Stations of the Cross (2014)

A story of extreme religious conviction, Stations of the Cross left me in a profound state of sorrow for a character who never realised the insanity of their actions.Maria is raised in a devout Catholic family, with a domineering mother instilling guilt over any slight indication of sin (of which there are no bounds) and her local priest continuing to give Maria a sense of moral failure, that she must thrive for God's love no matter how horrific the consequences.The narrative's dogmatic nature is intensified by Anna Bruggemann's script, whose use of characterisation creates thoroughly vivid individuals whose actions serve to enforce (depending on your ideals) our own sense of morality. The static cinematography is another effective tool in reflecting the characters' dogma. It lets audiences become further embedded into Maria's tormented existence, feeling dismayed with each dire choice she makes.As the final scene played out I couldn't help but think Maria's life was wasted, missing out on a life's worth of wonder in exchange for a belief that enforced repression. Station of the Cross is an powerful study of religion's morbid nature.

The construction of this film perfectly demonstrated the integration of form and content with its division into chapters reflecting the stations of the cross.The use of single shot sequences attempted to complete this structure with a fly on the wall technique reflecting the realist script/acting style. A recording of the effects on a young girl of religious extremism. Where I found a shortfall in the film was in the use of such extreme belief in modern Europe.No doubt there are many such believers,whether Christian,Muslim,Jewish or any other religion. But it is in the ordinary, everyday influence of the church that ,it seems to me, most influence is seen and bypassed in drama because it is not so viable for dramatic usage in film/television. For example, the values taught in schools and reinforced in mainstream media as norms for being a "good" or "successful" member of society can have severe effects on young people,and throughout life. For mainstream writers/media the ordinary is a no go area.And yet it is here that millions and millions of people live in a world inhabited by, and constructed out of , religious belief. My criticism of this film,then, is that it suffered the fate of the story teller..be it soap opera on the Telly or film for the pictures....."make it dramatic...go for the extreme...the real world is too mundane".

When I saw the reviews for this film I expected more then I received. Although nicely imagined, plot did not deliver what I expected. I found it a little bit unrealistic that case like this can be found in a modern day Germany. Of course, like most of European film makers, this film maker concentrated on a case which is more rare and not a regular occurrence. It is an exception in the modern Germany rather then the rule. That is what actually bothered me throughout this film.Acting was very good short of excellent.Like any film which deals with religion, this film also enters the realm of fanatic believers. In this case it is the Catholic faith. When will they make film about ISIL so we can see what a true fanaticism truly is?

Not many films get rated 10 by me, this one did. Because on top of being a perfectly told story: acting, cinematography, plot and anything else I would wish to find in a film. It's also speaking cinema. The film speaks with camera movements - yes there are almost no camera movements and when they do come they're hardly noticeable, but when they do arrive they speak volumes. They tell us the story and how the director feels about it. With finesse and mastery of his media rarely found in modern cinema. I don't want to overlook the superb acting, mainly the two leads - Lea Van Acken with a gut wrenching performance as the innocent and deeply religious Maria. And Franziska Weisz as her horrible fanatic mother who remains nameless. All the others do their share without a single false note. Such masterpieces are the reason I go to cinema festivals, finding two within two days made this year's Jerusalem Film Festival a success as far as I'm concerned. Look this one out and watch it, I couldn't recommend it highly enough.