The Book of Clarence
This book should have had a few more chapters, for clarity.
Alfre Woodard and LaKeith Stanfield contemplate faith vs knowledge in Jeymes Samuel's The Book of Clarence.
In ancient Jerusalem, Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) is hoping for a miracle. A dealer of “illegal weeds”, Clarence dreams of making a fortune so that he can give his mother (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) a lavish life and marry the girl of his dreams (Anna Diop). Unfortunately, every scheme Clarence attempts puts him further away from achieving his goals.
His latest scheme, chariot racing Mary Magdalene (Teyana Taylor), has left him not only broke but in debt to the local kingpin. Clarence now has 30 days to raise the money he owes, or he’ll be a dead man.
Luckily, Clarence has a plan: He’ll join his twin brother Thomas (also Stanfield) as the 13th apostle to Jesus Christ (Nicholas Pinnock). Clarence doesn’t believe in Jesus. In fact, Clarence thinks the man is a huckster using tricks to convince people that he’s the son of God. He assumes that Jesus and the apostles are using the donations they gather to enrich themselves and he wants in. And because of this, the apostles boot him from their dwelling.
But Clarence won’t be deterred so easily. If he can’t join Jesus’ grift, he’ll start his own. Being a Messiah, however, proves a little more challenging than Clarence expected. As he makes a name for himself he must wrangle with his impulses to do good.
Is Clarence’s hustle doomed to fail? Or will Clarence finally find his faith?
Inspired by the swords-and-sandals Bible epics of the 1960s, The Book of Clarence is a grab bag of tropes and ideas that are all individually brilliant but don’t really cohere into one consistent film. Director Jeymes Samuel’s sophomore feature is a frustrating amalgam of tones and themes. Part satire, part faith-based film, it’s hard to see who The Book of Clarence is for. The faithful will likely be frustrated by Samuel’s more radical ideas. Those who don’t believe will likely find startling sincere plot twists to be jarring or nonsensical.
Perhaps this is a movie geared toward agnostics?
Despite the disjointed tone, there are some really interesting ideas nestled into the narrative chaos. Samuel has a light touch with humor, and there are some hilarious moments, especially with Omar Sy’s Barabbas and Alfre Woodard as the Virgin Mary. It’s in these moments that the movie is at its most enjoyable. Samuel has some incredibly incisive things to say about the Eurocentric vision of the Bible that many people have (there is a sublime bit of satire involving Benedict Cumberbatch that is worth the price of admission). The film also draws parallels between police brutality/white supremacy and Roman brutalization of the Jerusalem citizens. There are some truly stirring images crafted by cinematographer Rob Hardy that evoke both Biblical stories and modern issues and events. But then The Book of Clarence swings into a more straightforward telling of Biblical lore and it feels like Samuel has stopped the movie and veered off into another direction.
The Book of Clarence also has an excellent cast, each of whom does their best to keep the wildly varying tone consistent. Stanfield is a bonafide movie star with enough charisma to make Clarence’s journey compelling. He’s less successful in breathing life into twin Thomas, but that’s mostly because Samuel doesn’t develop what could have been an interesting plotline (The concept of Doubting Thomas is wholly ignored for some reason). Sy and RJ Cyler offer excellent comic fodder for the film, with Sy also kicking butt as a gladiatorial slave.
While uneven, this critic would argue that The Book of Clarence is a beautiful mess. One that will provoke discussion and one that offers up ideas that are worth developing. I will always appreciate a film that takes big swings, and here Samuel is swinging for the fences. If you’re interested in what is likely the best faith-based movie made in the modern era, The Book of Clarence is your flick.
Verdict: At times brilliant, at times muddled, The Book of Clarence is an endlessly fascinating and frustrating watch.
The Book of Clarence is rated PG-13 and is available in theaters January 12.
