Stations of the Cross (German: Kreuzweg) is a 2014 German drama film directed by Dietrich Brüggemann. The film had its premiere in the competition section of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival,[4] where it won the Silver Bear for Best Script.[5]
| Stations of the Cross | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Film poster | |
| Directed by | Dietrich Brüggemann |
| Written by | Dietrich Brüggemann Anna Brüggemann |
| Starring | Lea van Acken |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 110 minutes[1] |
| Country | Germany |
| Language | German |
| Box office | $1,505[2][3] (USA only) |
Plot
editMaria (Lea van Acken) is a 14-year-old girl in a family attached to a Traditionalist Catholic organization,[a] who has dedicated her life to serving God. Over the course of 14 long takes, each echoing and named after the Stations of the Cross which Jesus endured on his path to Golgotha, Maria attempts a path of self-inflicted religious ascesis in the hope that God will cure her younger brother of autism.
Cast
edit- Lea van Acken as Maria
- Franziska Weisz as Mother
- Florian Stetter as Pater Weber
- Lucie Aron as Bernadette
- Moritz Knapp as Christian
- Klaus Michael Kamp as Father
- Georg Wesch as Thomas
- Birge Schade as PE Teacher
- Ramin Yazdani as Doctor
- Hanns Zischler as Funeral Director
Reception
editReception for the film was mostly positive. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film 91% out of 23 votes, with an average rating of 7.4/10.[7] The critics consensus states that the film is "A drama of thought-provoking depth as well as a showcase for newcomer Lea van Acken, Stations of the Cross hits hard and leaves a lingering impact."[7] On Metacritic, the film has a rating of 68 out of 100, from 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8] Steven Greydanus of Decent Films gave the film an "A−" grade, saying "Stations of the Cross is among the most insightful and devastating cross-examinations of religious fundamentalism that I have ever seen, certainly in a Catholic context. The film is not so much an attack on faith or religion, but an examination of how faith goes wrong."[9]
Notes
edit- ^ The fictitious Society of St Paul is based on the Society of Saint Pius X. Co-writer Anna Brüggemann and director Dietrich Brüggemann had first-hand experience with that group.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Stations of the Cross (2014) (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "Stations of the Cross (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- ^ "Stations of the Cross (2014)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ "Berlinale 2014: Competition Complete". berlinale. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
- ^ "Prizes of the International Jury". berlinale.de. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ Kermode, Mark (30 November 2014). "Stations of the Cross review – austere story of a teenager driven to self-destruction by religion". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Stations of the Cross (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "Stations of the Cross Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ Greydanus, Steven. "Decent Films". Decent Films. Steven Greydanus.
