What’s It About
A down-on-his-luck man struggles to find a better life for his family while fighting to free himself of debt. Captivated by the power and glory of the rising Messiah, he risks everything to carve his own path to a divine life, ultimately discovering that the redemptive power of belief may be his only way out.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
The intentional whitewashing of the bible has never been a secret, especially in Hollywood. We were to believe that everything and everyone in history, or at least those who made a significant difference in history, were White. Movies like The Greatest Story Ever Told and The Ten Commandments were the White man’s gospel (pun intended). Any film that went against the Biblical images Hollywood worked so hard to instill in us was immediately trashed. Color of the Cross (2006) was protested for showing people of color. Ultimately, every film or series that depicted biblical people (or historical figures) other than White had to be comical or satirical to get the green light. This is where The Book of Clarence fits in. It’s a non-religious religious film where the major players are people of color from the bible, including Jesus Christ. The main character is Clarence. He is an atheist who sells and smokes weed. He has a twin brother, Thomas, one of Jesus’ apostles, and Elijah, his best friend. The film opens with a chariot race in A.D. 33 Jerusalem with Clarence and Elijah against Mary Magdalene. It’s a winner-take-the-losers chariot situation—an apparent Fast and Furious reference. The race is just one of many analogies, similes, and prominent metaphors throughout the film. As for the race, Clarence loses, setting the tone for the rest of the movie. Clarence is a hustler and has been trying to make money quickly to pay his debts to Jedidiah the Terrible. Unfortunately, Clarence has feelings for Varinia, Jedidiah’s sister, and his brother thinks he’s a lost cause. With his back against the wall in the form of “get my money in 30 days or die”, Clarence decides to con people out of their money by being like that new guy in town named Jesus, by healing the sick, restoring sight, and feeding the hungry. With the help of his friends Barabbas and Elijah, Clarence quickly became the new Messiah. It was a perfect plan until the Romans found out about him. They were on a mission to eradicate every person claiming to be a messiah. The Book of Clarence is not for everyone, as it prominently speaks to those who have been wronged by authority, especially people of color. That includes the house party vibe, actually floating while getting high, Whites claiming to be the dominant race, and being pulled over by police, to name a few. As I stated above, this film is filled with modern-day situations in a religious setting. Therefore, this is not a movie for believers or non-believers, although it does present a new interpretation of Jesus’ crucifixion and the surrounding situations. The core message at the heart of this film is solely aimed at a younger demographic, able to decipher the blatantly obvious message of peace, love, and togetherness. In the words of the Messiah (Clarence), “knowledge is stronger than belief.”
OUR RATING – A BIBLICAL 8
MEDIA
- Genre – Comedy
- Street date
- Digital – February 6th, 2024
- DVD/Blu-Ray – March 26th, 2024
- Video – 1080p
- Screen size – 2.39:1
- Sound – English, Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English – Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Subtitles – English SDH, Spanish, French
Extras
- Commentary with Jeymes Samuel & LaKeith Stanfield
- Band of Brothers: Meet the Cast
- Song of Songs: An Epic Collaboration
- The Gospel of Jeymes: On The Set with Jeymes Samuel
- Book 4: Making the Film – Gag Reel