A Christmas reflection on the film Mary
As a family we watched the newly released Netflix film Mary the other day and found it very insightful. We have experienced the story of Mary which we have thought ‘we knew’ from a very different perspective, more so from a ‘don’t really kind of know’ perspective, only to celebrate the gift of theological reimagination of this film directed by a Catholic director D.J. Caruso. I was first introduced to this film by a Catholic friend at a recent ecumenical Advent Bible study, who said please don’t watch this film, as it not only accounts to the accuracy of the Biblical narrative, but also is horrid because of scenes like Mary fleeing on a horse with killings and violence around. Having watched the film, I totally understand why this friend had several reservations on this film, for it offers a radical and even a revolutionary Mary, very different to the tradition & the context that he was brought up and nurtured in.
This film for me is a depiction of how costly it was for Mary and the rest of her family in paving way for the birth of Jesus Christ the Messiah into this world. The kind of hardships that Mary and the family had to endure, resist and respond has been pictured with so much care and sensitivity. This film is an antidote to the popular song “Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water…” for Mary as a chosen one of God very well knew what it entailed to be chosen and come what may, she was prepared to lead a life in raising the saviour of the world. For the viewers of this film, the question it leaves us with is, Mary, do we really know you? Perhaps, we really don’t know and what we know is only partial and little. This film is yet another little perspective to the whole story of Mary and her life. This film calls us to be humble in being respectful to other perspectives that we do not know or do not agree with.
We have always pictured Mary in a blue and white costume, and we suggest the same even today for people playing the role of Mary at our nativity plays, to demonstrate the meekness in mother Mary. But the Mary in this film was presented with all colours from gold, to red and to green, and never, in the always known blue. Perhaps that projection of Mary in multicoloured costumes is an invitation to disrupt from boxing Mary into a single-coloured meek personality, rather is to celebrate Mary with all her multi-talented gifts which include passion for faith, love for God and people around, compassion to the poor, spirituality of resilience in the face of blame, resisting Lucifer and the unjust powers and risk-taker even to the point of riding a horseback and saving the baby Jesus. We rejoice and celebrate Mary and the role of her family in supporting the birth of baby Jesus.
When discussing the colour of the costumes, allow me also to comment on the colour of angel Gabriel. Again, tradition has always presented Gabriel and the angelic host in white colours and robes. Angel Gabriel in this film was in blue robe transgresses the tradition of white. Such a portrayal presents a politics of colour, disrupting the normativity of white that has always been associated with angels. Blue for me is a colour of liberation in my Dalit world, and to see someone guiding, announcing and leading in blue, in this instance the angels is very liberating and refreshing. Such a presentation from my perspective is to say that angels come in all colours, and is not limited only to the colour white, which coloniality has always claimed so.
I was also impressed with plot of the film starting from Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary and their role throughout the film, always trying to love, support, guard and stand by Mary in all her ups and downs of her journey. The young Joseph and his accompaniment with Mary also communicate the bond of love that had for each other, and the way they both navigate in saving child Jesus is presented very sensibly. The role of Elizabeth and Zachariah was also very well-presented offering support to Mary. The imagination of Zachariah performing the wedding of Mary and Joseph was very well scripted, and the whole wedding scenes with dance and celebration is well received. I have never thought of Anne and Elizabeth supporting Mary during her labour, and it again has shown how family will always be there for people, especially when they need the most. Or put it other way, family is a love-space, who always stands by to support specially in difficult times when there is rejection from all quarters.
The role of Herod was well crafted, for his lust for power and the fear that he creates among the colonised Palestine community reflects the kind of violence and terror people had to live with, under the Roman empire. Anna, the prophet in the temple received a good screen time, and her support to Mary as a mentor also expresses the rich spectrum of theological imagination.
I only wished Mary’s song, the Magnificat as recorded in Luke 1:46-55 should have been depicted either in song or in word, for her song is at the heart of who Mary is for me, and one cannot but be in awe of Mary for her dreams and aspirations as she sung it. Or maybe this whole film is grounded on Magnificat for we celebrate Mary, the magnificent in it.
The film ends with the words of Mary, “In the end, love will save the world,” for me Christmas is love coming down, embodied in Jesus Christ, and everyone involved Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zachariah, Anne, Joachim, Angel Gabriel, Shepherds, the Magi, Anna and all did things in love and for love. If we can carry on these ripples of love in our world today, we make the best meaning for Christmas. Let us, like Mary, be prepared to take risks in ensuring the birth of Jesus happens in our world. Let us be like Mary be bold in resisting the empire and Lucifers of our world. Let us be like Mary, passionate for the love of God and be grounded in the Spirit of God. Let us be like Mary compassionate in caring for the least, the last and the lost of the society. Let us be like Mary in being resilient in facing the blames of the world. Let us be like Mary, bold and courageous in paving way for the birth of Jesus the saviour in our midst. May the love, peace and joy of Christmas be with all of us in making our world a better place.
Rev. Dr. Raj Bharat Patta
United Stockport Circuit