She is shown here to be a woman whose strength and agency becomes an affront to many men around her.
The film begins in Mary's family home and recounts her journey from elopement to a life of discipleship. Following Jesus (played by a very measured Joaquin Phoenix) up to the time of his death and resurrection, she learns that some of his teachings may be at odds with the interpretations of the disciples around her.
In particular, Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who voices his discomfort at her understanding of selflessness and her brash claims that revolution and change comes from within, rather than, as another disciple declares, a physical revolution of "fire and blood".
Mary Magdalene does not push the artifice of film in any groundbreaking direction, Davis opting to keep his sophomore outing aesthetically safe.
However, this conservative approach only serves to highlight the film's introspective calling, ensuring that one doesn't get caught up in a sensory light-show, but rather, inwardly contemplate the gravity of what the film is revealing.
It seems appropriate, in this current age of feminine resurgence, that this film has been made and while it might not be everyone's cup of tea, it remains a thought-provoking and timely story.
Mary Magdalene
Director: Garth Davis
Cast: Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix and Chiwetel Ejiofor
Running time: 120 minutes
Rating: M Adult themes
