Directed by:
Rupert WainwrightCinematography:
Jeffrey L. KimballCast:
Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathan Pryce, Nia Long, Thomas Kopache, Rade Serbedzija, Enrico Colantoni, Dick Latessa, Portia de Rossi, Patrick Muldoon (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
When Frankie Paige (Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette), a young hairdresser from Pittsburgh, begins to suffer the stigmata a physical manifestation of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion wounds the Vatican’s top investigator, Father Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne) is sceptical of their authenticity. However, as the severity of the wounds increases, Kiernan realises Frankie has become the vessel for an extraordinary and provocative message that threatens the very foundations of the Catholic Church, and now the stigmata is not the only thing threatening her life. (Eureka Entertainment)
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Reviews (4)
The craftsmanship is very good, but it’s not a major or memorable work, really. Formally, it’s disarming – the visuals are gorgeous and some of the shots could be cut out and displayed in a national gallery – but those emotionally flat recyclates of a thousand and one Satanic motifs would have a stronger appeal only if all the filmmaking components worked together flawlessly, or if the atmosphere was overwhelmingly evoked in an authentically synchronised story, and that wasn’t the case here. 60%
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Basically, it confirmed what I though, that Stigmata has a pretty difficult premise for horror. The bloody wounds of Christ appear on a girl, so what? The viewer might not care about it and it won’t cause any fear. That’s why the film in the second half introduces some exorcism and conspiracy elements, which I gratefully welcomed. Nothing great, but doesn’t hurt, either.
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A spectacular music-video-style movie with a Satanic theme and a rhythmic soundtrack. But the enthusiasm elicited by the visuals and sound fades the moment the lights go up in the screening room. And the potential to appeal to the viewer with anything else in cinematic terms remains frozen in place.
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A visually stunning and skillfully executed film, relying not only on demonic visuals, but also on an interesting premise and a solid performance by Patricia Arquette. As a pure atheist and a non-expert in Biblical mythology, the film does not strike me as controversial or shocking, but there is certainly no shortage of dark atmosphere and gripping scenes of stigmatic wounds and exorcism, which are truly impressive in their necessary dynamism and emphasis. The soundtrack is surprisingly powerful, and you will certainly be scared at least once.
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Gallery (41)
Photo © 1999 MGM
![Stigmata - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/161/093/161093704_868e24.jpg)
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