Jésus de Montréal (1989)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Denys Arcand

Writer:

Denys Arcand (writer)

Release Date:

25 May 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A group of actors put on an unorthodox, but acclaimed Passion Play which incites the opposition of the Catholic Church while the actors' lives themselves begin to mirror the Passion itself.

Plot Keywords:

Passion Play | Church | Montreal | Biblical Interpretation | Philosophy

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 17 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Lothaire Bluteau	...	Daniel
Catherine Wilkening	...	Mireille
Johanne-Marie Tremblay	...	Constance
Rémy Girard	...	Martin
Robert Lepage	...	René
Gilles Pelletier	...	Fr. Leclerc
Yves Jacques	...	Richard Cardinal
Cédric Noël
Pauline Martin
Véronique Le Flaguais
Jean-Louis Millette
Monique Miller
Christine-Ann Atallah
Valérie Gagné
Claude Léveillée
Paule Baillargeon
Boris Bergman
Gaston Lepage	...	Security Guard
Pascal Rollin
Marc Messier
Marcel Sabourin
Roy Dupuis	...	Marcel Brochu
Claude Blanchard	...	Policeman
Andrée Lachapelle
Denis Bouchard	...	Ambulance driver
Ron Lea
Anna-Maria Giannotti
Tom Rack
Marie-Christine Barrault	...	Dubbing actress
Judith Magre	...	Dubbing actress
Isabelle Truchon	...	Richard's Girlfriend
Michael Barnard
Serge Carrier
Daniel Lamontagne
Dominique Quesnel
Jean Marchand
Dianne Cote
Andreanne Deneault
Sylvie Drapeau
Mario Bertrand
Danielle Godin
Gisèle Trépanier
Bob Della Serra
Lisette Guertin
Danielle Lepine
Léa-Marie Cantin
Rose-Andrée Michaud
Susan Bain
Michelle Turmel
Maria Bircher
Esther Lewis
Alex Nicolas-Etienne
Paul Tana
Dean Hagopian
Jacques Lavallée
Bernard Meney
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Diane Côté
Maria Giannotti
Denys Arcand	...	The Judge (uncredited)
Barbara Arsenault	...	Jumelle Pomerleau (uncredited)
Nancy Arsenault	...	Jumelle Pomerleau (uncredited)

Directed by
Denys Arcand

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Denys Arcand		writer

Produced by
Roger Frappier	....	producer
Pierre Gendron	....	producer
Doris Girard	....	delegate producer
Monique Létourneau	....	producer
Gérard Mital	....	delegate producer
Jacques-Eric Strauss	....	delegate producer

Original Music by
Jean-Marie Benoît
François Dompierre
Yves Laferrière

Cinematography by
Guy Dufaux

Film Editing by
Isabelle Dedieu

Casting by
Lucie Robitaille

Production Design by
François Séguin

Art Direction by
François Séguin

Set Decoration by
Frances Calder
Simon La Haye

Costume Design by
Louise Jobin

Makeup Department
Cécile Rigault	....	makeup artist
Micheline Trépanier	....	makeup artist
Nathalie Trépanier	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Lyse Lafontaine	....	production director

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mireille Goulet	....	assistant director

Art Department
Pierre L'Heureux	....	carpenter
Tristan Tondino	....	lead scenic artist

Sound Department
Mathieu Beaudin	....	sound effects editor
Adrian Croll	....	sound
Antoine Morin	....	sound effects editor
Marcel Pothier	....	sound effects editor
Patrick Rousseau	....	sound
Hans Peter Strobl	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Louis Craig	....	special effects supervisor
Mario Dumont	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
François Aubry	....	visual effects supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Sylvaine Dufaux	....	second assistant camera
Luc Laflamme	....	electrician
Nathalie Moliavko-Visotzky	....	first assistant camera

Animation Department
François Aubry	....	animation director

Editorial Department
Claudette Duff	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Robert Stanley	....	musician: guitar

Transportation Department
Benoît Mathieu	....	driver: bus

Other crew
François Aubry	....	title designer
Marie La Haye	....	continuity
Marie La Haye	....	script girl
Bernard Lamy	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)
• Communication
• Gérard Mital Productions
• Max Films Productions
• National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
• Premier Choix TVEC
• Super Écran
• Téléfilm Canada

Distributors

• Artificial Eye (UK)
• Madman Entertainment (2003) (Australia) (DVD)
• Orion Classics (1990) (USA) (subtitled)

Special Effects

• Intrigue (special effects)

Also Known As:

Jesus of Montreal

Runtime:

118 min | Argentina:120 min | Canada:119 min | USA:120 min

Country:

Canada | France

Language:

French | English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)

Quotes:

Martin: Doing tragedy is dangerous.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Quando Corpus Morietur

To thine own self be true...

Daniel Coulombe is recruited by Father LeClerc to jazz up the traditional Passion play (a dramatic representation of the events leading to the passion and Crucifixion of Jesus) staged in Montreal's Catholic Sanctuary. Coulombe, in turn, gathers a group of actors/apostles, ranging from unemployed actor Remy (now overdubbing dialogue on porn movies) to ambitious commercial actress Mireille. Together, they workshop a controversial and moving Passion play which leaves audiences awestruck and the priests reeling, as the production challenges the dogma and hipocrisy of the Catholic church.

Director Denys Arcand weaves a remarkably deep tale which comments on commercialism, selling out, spirituality, theological scholarship, fidelity, loyalty and more- but in a manner that is relatively subtle and humorous, so the film never feels didactic. The somewhat magical effects of the theatre come across beautifully; in fact, "Jesus Of Montreal" is a must for anyone involved with the Theatre. For those interested in film trivia, you'll notice that there are veiled biblical/mythical references throughout the film, (Magdalen lobster, the Lawyer as Satan, The Charon restaurant), and that the director appears as a judge when Daniel is on trial. The story itself is well constructed, and its somber denouement drives home the suggestion that resistance and a revolutionary viewpoint are liable to bring ill fortune...

You don't have to be Catholic- or even 'religious' - to enjoy "Jesus Of Montreal": this is a film for anyone who has ever contemplated the difference between spirituality and religion, or who has had to make a decision between doing what the system demanded and doing what they believe is the honest thing to do.