes and cover-ups. When we think about the Catholic Church sex abuse scandals, we remember the victimized children and broken lives. However, we often forget about all the side effects like bitterness, hatred, and cynicism, less obvious symptoms but equally insidious, ones that fester and grow overtime. And perhaps that’s why Father James decides to remain in a town that hates him so much. He stays to comfort his suffering congregation and atone for the sins of the Church.