LAST DAYS IN THE DESERT

US, 2015, 95 minutes, Colour.
Ewan Mc Gregor, Ciaran Hinds, Tye Sheridan,
Directed by Rodrigo Garcia.

This is an imaginative recreation of Jesus last week, the period of his temptations, just before his return to Nazareth and the beginning of his ministry.

Most of us, when we listen to the narratives of the temptations in the desert or ponder Jesus' forty days and nights, we think of him alone, except for the encounter with the Satan. This time, while he is alone and wandering the desert, he actually encounters a family and spends time with them, listening to their hopes and aspirations, helping them with building a stone home on a peak in the desert.

This is a very human Jesus although, in his conversation, in his prayer, he is obviously one with the Father.

However, the tempter comes and, again in imaginative play, Jesus and the Satan are both played by Ewan McGregor, scenes of testing, scenes of temptation, taunting Satan, sometimes ingenuous Jesus as he discovers more about himself, a credible and creditable performance. The film recreates the atmosphere of the desert with very striking scenery.

Irish actor Ciaran Hinds (who was King Herod in The Nativity Story) is the father who has hopes with his son but finds it very difficult to communicate with him. Tye Sheridan is the son, with aspirations of his own, wanting to visit the city, to travel, but very conscious of the dominance of his father. He finds he can confide in Jesus who encourages his hopes. The father also is able to confide and share his concerns. In the meantime, the mother is very ill and needs tending. And Jesus is tender with her.

The screenplay makes much of the parallel between God the Father and Jesus as son, and the father and son in the desert and the relationship, the dominating father, the submissive son who still wants to rebel.

There are scenes of finding rocks, carrying rocks, the stream in the desert, many details of ordinary life. There is a climax when the father wants to get some metal to be able to sell at the markets and hopes his son will be lowered down to get the metal and then drawn up again. The son baulks at this and the father goes down himself, slips, needs to be hauled up, but dies. The impact of the death has a strong effect on the son and he is encouraged to go off by Jesus.

The dialogue is contemporary but respectful. It will stimulate the viewer to reflect on Jesus, his humanity and divinity, the experience of testing and temptation, his preparation for ministry, some rehearsal moments as he works with the family.

The screenplay was written by Rodrigo Garcia, the son of novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez. He has worked extensively in American cinema and television, films such as Nine Lives, Mother and Child, Albert Nobbs.

1. The title, the focus on Yeshua in the desert, the 40 days of fasting?

2. The tradition of Yeshua films? This film in that tradition? Basis in the Gospels? Imagination, speculation, invention? This imagining and its relationship with the Gospels, authentic? Hostile criticisms of blasphemy?

3. Audience familiarity with this Gospel story, with Yeshua, the fast and the desert, the temptations, the presence of Satan? The idea that Yeshua was not solitary in the desert?

4. The desert settings, the mountains, the cliffs, the vast plains, the running stream? The film immersing the audience in the desert? Building the home, living in the tent? The harshness of the desert? The beauty of the desert? The musical score?

5. Ewan Mc Gregor as Yeshua? Strong character? Appearance? Clothes, the pilgrim, a holy man? The fact of Scottish actor playing Yeshua? Accent?

6. The device of having Ewan Mc Gregor play the Satan, the same look, accent? The theme of the Satan within the self? The temptations, the taunts, the reappearances? Taking the shape of the wife, seductively?

7. Yeshua in the desert, the 40 days, fasting, finding water? His wandering, sitting in contemplation? Finding his inner self? The preparation for his ministry?

8. The humanity of Yeshua, tired, hungry, keeping his balance? The encounter with the family, his presence, the conversations, the father confiding about his son, the son confiding about his ambitions, the illness of the mother? Yeshua and his staying, listening, wise advice, yet ordinary? His helping with breaking of the slate, the slabs for the building? Sleeping in the tent (and his nightmares, drowning, being pursued)? Listening to the ill wife, Satan taking her form? Going to collect the water with the boy, carrying the water back? His not eating, but taking one mouthful during the meal? The family seeing him as a holy man?

9. The father, his own father and discipline, discipline for his son, confiding that he did not understand his son? The issue of the riddle, his offering the riddle to his son? The father concerned about his wife, his previous wife, his memories? Seeing the precious stone, discussing with Yeshua, the plan, the boy with the rope, his fear of heights, unwilling to go down, Yeshua offering? The father going down, the two with the rope, his slipping, their pulling him up, holding his hands, unable to hold him, his fall, dying with Yeshua attending, the boy at a distance? Yeshua carrying him back, the preparation for burial, wrapping him? The boy and his reverence for his father? The wife coming out and looking at her husband's face?

10. The boy, his age, his not relating well to his father? His confiding in Yeshua? Ambitions to go to Jerusalem, to learn, to go on the boat, pretending to fly and wanting to be free? His hard work, building the dwelling, carrying the water? The riddle for Yeshua? His father's riddle? Fear of heights, refusing to go down, holding the ropes, with the knife, a temptation, having to let go of his father? Preparing his body for funeral? His devotion to his mother, visiting her, giving her the water, listening to her? His friendship with Yeshua, ability to talk with him, listen to advice, express his dreams? His wanting to leave, Yeshua giving him a blessing, like a father?

11. The underlying theme of fathers and sons? Yeshua and his mission, his relationship with the father, the reality of incarnation, having to live the human experience, not knowing the future, working out the future (and the discussion with the Satan about the future of the boy, the evil scenario of his killing his father and the consequences; the final vision the dish and Yeshua begin to smile)? Yeshua and his relationship with his father, the mission, trust? Sometimes bewildered, wanting it to pass?

12. The Satan, the taunts, ridiculing the father, memories of paradise and his being expelled? The challenge to Yeshua, to give up? The Satan promising to come at the last and for Yeshua to give the word and come down from the cross?

13. The screenplay exploring the relationship between the working father and his son and the parallels with God and Yeshua?

14. The film not finishing with Yeshua going back to be in his ministry? The crucifixion sequence and the echoes of The Passion of the Christ? The piercing of the side? The enigma of the hummingbird? Carrying Yeshua into the tomb? The stone? The vigil outside the tomb? The day dawning and intimations of resurrection?

15. Satan telling Yeshua about not being remembered in 1000 years and the brief coda to the film with the modern couple in the desert, taking the photo…? A still relevant story?

16. Non-Christians? watching the film and observing the themes? Fundamentalist Christians and their not appreciating this kind of imagination? Mainstream Christians and the possibilities of understanding and appreciating Yeshua more?