One of the many negative aspects of Marvel’s cultural domination is that many talented performers who lend their work to the empire are consumed by it. Their iconic characters trap them in specific roles, possibly robbing the world of other excellent performances. Would Paul Bettany, a star of multipleAvengersfilms andWandavision,take on a project likePriesttoday?
When a horror or action story wants to test the limits of good taste and play with some taboo themes, the easy option is to add some religious trimmings. Knights and hunters can take on monsters all day, but a touch of Christianity lets the audience know that the author is being transgressive.Spawn is the classic example, but director Scott Stewart got really into the idea in the late 2000s.
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What isPriestAbout?
Priestis set in an alternate 20th century that has been fundamentally altered by centuries of war between humans and vampires. Thevampires have a tremendous physicaladvantage. The film isn’t working with Dracula-type suave monsters in disguise. Humans have developed advanced technology to counter vampires. Eventually, humans were forced to shelter themselves in walled cities. The last line of defense against the vampiric menace was the Priests, a caste of warriors trained from birth to read the Bible and kill vampires. The Priests finally turn the tide and usher in a period of relative peace. Most vampires are eliminated, and the remaining creaturesare kept in reservations. Though the clergy saved the world, they also used their station to take it over. The clergy disbanded the priesthood after the war, leaving Priests to rejoin society. Humanity lived under the watchful eye of the church, though many escaped the walled cities to live in freedom.
In 1929, years after the war against vampires was one, an unnamed Priest (frustratingly referred to as “Priest” for the entire film) is forced to take up his weapons again.Vampires killed his brotherand sister-in-law, then kidnaped his niece. Priest is approached by his niece’s boyfriend, a local sheriff, to request his help. Unfortunately, the church doesn’t want to alert the public to the continued existence of vampires. Priest and his new sheriff friend have to violate the will of the clergy and go off on their own to save an innocent young lady. They uncover a terrifying new threat that could destroy humanity.
What isPriestBased On?
Priestis ostensibly based on Hyung Min-woo’s Korean comic series of the same name. Though the film boldly makes that claim, the two works have vanishingly little in common. Amazingly, the comic is based on the1997BuildEngine shooterBlood. Like the game,Priestfollows a gunslinger betrayed by a fallen angel. The protagonist, Ivan, is a revenant animated by rage who slaughters his way across the American frontier. The film purports to take place in the distant future of the story. It borrows sparse elements from the comic while taking tropes from cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic sci-fi. Hyung Min-woo gave the film his blessing, though it lacks the philosophical message of the original work. Anyone who found something to like aboutPriestshould probably check out the comic. It’s a much better exploration of the story.
PriestandLegion
Paul Bettany didn’t just star in one edgy religious horror action film. He starred in two back-to-back.Priestdirector Scott Stewart’s 2010 filmLegionagaincast Paul Bettany asa religious figure defending innocent civilians from the forces of darkness. He plays Michael, the fallen archangel. BothLegionandPriestflopped at the box office. Both films were savaged by critics. Stewart’s directorial career was influenced by a similar impulse in both entries, despite Legion not having the same source material. The films have matching problems. They’re visually interesting, but their stories don’t make much sense. The writing of each film is well below that of the standard blockbuster. The religious elements have little to add to any conversation.Angel wings and crossesare cool in an action setting. That’s pretty much the entire ethos of both films. In 2013, Stewart created the TV seriesDominion, which combined large parts of both stories in a second attempt atLegion. Stewart hasn’t directed a feature film since. Perhaps he got this very specific desire out of his system.
Priestis a strange film that will appeal to a specific audience. The film is a fun ride if the visuals connect with the viewer. If they don’t, it has nothing else to offer. There are some strong action scenes, but the comic is considerably better written. Paul Bettany moved on to bigger and better things. Maybe Scott Stewart has more generic action movies with religious decorations in his head. It’s a type of film that simply isn’t made anymore. Is the public looking for analternative to superhero movies? Maybe it’s time to let Bettany take off the cape and strap the wings back on.
