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| Images Courtesy Legendary Entertainment |
Making a movie about Black Jesus could go wrong in myriad ways. It could be empowering but alienating to those who believe. It could focus too much on making fun of white Jesus depictions while not having much of a message.
But Jeymes Samuel has made a Black Jesus-adjacent film that’s able to balance so many things into a singular vision. The Book of Clarence follows the title character as he attempts to become someone by imitating Jesus’ miracles and paying off his debts. The film is able blend the style of Old Hollywood religious epics with a soulful satire of the Jesus story and delivers a moving, layered story of enlightenment.
LaKeith Stanfield shines as Clarence, who opens the movie with a chariot race that gets him into trouble with mobster in Jerusalem. Having incurred a sizable debt, Clarence, with his friend Elijah (RJ Cyler) sets out to find a way repay the mobster when he runs into Jesus and his disciples. Seeing how much money people give to Jesus after a miracle, Clarence gets the idea to be a Savior, too. He begins by trying to connect with his twin brother, Thomas, who left him to follow Jesus.
The biblical epic film genre soon steps out of the way and makes room for other genres to shine. This shift in genre and tone could be jarring for some, but director Samuel makes it all work. If viewers can let themselves go along for the ride, scenes of Clarence literally floating at a hookah bar and dancing in a nightclub won’t seem out of place.
Samuel performed a similar feat with his previous film, The Harder They Fall, a stylish Black Western that smartly blended the Western genres with blaxploitation and protest films. His blend made this western a ridiculously entertaining and fun Netflix title. The director does the same with Clarence.
The humor, oftentimes laugh-out-loud, is sly and smart instead of absurdist or slapstick, like Life of Brian. Although Clarence does get slapped by no less than Barabbas (Omar Sy), the Virgin Mary (Alfre Woodard), and John The Baptist (David Oleyowo) on his journey.
The laughs keep things light and entertaining until the film turns towards its face towards Jerusalem. The emotional backbone of Clarence’s journey is revealed in small doses and then takes over during the third act. The hints of liberation and enlightenment become more prominent as Clarence’s goal of becoming somebody evolves, tying together the disparate elements of the film.
The metaphoric climax works on all levels, which is a feat considering all the various styles, tones, and audiences the movie has. When Clarence eventually talks with Jesus (Nicholas Pinnock), it’s a moving interaction that balances everything the viewer has seen before. Similar conversations with Pontius Pilate (James McCoy) are simultaneously reverent, moving, and hilarious.
The Book of Clarence is one of those rare films that’s able to blend its message with its style and form a cohesive whole.
The Book of Clarence is now streaming on Netflix.
- Eric Beach