Bartosz Bielenia stars in a scene from the movie "Corpus Christi." The Catholic News Service classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (CNS/Film Movement)

By Catholic News Service

Polish production in which director Jan Komasa and screenwriter Mateusz Pacewicz, who reworked his fact-based book, tell the grim story of a young man (Bartosz Bielenia), just paroled from a violent juvenile detention facility, who, having found his faith there as an altar server, aspires to become a priest. But his past makes this impossible and he’s assigned instead to work in a sawmill in a remote community. There, he almost accidentally begins to impersonate a clergyman and turns out to be compassionate and courageous in the role, providing pastoral care to the town where a drunk-driving tragedy has resulted in widespread grief.

The film takes Christian faith seriously, but its often-cynical portrayal of the priesthood and the faithful may disturb many. It also tacitly promotes the misguided idea that priestly authority originates with the congregation and not with sacramental ordination.

Subtitles. Religious themes requiring mature discernment, some bloody violence, two nonmarital sexual encounters, brief male rear nudity, drug use, frequent rough language. The Catholic News Service classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. Not rated by Motion Picture Association.

For more information, visit filmmovement.com/corpus-christi.

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