Mary Magdalene Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Mary Magdalene Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 8, 2019

Director Garth Davis won accolades and reasonable box office for his last feature, “Lion,” which detailed a young man on a special emotional and spiritual journey. Now Davis tackles unfinished business with the Bible, examining a more famous story of self-inspection, giving the saga of Jesus a special spin with “Mary Magdalene,” which sets out to right the titular woman’s wronged reputation, isolating her origin story, giving her a modern appreciation in line with current filmmaking trends. Davis doesn’t do explosive, keeping this drama extremely mild, aiming more for poeticism and reflection than prolonged suffering, approaching familiar stories from the Bible with a more artful perspective. “Mary Magdalene” isn’t a fiery collection of characters and their struggles to define faith, with Davis keeping the effort crawling along, electing to make something visually appealing and insular than traditionally dramatic.

As a young woman, Mary Magdalene (Rooney Mara) struggles to find herself, preferring compassion to submission, disturbing the natural order for women in the land, upsetting her father with her individuality. Chosen for marriage to Ephraim (Tzachi Halevy), Mary grows uncomfortable with the match and a future serving her husband, finding spiritual enlightenment with the ways of Jesus (Joaquin Phoenix), a mystery man making his way across the land with his Apostles, interacting with those in need through sermons and miracles, creating a powerful reputation as the Son of God. Joining the men on their odyssey, Mary witnesses the power of Jesus firsthand, getting to know a complicated man wrestling with his purpose, connecting to his confusion over identity. As the Apostles and Jesus enter Jerusalem, experiencing chaos as the Romans take possession of the holy man, Mary bears witness to the power of his message, reflecting on her own mission of enlightenment amid various betrayals.

The production aims to restore Mary’s tattered reputation, with screenwriters Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett developing a personality beyond the bible for the woman, with her home life examined in early scenes. Mary is depicted as a kind soul with a weakness for suffering, trying to be of service to those in need, offering her comforting presence to her fellow villagers, including a pained soul experiencing a particularly brutal childbirth, finding Mary’s focus and touch soothing during the frightful emergency. Mary’s soft ways are marked by a secret sense of self-worth, struggling under the thumb of her father, who expects her to follow tradition by taking a husband and living a life of domestic service. She hungers for something bigger than herself, finding focus on Jesus, who’s initially observed delivering enlightening sermons to needy groups, triggering something deep within the curious woman.

Davis doesn’t make an urgent feature, keeping “Mary Magdalene” low-key, highlighting silent analysis over customary biblical melodrama, with Mary keeping her eyes trained on the journey and Jesus as she joins the Apostles, experiencing their purpose as they visit with the sick and the lost. Miracles are performed, and the screenplay uses these events as mile markers, tracking the travelers as they make their way to Jerusalem, dealing with internal struggles along the way. “Mary Magdalene” doesn’t stray from the expected, offering scenes where Jesus spouts his wisdom in front of those in need and brings the dead back to life, with the miracle of Lazarus one of a few stops on the tortured tour of duty. Through it all, Mary is more curious than pious, grasping the bigger picture taking shape during her trek, forging a relationship with Jesus, with the pair bonding over shared confusion about heavenly and earthly function.

Mary Magdalene Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.20:1 aspect ratio) presentation surveys a largely colorless world for "Mary Magdalene," which retains its austere atmosphere of desert travel and period construction, leaving earthtones to dominate. Grays are preserved, along with moments of greenery, and skintones are natural. Detail is comfortable, with an appealing read of facial particulars, picking out the harshness of aging and the bushiness of beards. Landscapes are dimensional, providing a clear view of foot travel and location visits, securing distinct stonework. Blacks aren't always supportive, with delineation losing some frame information at times. Banding is periodically detected.

Mary Magdalene Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix offers a very appealing sense of the score, detailed through precise string instrumentation and orchestral fullness, delivering musical purpose to the movie. Dialogue exchanges are sharp, working through various accents and performance speeds, including Phoenix's mumbly ways and Mara's hushed presence. Surrounds are active, offering evocative atmospherics as the story visits open air locations and echoed interiors. Community bustle is memorable as well, with distinct voices and some separation effects. Low-end isn't challenged, but a few aggressive encounters provide light rumbling.

Mary Magdalene Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Cast and Crew Interviews (40:37, HD) provide an appealing overview of the "Mary Magdalene" production experience, with conversations collected during junket appearances and on-set breaks. Included are actors Rooney Mara, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tahar Rahim, Ariane Labed, and Denis Menochet, production designer Fiona Crombie, producers Liz Watts and Iain Canning, writer Philippa Goslett, and director Garth Davis. While the sit-downs do feel overly rehearsed at times, slipping into salesmanship, there's also an understanding of intent and effort as the professionals bring the saga of Mary Magdalene to the screen.

• Director (1:54, HD) is a short celebration of Davis and his creative vision for "Mary Magdalene."

• Cast Featurette (2:27, HD) presents an overview of character motivation and performance, with special attention paid to Joaquin Phoenix, who doesn't appear for an interview opportunity.

• Story Featurette (2:02, HD) examines the themes and interpretation of "Mary Magdalene," with the production aiming to tell the story of Jesus from a female point of view.

• Behind-the-Scenes Footage (14:05, HD) is a fascinating look at the assembly of certain scenes, observing the production effort as the cast and crew work around enormous locations, interact with subtle visual effects, and deal with Davis, who's often striving to articulate his vision for the picture. Also included is a visit to a recording studio, where musicians are performing the score for "Mary Magdalene."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:28, HD) is included.

Mary Magdalene Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Mary Magdalene" eventually reaches Jerusalem and experiences the crucifixion of Jesus, but Davis isn't interested in making "The Passion of the Christ," keeping Mary's POV and her compassion for the sacrifice, bearing witness to the resurrection as well. Mara's performance remains primarily expressionistic, challenged to depict a psychological churn with subtle facial reactions, creating one of the finer performances of her career. She's matched well with Phoenix, who makes for a relatable Jesus, portraying him as a man carrying unimaginable spiritual weight, which causes him tremendous doubt, lessened some by time spent with Mary and her innate appeal. "Mary Magdalene" is somewhat cold to the touch, but there's power in character connections and visual poetry, with Davis trying to turn this project, which strives to clear up misconceptions about Mary (who was maliciously identified as a prostitute to diminish her role in the saga), into something beautiful, not necessarily exciting.