Stigmata, 1999

Stigmata, 1999
Director: Rupert Wainwright
Cast: Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Bryne, Jonathan Pryce


Stage: home TV selection, late Monday night. A friend tells me to watch it, even though I am as tired as I haven't been in a long time. Bad girl :)


Stigmata in short: the face of the Virgin Mary on the side of a building. While there he hears of a statue of the Virgin Mary bleeding tears in a small town outside of the city. Meanwhile, a young woman in the U.S. begins to show signs of stigmata, the wounds of Christ. The priest from the Vatican links up with her and cares for her as she is increasingly afflicted by the stigmata. Her ranting and raving finally begins to make sense to the priest who starts to question what his religion has stood for for the last 1900 years.


Preps: Third, fourth time? I have seen this a few times. I find a new interpretation each time.


Reality: This is a movie that questions belief and things we don't believe in. Also those we never thought of believing. A priest in the role of the messenger, mesia, an intermediate.. is to investigate Virgin Mary findings (showups) and on the other hand, weird Jesus signs on the body of an atheist, stigmata shown on Frankie.
I believe Father Keirnan is on trial. I believe he was chosen so the church could question his belief and put him under a test (which he fails in the end, based on my interpretation). He pursues the stigmata signs and tries to understand. On the other hand, a totally unchristiened woman, Frankie, doesn't know what is happening to her, doesn't believe it and at the end, she needs to accept it and adopt it.
It is a hard thing not to believe what you see. I am thinking all the time what would I made out of a scenario like this. I believe in something that cannot be named a god or be under a religion you can name or determine. Is it energy, I don't know. Maybe philosophy, wisdom, intelligence, energy, stars. But it doesn't have a name nor an origin. Nor can you see it in church of any kind. Now, this woman derives from the same environment, therefore it's even more interesting.. to watch her go through experience and think what would I have done being on her place. Anyhow, the movie depicts also the filthness of the church and some of its protagonists. The way you can abuse power and make everything revolve around your needs and selfishness. Not care for faith at all, as long as you are following someone's orders or ideals. It also shows clearly where can blind faith and trust in superiors lead. It is clear that for some of the catholic church the only important thing is.. clearly, only what is good for them and those in their circle.
Stigmata woman is only the messenger. Priest is on trial. However, the one that should be on trial, is church itself. Or the men that represent it in this piece. A good one, gets under your skin.


My personal rating: 8,0 (a good thriller/drama. You will think about the things you believe in and what is real/what definitely isn't).

Stigmata on IMDB