The movie “Jesus of Montreal” attempts to reconstitute the Jesus story in the contemporary world, and one of the principal director’s instruments in this way is an in-depth elaboration of characters, their identification with real figures that once surrounded Jesus.
It is hard to discuss the movie and Bible’s correlations and not to mention Daniel as Jesus’s incarnation. At the beginning of the film, Daniel gathered the group of actors just as Jesus summoned his followers. Daniel carried his vision of art how it should be just as Jesus spread his vision of holy life. The movie abounds with numerous references to Jesus – the crash made by Daniel at Mireille’s audition (the cleansing of the Temple), the crucifixion, Daniel’s burying in a stone comb, etc.
Concerning Jesus’s associates, first of all, it is necessary to single out Mary Magdalen – in the movie, Mireille represents this figure. She might be seen as a young female sinner cohabiting with rich men (as she confessed by herself, she could hardly remember anything in her life except men with BMWs and Rolexes) and getting undressed for cheap advertisement. Neither Mireille nor her lovers believed that she had a genius for acting. However, after she met Daniel and joined his acting company, her life changed dramatically – she left an unworthy man, fell in love with Daniel, and acquired a self-belief. As for direct references to Mary Magdalen’s figure, the bathroom scene can be considered as a bright example – Mireille washed Daniel just as Magdalen washed Jesus’s feet.
As for another female character in the movie, Constance, she appears to represent the Blessed Virgin or Holy Mother. Constance did not have a husband, but she had a child. What is utterly important, she had an affair with Father Leclerc who embodied the mediator between Father and people – in such a way Constance’s vicinity to the Divine revealed. Moreover, she was an incredibly strong woman and the one acting fast and efficiently in the final movie’s scenes, as a mother that tried to save her child.
Regarding Martin and René, it is complicated to define which Biblical characters they represent as too little attention was given to them in the movie. It is possible to suggest that Martin is identified with Saint Peter because it was Martin who was going to lead the bereaved actors’ team after Daniel’s death and to continue their work of spreading Daniel’s ideas. As for René, this character can be seen as Saint John the Evangelist – it might be concluded so because of his cool-headedness, equable temper, and rationality. For instance, he managed to stay calm even when Daniel got a head injury and was taken to the hospital: “Doing tragedy is dangerous.”
Regarding supporting movie characters, it is necessary to mention the part of the Judge that the director played himself. Undoubtedly, the Judge impersonates Pontius Pilate who condemned Jesus to death. It seems that the Judge felt sympathy for Daniel, but the odds were that he had to sentence Daniel to prison.
Furthermore, it is possible to remember the lawyer that Daniel met at the court. Apparently, it is Satan himself that hides behind the mask of the successful lawyer. His conversation with Daniel, the proposals that he made to him can be described as the Temptation of Christ. In this particular case, Satan tempted Jesus to get absolute power and conquer all the kingdoms of the world. In “Jesus of Montreal,” the lawyer suggested Daniel to subdue only one city, Montreal, to gain wealth and reach popularity.