Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Work on new park underway Police reports Weather change should help clear smoke from fires 10 things to know for Friday Rabbi Lerner visits Ashland to speak, lead workshops Education Getting a 'Fresh Start' Ashland Kiwanis Club donates to AHS emergency fund Getting the low down on high school SOU ROAR's to life Middle schoolers get a taste of college living Environment Talent earns Bee City USA designation Ashland marchers won't give up on climate change message Deadly virus stalks Southern Oregon deer National monument area still faces threats What do you think of the return of wolves to Jackson County? Business Happy Labor Day Brammo plans to keep jobs in Rogue Valley U pick, U enjoy Organic & Healthy Dobra serves up teas and tranquility Politics and elections Two races set for council positions Library district won't take maximum tax rate Commissioner Skundrick plans final four town hall meetings Taking an independent stand Library district board, county at odds over proposal State News Nation - World Obituaries Gwen G. Thomas Death Notices Death Notices Death Notices Colton Taylor Webster Sports Latest Stories Raiders let one slip away Allred finishes strong at Fort Wayne Allred climbs leaderboard Raiders start fast Raiders stay hot, improve to 5-1 High school Southern Oregon University Raiders let one slip away Raiders start fast Raiders stay hot, improve to 5-1 'Keep it fresh, keep it fun' Raiders cross country teams ranked high Opinion Latest Stories Letters to the Editor, Aug. 30 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 29 Matthew T. Mangino: Violent crime was rampant not too long ago Granlund cartoon: Russian humanitarian aid to Ukraine Michelle Teheux: Kids aren’t as expensive as you think Editorial Not out of the woods yet Our View: Taking small steps to confront climate change Now's the time to taste the bounty Whither OSF? Two views City sets example on marijuana tax Letters Letters to the Editor, Aug. 30 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 29 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 28 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 27 Letter to the Editor, Aug. 26 Guest opinions Two seemingly disparate moments in history Rauch replies: Frustrating, yes — yet there is method in't The summer of my discontent: An open letter to Bill Rauch Opportunities for civic involvement are plentiful in Ashland Hamas supporters spread anti-Semitism around the world Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Poet Willa Schneberg at Bloomsbury Books Community blog:Ashland Book and Author Festival Coming Soon Ashland's On The Fly Improv had the audience rolling Community blog:Poet Laureate Peter Sears in Ashland World of Wine celebrates local varietals Theater Wise cracks and hot licks make for super show OSF adds 'Wrinkle in Time' Family Night Daedalus Project 2014 Music The Jeff Stanley Trio at Lounge South 'On the Fly' Visual Art Movies Movie listings: Aug. 27-Sept. 4 'Calvary' is about darkness and dialogue Varsity Theatre, Ashland Street Cinemas movie listings: Aug. 22-26 'What If' hits the sweet spot Varsity Theatre, Ashland Street Cinemas movie listings: Aug. 15-21 Food and Drink World of Wine celebrates local varietals Lifestyle Latest Stories Nonviolence as a transformative way to peace Community Blog: Take a Joyful World tour! Grand days for grandparents and 'grand-others' Michelle Teheux: Kids aren’t as expensive as you think Gluten-free support Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos NEWS NOW 10 things to know for Friday ... Fire crews stop blaze before it spreads from cars to house ... UPDATED: Interstate 5's northbound lanes south of Ashland reopen after truck fire ... 10 things to know for Friday ... Fire crews stop blaze before it spreads from cars to house ... UPDATED: Interstate 5's northbound lanes south of Ashland reopen after truck fire ... ON SCREEN 'Calvary' is about darkness and dialogue By Chris Honoré for Revels DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré for Revels Posted Aug. 28, 2014 @ 12:01 am By Chris Honoré for Revels Posted Aug. 28, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News The film “Calvary” begins with a grim and unsettling scene that foreshadows most of what is to come. A Catholic priest, Father James (Brendan Gleeson), sits in the dim shadows of a confessional, leaning toward the lattice window. On the other side is a parishioner who is silent until he explains, his voice strained by rage, that beginning at the age of 7, he was molested in the most despicable ways by a priest (no longer living). He goes on to say that it is his intention to kill an innocent priest for the sins of the past. In one week. That priest, he declares, will be Father James. And thus begins the priest’s week in this coastal village in western Ireland, a place that appears on the surface to be benign — the Father makes daily visitations, depending on the circumstances of those who belong to his parish — but is now, for the priest, shrouded by this threat.   And yet, what Father James conveys to all those he meets is a consistent and abiding humaneness. No matter that he is confronted at every turn with a bleakness that is chilling and a kaleidoscope of damaged people who no longer see the church as a source of comfort, but as a source of hypocrisy and venality. It is soon evident that the people to whom he attempts to minister are almost caricatures of cruelty, adultery, wrath and despair. What they have concluded, as revealed in conversation after conversation, is that they no longer look to the church or its priests for guidance and succor. The time for that has now passed. Father James’ collar and cassock no longer symbolize to them a purity of spirit; rather he reminds them of the moral bankruptcy of a church that has, like them, fallen from grace. And so profound is their cynicism that it makes no difference that the man who walks among them wearing those very symbols is free of the dishonest pietism of a corrupt institution that is deeply flawed and a harbinger of a closeted yet shattering iniquity. In an oblique way, “Calvary”is a mystery that poses the question: Who? And as Father James encounters the people of the village he asks himself, could this be the parishioner in the confessional. He does imply, later, to his bishop, that he thinks he knows the man’s identity. What he does not do is contact the police. An inexplicable decision, all things considered. Clearly the connection between the church and its community has been if not broken severely frayed. The scandals of pervasive pedophilia, hidden behind the velvet cloak of the clergy, if not excused then tolerated, have taken their toll and produced a crisis of faith, seemingly in everyone except Father James.   Know that “Calvary" is a powerfully told film, a tour de force for the talent of Gleeson, who portrays with elegant restraint Father James, using the force of his size and visage as much as the quiet words he speaks to those he encounters. And this is, above all, a film of dialogue. He makes no secret that he is a flawed man and therefore not a righteous one, a man determined to frame his personal ministry, through sheer will, with kindness buttressed by faith, absent any judgmental rectitude. What is tragic is that those he approaches, and to whom he offers a hand, do not see the man, but choose to see just the vestments. Know that “Calvary,”while clearly thought-provoking and engaging, possesses a darkness that is embedded in every frame, despite the stunning emerald views of the Irish coast and sky, and its long stretches of wind-blown beaches. The contrast between these bucolic vistas and the local people is startling. To conclude: Gleeson is supported by an ensemble of fine actors, each portraying, convincingly, a damaged character whose desiccated soul no longer wishes to be saved. If there is salvation to be found, they say collectively, it will not be found while seated in a pew or while gazing up at the dais during mass or listening to that day’s homily; rather it will be encountered, if ever, while leaning on the stained oak bar of a local pub.   Calvary 1 hr 40 min Rated R      By Chris Honoré for Revels DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré for Revels Posted Aug. 28, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501