The Book of Clarence
January 8th, 2024
MOVIE: THE BOOK OF CLARENCE
STARRING: LAKEITH STANFIELD, ANNA DIOP, RJ CYLER, OMAR SY, ALFRE WOODARD
DIRECTED BY: JEYMES SAMUEL
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 STARS (Out of 4)
The biblical films of old Hollywood were an intense kind of white. Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and King of Kings, you can pull them up on IMDB and struggle to find Black men or women in the principal cast. It was and is a problem, as Black people were excluded from pop culture retelling of the bible, and an intentional whitewashing of history. The Book of Clarence takes a big swing to correct that problem, not all connecting, but certainly a daring and bold new interpretation of the story of Jesus Christ.
We meet Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) and Elijah (RJ Cyler), racing chariots through the streets against Mary Magdalene (Teyana Taylor), where the winner will earn the others’ chariot. He of course loses because things are not going his way. It’s 33 C.E. and Clarence is a bit of a hustler, selling “smokable herbs”, and trying to make money quickly to pay his debts to Jedidiah the Terrible (Eric Kofi-Abrefa). Distracting him is his interest in Jedidiah’s sister (Anna Diop), while his twin brother Thomas (also played by Stanfield) is doing something with his life by following this new guy named Jesus Christ (Nicholas Pinnock). For Clarence, he needs to come up with a plan quickly.
From a narrative standpoint, it takes time for tone to come into focus, whereas The Book of Clarence is part satire and part new telling. Things click when Clarence comes up with the idea that he can make quick coins being the new messiah for those in need. His new friend Barabbas (Omar Sy) helps him with the plan, which involves healing the sick and feeding the hungry. He makes his money back quickly, but it also catches the eyes of Roman guards specifically Pontius Pilate (James McAvoy), putting him in a position to prove his miracles without the help of his friends.
Whether you believe in God or not doesn’t matter and that is the core message of writer/director Jeymes Samuel’s interpretation. It’s part Monty Python’s Life of Brian and shockingly as forward as Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. Even if it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, it becomes a fascinating new version of Jesus’ crucifixion, told through the eyes of a new character named Clarence, and in a way that Samuel often subverts, a fresh telling for audiences to see today. Much like his previous work, The Harder They Fall, which was a new spin on the Western genre, this throws all the influences into the pot, along with a great ensemble to mix it all.
It’s the final act of The Book of Clarence where Samuel captures his true vision. It’s a way to reclaim the narrative from White-Christians who believe a story could only be told in one way. It finds a way to be both a story for those who have faith and those who will never be on board. The Book of Clarence is undeniably bold and moving. You may not be a believer when it’s over but you will understand that Jeymes Samuel is the real deal.
THE BOOK OF CLARENCE IS PLAYING IN THEATERS THIS FRIDAY JANUARY 12TH, 2024.
3 STARS
Written by: Leo Brady
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