by Jon Partridge
If you think of Patricia Arquette these days, your mind inevitably wanders to her wonderful performance in Boyhood. Well, in Shout Factory’s newest Blu-ray release they offer a chance to look at one of her older performances in 1999’s Stigmata.
Arquette plays Frankie Paige, a woman who begins to begins to suffer the stigmata, a manifestation of the living wounds of the crucified Christ. Father Kiernan, the Vatican’s preeminent investigator of inexpiable religious events, is dispatched by Cardinal Houseman (Jonathan Pryce) to investigate the authenticity of Frankie’s condition, which has been reported by a local Priest. His investigation uncovers that Frankie may in fact be the vessel for a forgotten Gospel, long buried by the Catholic church who continue to try and suppress it. As the stigmata take their toll on Frankie’s health, Kiernan becomes closer to her, all the while striving to uncover the truth about the message she carries.
Stigmata feels very much like a product of the 90s, a somewhat heavy handed and stretched tale that is layered with atmosphere. It’s an interesting idea but one that is executed with a need to suspend belief, no pun intended — not just in the way the stigmata are “passed on” to Frankie, but the corruption within the Church also. The main point of contradiction comes from the “possession” itself. A messenger for Jesus Christ, bringing the truth to a loyal Priest, but shown as something more akin to demonic possession as the film builds to its climax. Sure this makes for a more exciting movie, but it jars with the idea the film is trying to present.
These plot flaws are compounded as the film falls into something rather formulaic, especially in regard to the investigative nature of the film and also the (unnecessary?) addition of a possible attraction between Frankie and Father Kiernan.
Despite these flaws there are some notable aspects of the film. The aforementioned atmosphere is done well with some striking visuals, particularly in scenes where the stigmata manifest. This is complemented by a penetrating score by Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins. Arquette shows a vulnerability and pain in her performance while Gabriel Byrne plays the tortured Priest with aplomb, balancing his beliefs with his care for Frankie well.
THE PACKAGEStigmata is a moody atmospheric film and many of its scenes are dark. With this in mind, the transfer is largely well done; detail is good as is contrast, but at times it looks a little muddy. A crispness is lacking.
The package is stuffed with a series of extras. An audio commentary with director Rupert Wainwright is an interesting and in-depth addition. There are also a number of deleted scenes, some finished, some rough cuts. Featurettes include Divine Rites, a lengthy addition made up of interviews with the cast and crew and their insights to the story, and Incredible But True, a History Channel documentary looking at the phenomenon of stigmata throughout history. There is also a music video for the films theme song, “Identify,” by Natalie Imbruglia, as well as a theatrical trailer.
THE BOTTOM LINEStigmata is a bit of a mash-up, a religious film intertwined with horror and thriller elements and peppered with elements of a love story. It is a bit frenetic as a result, accentuated by the visual style of the film. Some strong performances do not elevate the confused approach of the film too far, but it makes for a interesting watch nonetheless. Fans of the film will be impressed by the package on offer.
Stigmata was released by Shout Factory on May 19th.