Welcome back to Movie Recap. Today I'm gonna show you a 2016 American biblical drama film called,
Risen. Spoilers ahead. Sit back, relax and enjoy the video.
The movie begins in the Judaean Desert, A.D.33. Clavius solely wanders the barren desert and
stumbles upon a small house. The house owner feeds him food and notices the tribune ring he wears.
There, Clavius recounts his life to the house owner.
For 30 years, the Roman Empire rules over Judaea. Prefect Pilate has Clavius as his tribune,
responsible for keeping the city order. Jews reside Judaea, who believe in one God, Yahweh,
and the arrival of the mystical Messiah. Judaea is under the religious leadership of Sanhedrin.
An increasing number of zealots aimed to challenge the Roman Empire that Barabbas led. Clavius and
his men, however, capture Barabbas. Barabbas tells him that Rome will soon be nothing once
the Messiah arrives, yet Clavius is a believer of Roman Polytheism, such as the God of war,
Mars, so he slays him mercilessly. After dealing with the zealots,
Clavius returns to the city and meets Pilates. Pilates shares about the occurred Passover,
where people shout for the ascetic Nazarene's blood. This Nazarene is named Yeshua,
who claims to be the Messiah, triggering the Sanhedrin to put him down because it's blasphemy.
So, Pilates abides with the Sanhedrin's order to crucify Yeshua to keep the peace and order
in the city because Ceasar is soon to come. Pilates tasks Clavius to finish Yeshua's
life immediately, but before he goes, Pilates introduces Lucius to Clavius as his new aide.
So, Clavius and Lucius leave the city, yet Lucius notices the gloomy sky when
the walls and ground suddenly tremble. The earthquake soon stops, and the two
arrive at the crucifixion site, where mobs shout cries, mourning for Yeshua on the cross.
The centurion assigned to the site senses something different from "king" Yeshua,
who spoke "it's finished" just before the tremor. When Clavius finally orders to kill them all,
the centurion can't help to tear up, for he believes that Yeshua's innocent. Two guards
smash the knees of the other two crucified criminals on the cross, while a pilum is to
be stabbed on Yeshua's under ribs. The centurion sighs in disbelief and suppresses his tears,
but Clavius advises him to toughen up and orders him to message Pilates that the work's done.
Among the mob is Yeshua's mother, bellowing a cry as she watches her son die.
After the swift kill, the two guards remove the bodies off the cross and dump them on the
corpse pile behind the site. When Yeshua's body is turned, Joshua of Arimathea arrives with a
letter containing Pilate's approval for Joshua to bury Yeshua's body in their family tomb.
When Clavius agrees to the letter, Joshua runs to Mary and comforts her. On the other hand,
Clavius studies Yeshua's dead face while Joshua's men carefully retrieve Yeshua's body.
At night, Clavius bathes himself with Pilates in a pool. Pilates finds Yeshua's case strange because
it's rare for a person to offer himself to death as a sacrifice. Clavius shares
that he assisted in burying Yeshua in the tomb. Pilates converses with Clavius about ambition,
and Clavius desires power and position in Rome to have wealth to start his family in a place where
there's "peace" and "a day without death." The following day, Clavius attends a funeral
where the fallen comrades are burned on a stack of woods. Once again, Pilates summons
Clavius and concludes with a solution to burn Yeshua's body. However, Caiaphas and the rest
of the Sanhedrin unexpectedly intervene and says that God forbids cremation.
Caiaphas visits them to raise a concern, and that's Yeshua's a threat to the Romans
because He foretold everyone about his resurrection after three days.
The reason for Caiaphas to seal the tomb with a boulder so no Yeshua's apostle can steal the body.
Apparently, Clavius and Pilates don't want to meddle anymore. Still, Caiaphas points
out that if the people and the Roman authority learn that a Messiah's body has disappeared
and been resurrected, it can affect the peace and Ceasar's vision they've been protecting. The only
thing Caiaphas want them to do is to stamp a Roman seal onto the boulder to keep the people away.
Pilates eventually agrees and sends Clavius to the tomb with soldiers entail.
After checking the intact body inside, they push the boulder, tie many ropes onto the boulder,
and stamp a Roman seal onto the rope. Clavius assigns the two guards from the
crucifixion yesterday to watch the tomb until tomorrow morning. However, their centurion has
been unwell since yesterday, so they wish for a ration. Clavius then promises that he's going
to send one and then leaves. Clavius then speaks with Joshua, who's also a Sanhedrin.
He questions Joshua's grieving for Yeshua, who claims Himself a king, while his brothers despise
Him. Joshua explains that Yeshua's special. It's night, and Clavius forgets to send food
for the two guards watching the tomb. So, the two guards drink alcohol to battle their hunger.
The following day, the sky erupts in a blinding light, brighter than the sun.
Meanwhile, Pilates summons Clavius again to inform him that Yeshua's
body disappeared from the tomb and the two guards are missing.
Pilates angrily proclaims the death penalty onto the two guards before the Caiaphas and
the rest of the Sanhedrin stop him, but it's too late, for they have already heard about it.
Clavius offers to investigate the missing corpse, while Caiaphas reminds them that his
hunch is true. He says that the two guards sought shelter from them because they knew the penalty.
He also shares that the two guards found the apostles stole the body from the tomb.
Caiaphas suggests sparing the guards' life as witnesses for the alleged crime done by the
apostles. However, Pilates is concerned that words are not enough, and they need to find the body.
So, Pilates tasks Clavius to track down Yeshua's body and His apostles.
Clavius and his men arrive at the empty tomb. So, he summons Joshua to ask what's happened,
yet he has no idea where the body had gone when he arrived.
Clavius then examines the ropes that appeared not cut but burst, the melted wax seals, and
the scattered alcohol leather bag on the ground. Meanwhile, Lucius calls for Clavius to show him
the Yeshua's face stained on the white linen. Clavius asks Joshua if the body is anointed,
and Joshua says they only wrapped the body with myrrh and aloe because they've got no time.
Clavius then assures Lucius that the stain's simply sweat and herbs.
Clavius then orders Lucius to watch the tomb, search anyone who leaves Jerusalem,
arrest anyone who speaks about Yeshua's resurrection to find out where they learned it,
and dig every buried body in the last week to examine for crucifixion scars.
Afterward, Clavius meets the assigned thin guard on the tomb for interrogation.
According to the thin guard, there were about 8-10 rabid disciples who attacked them with weapons,
stole his body, and bade them tell that He's risen. Clavius then asks if they saw
them while asleep, and the thin guard replies that the cutting sound of ropes awoke them.
The thin guard then resumes that they rolled back the boulder after they stole the body and ran.
Clavius pretending to accept whatever the guard's saying, asks if they watched them escape,
and the thin guard stutters but still replies that they were held at spear point.
Clavius knows it's all lies and still asks if they are told to say this narrative. The guard
denies this while his head looks down. Clavius then asks if they were drinking that night,
and when the guard denies it again, Clavius shows him the alcohol leather bag they used last night.
The guard leaves him alone since he has no words to say anymore.
Meanwhile, Lucius overhears the beggar talking about the Romans fearing Yeshua's resurrection
from the death, which is why the Romans lie about the stolen body. Upon letting the beggar
finishes his words, Lucius arrests the man. Once again, Clavius and Lucius check the
corpses behind the crucifixion site and even dig up the Hebrew cemetery, but they find nothing.
After the search, the two return to Clavius' home to interrogate
the arrested people talking about Yeshua. First, it's Joshua, who's also unknowledgeable
of Yeshua's body location. He firmly believes that Yeshua's disciples are too heartbroken to
steal the body. Joshua adds that if Yeshua had lived, He would treat Clavius like a brother,
despite that he slew Him. Before Joshua leaves, he reminds Clavius he asked whether Yeshua's a king
on the tomb. So, he places the crown of thorns on Clavius's table and says, "here's his crown."
Second, it's a blind woman that they found shouting in the street, "the Messiah lives." The
blind woman firmly believes she heard Yeshua's voice speak two days ago when he had risen.
However, Clavius only orders her to stop spreading lies, but the blind woman is confident,
and the only reason it's difficult to believe for Clavius has no faith in Him.
Clavius takes a break and prays to the God of Hebrews, Yahweh, asking Him to abandon His
followers he's seeking, and if done so, he offers himself of service to Yahweh.
Last, he interrogates the beggar in the street. The beggar says, according to Magdalene,
that they found the tomb already empty when they visited it early in the morning
Afterward, Clavius hires the beggar for more intel, and then he visits a boarding house
rented for men. Apparently, every man inside knows Magdalene, and they point out where she works.
Magdalene is none other than a repented prostitute who became a follower of Yeshua.
It's nighttime, and Clavius and his men surround Magdalene's usual place to visit.
When Magdalene finally appears, guards chase after her.
Even though she manages to evade the guards, Clavius still catches her.
Back in his home, Clavius speaks with Magdalene, but nothing seems to make sense to him because
Magdalene speaks about faith to an entity that he doesn't believe in. So, Lucius offers him to
sleep first, which he does. He dreams about Yeshua hanging on the cross in the middle of the ocean.
But his sleep is interrupted by Lucius, telling him that the Pilates summons him.
Pilates summons Clavius to apprehend him for digging up the Hebrew's cemetery.
Because apparently, it's not his only problem, but the missing body and the
dawning arrival of Emperor Ceasar. So, Pilates urges Clavius to find Yeshua's body tonight.
Afterward, Clavius tasks the beggar with looking for more of Yeshua's followers,
leading him to Bartholomew, who cheerfully introduces himself.
When they bring Bartholomew into his office, he says he's willing to be crucified. Yet, when
Clavius reminds him of how painful the process since Bartholomew ran when Yeshua got crucified,
Bartholomew stops him and says he heard enough. When Clavius asks where the other disciples'
location is, Bartholomew says, "they're everywhere" and grins, happily leaving the office.
Clavius continues searching for the body the following day, but they're already unrecognizable.
Clavius then brings a body to Pilates and claims it can be a fake body to fool the people.
However, it's evident that Pilates has already given up and tasks Clavius to another place, but
Clavius insists on continuing the investigation. That night, Clavius meets Lucius, who informs him
that the two guards have fled the town with the money. But Clavius manages to find the petite
guard, who's a drunkard now and yearns for the truth. The petite guard reveals that he saw a
blinding light so bright that he couldn't lay his eyes on it. The ropes burst out, the boulder flew
away like a leaf, and a booming voice made them run away from the tomb so far until they obtained
their sanity again. From the tomb, a figure unrecognizable appeared and disappeared quickly.
However, despite the way the petite guard reminisces the moment, his eyes staring
across the room, wondering if everything is ever absolute, Clavius sitting beside him,
still finds the story skeptical. The following day, Clavius and his men
raid a Jewish town, and among the houses, there's an abode where an unexplainable event flashes
before him. Yeshua is alive, tangible, smiling, and among the awed apostles and Magdalene.
He gazes at Him for a second but backs out, for he can't fathom the person he sees.
Clavius hears Lucius offering help to search for them, but he orders him and the men to stand
down and get back to camp. When Lucius leaves, Clavius reenters the abode, staring at Yeshua.
Magdalene touches Yeshua's shoulder, who disappears momentarily. The apostles call for His
name but shortly, a smile forms on their faces, for they are astounded by the miracle. Just then,
Magdalene reminds them to travel to Galilee to meet Yeshua again.
The apostles excitedly bid goodbye to her and leave the place to start their journey,
while Clavius remains silent and seated. That night, Lucius and Pilate raid the
place where the apostles and Yeshua stood, but it's empty besides a signed letter from Clavius,
saying to leave him alone for he can't reconcile his belief to what his eyes can see.
The following day, Pilates believes Clavius betrayed him, so he sends Lucius and soldiers
to find the apostles and Clavius because Emperor Ceasar is about to arrive in ten days.
Meanwhile, Clavius abandons Roman polytheism and joins the apostle's journey to meet Yeshua
in Galilee. At first, he distrusts them, wherein he injures Peter's legs when he's
just bringing water. The cold night gives him no choice but to join the campfire set by the
apostles. They pray together and eat food. The following day, the venture continues,
and Clavius asks how they can believe Yeshua. Still, even the apostles don't have an answer,
for everyone is astounded too, and they also follow to find out the truth.
Unfortunately, the Pilate's Roman search party reaches the town they're currently in.
So, Clavius assists the apostles in avoiding the army, where they crawl on the grounds,
hide in the bushes, and slide into the chasm to avoid exposure. While venturing into the chasm,
the promoted Lucius armed spots them. Yet, Clavius successfully disarms him and convinces him to let
them pass peacefully because no one will die. Finally, Clavius and the apostles arrive
in Galilee. However, the men are hungry, so they use the idling boat and fish in the sea.
Yet, it's already nighttime, and they waste enough energy, but no fish comes.
The following day, a hooded figure tells Simon to try to fish again,
and when they do, the fishnet is filled with more than they need. They celebrate for Yeshua is among
them again. They welcome him with an embrace, and Clavius watches them from afar with a happy face
As they eat the fishes, Clavius asks Bartholomew what made them follow him when they doubted that
Yeshua would rise from the dead. Coincidentally, a leper cast out by the people is beaten near their
camp, and Yeshua approaches him with fish on hand. He kisses him on the forehead and lets him go.
The leper leaves and his body is miraculously healed when he faces them.
That night, Clavius can't sleep, and so he sits with Yeshua, who's still awake. He doesn't know
what to ask, and rather he feels everything's surreal, for he saw Yeshua die, but there he is
beside him. Clavius admits that it scares him to wage the unsureness of the existence of eternity,
and the only thing Yeshua tells him is to know Him. Yeshua asks what he seeks, and Clavius is
surprised to hear Him say that he wants peace and a day without death without even telling Hm
anything. Clavius cries as he finally realizes the truth and peace he has sought since the beginning.
The movie ends with the apostles and Clavius witnessing the ascension of Yeshua,
where an intense beam of light strikes him and carries Him to Heaven.
Afterward, Clavius and the apostles split up to continue their journey to share the good news
of the Lord that Heaven is waiting for them. Meanwhile, Clavius finishes his story with the
house owner, saying that after everything he experienced, he will never be the same again.
He then leaves the tribune ring as payment and continues his journey with hope.