This is Patrick Aiello, producer on the film Risen, and my brother Paul.
This is Paul Aiello, writer on the film.
PATRICK: And we're so happy to be here with everybody,
and certainly to see the Columbia insignia,
and that our film is being distributed by Columbia Pictures.
And, of course, one of the most beautiful animated logos,
LD Entertainment's horses
from the home office of Oklahoma and Sunset Boulevard.
And let's not forget Affirm Films,
Rich Peluso, who's been a champion of this picture for many years,
always loved the, uh, first draft, and his team.
And, uh, thank God the whole thing came full circle
back to Rich and his team at Affirm
and then went into Tom Rothman at Columbia Pictures,
where they boarded the film.
PAUL: And also from the beginning, Mickey Liddell, also.
PATRICK: Always. PAUL: Acknowledged the script right off.
PATRICK: Mickey Liddell loved the screenplay
and really just jumped on the picture
and committed to it unequivocally.
Saw the movie on the page.
We begin here in the Judaean Desert, uh, which was shot in Spain.
My producing partner Pete Shilaimon and Mickey Liddell
were in Spain as well as Malta with me.
And Spain offered a very beautiful barren landscape.
The climate was similar to, uh, Israel,
and the surrounding areas and certainly the topography worked.
And this is one of the most beautiful shots, I think,
of Joe Fiennes in the film, 'cause he's raw,
stripped down and neutral as he comes across this special moment here.
PAUL: Of course he's looking at the cross in the window, like the crucifix.
Roman, huh?
That's a tribune's ring?
PATRICK: This is one of the elements that Kevin Reynolds introduced in the picture,
is putting the tribune's ring on Joe.
Have you come far?
It's really one of the last things that Clavius will abandon
as he sheds his skin as being a Roman.
Move forward!
This battle sequence is the Judaean zealots against their occupiers.
Rome's elite.
And this was all shot in Spain, basically on a mountaintop.
CLAVIUS: For 30 years, the Roman Empire of Tiberius Caesar
has ruled the wasteland of Judaea and its people.
MAN: Barabbas! Barabbas!
CLAVIUS: As tribune to Prefect Pontius Pilate, my task...
PATRICK: We were really lucky in Spain to have found
a lot of really appropriate actors for this sequence
and also, throughout the process of shooting in Spain, a top-notch crew.
It's one of the best places to shoot a movie.
CLAVIUS: ...and bring freedom.
- Instead... - (YELLS)
...we bring them death.
- (YELLS) - Pilum up!
PATRICK: Now, some of the footage had to be trimmed because the movie,
and especially this opening scene, were very intense.
Um, so much so that it could've earned an R rating.
That's how realistic Kevin Reynolds directed and shot the picture.
So some things were pulled back
to make it a little more user-friendly to a broader audience,
and we were ultimately given a PG-13 rating.
But we needed to show, most importantly
for the character of Clavius, our lead character,
where he begins his journey.
He is a soldier.
He's an officer who'd be the equivalent to a lieutenant or a colonel on a battlefield,
and he deals with special forces that go out and hunt down these zealot warriors
and kind of negate their threat to the Judaean landscape.
But he is certainly a man in battle, involved with the killing of others,
and he experiences many, many days of death in his life.
And this scene was to show what his daily job was,
what he was taxed with.
And it was every single day.
And there's Pete, Pete Shilaimon, producer.
Getting dirty in the mix.
(YELLS)
Bring him.
(GRUNTING AND YELLING)
(GRUNTING)
(YELLS)
(PANTING)
I know how this ends.
Then tell Yahweh you are coming, courtesy of Mars.
PATRICK: Joe is clearly bloodied in this scene and beat up.
Now, even though this is the beginning of the movie,
this scene was shot in the second half of production, which was shot in Spain.
So at this point, which is the beginning of the film,
Joe had been working on the movie, shooting, for many weeks.
What's wonderful about that is Joe has completely inhabited his character,
and we really benefited by shooting this part of the movie in a second position in Spain
because it's the first shot of the movie.
So you immediately connect
with Joe being so solid in his belief of who he is as a character.
This whole complex here, known as the Roman barracks,
which logistically is right outside the walls of Jerusalem,
this was all built in the desert of Spain, Almeria,
and was built from the ground up.
Stefano, our production designer, who's one of the best out there,
especially for period,
he's so researched, so detailed.
He was really able to design beautiful sets,
either from physical locations that preexisted in Malta
to complete original structures in Spain, as you just saw.
I was told to hurry.
PATRICK: This is the wonderful Peter Firth playing Pontius Pilate.
Kevin Reynolds wanted someone that we haven't seen before in this role,
and someone who is very substantial,
and that a lot of people would recognize in other roles.
Peter Firth has had a long career.
PAUL: And I think this scene really personifies the whole approach of the film,
which is we didn't need to see what happened here last night.
We know what happened there.
We're just seeing the aftereffects, so we have a different view on this.
Don't give me that look. I've had enough already.
(GOBLET CLANKS)
I had a situation, Tribune, something you don't seem to understand.
Soon, the Emperor arrives here, and he expects to find order.
Order!
What is it you want of me, Prefect?
PATRICK: We loved how Peter and Joe interacted because...
PAUL: Ah, this is an interesting detail here, how he rewashes his hands in the water,
which of course he did when he condemned Christ.
Wash his hands of the blood.
Break his legs.
Clavius, meet your new aide.
PATRICK: And here he comes.
Lucius Tycho Ennius.
His father's a friend.
PATRICK: One of the most underrated actors we have today, who's a phenomenal talent.
So convincing.
Obviously Clavius is not impressed with his new apprentice.
What I was saying earlier about Peter Firth and Joe Fiennes
is they worked so well together, don't you think?
PAUL: Yeah.
And here again we're seeing the earthquake at the moment Yeshua died,
but now we're seeing it from a different part of Jerusalem.
Easy.
PATRICK: And much of the movie that Kevin directed and shot
are from an external perspective of the core event, being the crucifixion.
So again, the point of view here
is very natural to everyone in the audience watching the movie.
You could've been on those streets, experiencing this story,
but you don't necessarily need to see
everything that we've seen so many times before.
However, you do need to see how the crucifixion played out.
SOLDIER: Get back!
PATRICK: So, this is Mark Killeen as the centurion.
I believe he was in Ireland shooting Game of Thrones,
and he flew in basically for two days.
And we were so fortunate to get him.
He embodies such a strong, powerful actor, and he has such a heart of gold.
And all of that came through as the centurion.
And thank you, Mark, for doing what you did for us.
The film has been greatly benefited because of it.
And here we're gonna, I think, meet the bravest choice of casting,
which is the wonderful Cliff Curtis as Yeshua, Jesus Christ.
And in this beautiful tilt-pan shot by Lorenzo Senatore.
Has he spoken?
It's the first time that Yeshua is on screen.
He said, "It's finished."
See that it is.
(SOFTLY) Finally.
PATRICK: That's Andy Gathergood playing Tomb Guard 2,
who we'll come to become very acquainted with.
It won't be long now.
PAUL: And what these guys really brought to the film
was a very workman-like day-to-day job.
This is what these guys do.
It's gruesome, this is what they do.
And Mother Mary.
And then Mary Magdalene holding her.
And, of course, Yeshua's feet were not broken.
(MARY WAILING)
Use the pilum.
(MARY CONTINUES SOBBING)
PATRICK: Now, here we're going to see Cliff Curtis up close as Yeshua,
and you can just see the agony he's been through, through his Passion.
And he looks very native for the region.
I think it is a very appropriate depiction
of what Yeshua looked like in the region at that time.
He was a native son.
Steel yourself, man. Go on and tell the Prefect it's done.
PATRICK: And we'll come to see
a little bit more of Cliff Curtis as Yeshua throughout the movie.
But in this stage, he clearly has been crucified on the cross.
Disperse! It's over!
Go on home!
SOLDIER: Move! Leave now! Leave!
You, go on! Go!
- (GASPS AND EXHALES) - That's it, let go. That's it, let it go.
Deep breath out.
Deep breath. That's it.
- That's it. Let it go. - (INSECTS BUZZING)
- (BIRDS CAWING) - (BREATHING WEAKLY)
(GASPS)
(GRUNTS)
(STRAINING)
(FLIES BUZZING)
(GRUNTING)
(FLIES BUZZING)
(COUGHING)
PATRICK: So, this is where we first get up close and personal to Yeshua.
And the work that Cliff Curtis did here was miraculous.
He transformed into a believable image
of what Jesus on the cross possibly would have looked like.
Your own family tomb?
What's he to you?
The Sabbath is almost here. I have merely two hours.
Please.
He's yours.
Nicodemus, hurry.
PAUL: You can just see Mary Magdalene there.
PATRICK: Mary Magdalene, of course, with Mother Mary, was at the crucifixion.
PAUL: This is our first hint of Roque Baños' score
that underlies the whole film,
whenever Yeshua or his spirit are invoked.
These will bury him.
PATRICK: And here we are with Cliff Curtis as Yeshua
and Clavius taking him in very carefully and slowly.
That is a powerful image.
Cliff had to hold still like that for a long time
over many takes and really embody a lifeless person.
Please, Tribune.
PATRICK: That is phenomenal acting,
and he sacrificed so much to get the look right
and the feel and the spirit right.
Gently.
PATRICK: This is one of my favorite shots in the movie. That is intense and beautiful.
PILATE: Come, Clavius, soak this day away.
Fill his cup. Keep it filled.
What do you desire? A meal? A massage? A girl?
(SIGHS)
Just this.
You're young.
A night's rest, you'll do it all again.
(SIGHS)
Your service is valued, Tribune. I rely on it.
PATRICK: Pontius Pilate, of course, had luxury at his fingertips,
and this was a set built from scratch
inside of a 1,000-year-old building on Malta.
I helped push the stone against it myself. Huge stone.
PAUL: The thing I get out of this scene, besides the set,
is the fact that
Peter Firth is so manipulative in this scene.
He just wants... He's keeping him in control.
It's almost passive-aggressive, the way he's, uh, commanding him.
Yes. No other gods and all that. (CHUCKLES)
I myself pray only to Minerva, for wisdom. You?
Mars.
Of course.
PAUL: Again, establishing the Roman gods here,
and also Joe is now gonna go into Clavius'...
His dream and his desire, a day without death.
Spare me. It's your path, too.
PATRICK: And here comes the desire.
Your ambition is noticed.
PAUL: Which, that's a line he repeats later to Lucius.
Rome.
And?
Position. Power.
- Which brings? - Wealth.
A good family.
PATRICK: And...
Someday, a place in the country.
Where you'll find?
(BREATHES DEEPLY)
PATRICK: Peace.
An end to travail.
A day without death.
Peace.
All that for peace?
Is there no other way?
PAUL: Actually, there is.
Well,
I'm to bed.
Tomorrow promises further punishment.
The Nazarene, did you find him different?
I found him dead.
So you did.
- Peace, Tribune, and good night. - Good night.
A coin for the ferryman.
Journey well, Gaius Aelius.
CLAVIUS: Legion, forward.
PAUL: This is something Kevin Reynolds brought to the film,
the reality of, uh, Roman life in Judaea,
which I think gives it an incredible gritty reality.
Again, without saying it,
we're seeing the way the Romans live, what they believe.
ALL: Fretensis!
PAUL: So it is a contrast of society, ultimately of gods,
but this is so beautifully done when Joe gives him the coin.
PATRICK: That's all practical fire, by the way.
No visual effects here.
PAUL: And it was hot.
Tribune, Pilate summons you.
PATRICK: Of course Pilate summons Clavius four times
in the first 20 minutes of the movie. (CHUCKLES)
And the news gets worse and worse and worse each time.
You smell of meat. A feast?
A funeral.
There's your solution. Burn him in public.
God forbids cremation.
He also forbids labor on the Sabbath, and yet here you are.
Tribune.
- Burn who? - The crucified Nazarene.
- Why? - He's business unfinished.
The man's dead, Caiaphas. His followers are in hiding.
He's no longer a threat to your monopoly on piety.
But still a threat, Prefect.
PATRICK: Stephen Greif plays a wonderful, um, high priest here,
of the Sanhedrin.
We request that the sepulcher be sealed...
PAUL: Now, in the spirit of the story again, this is not in the Bible.
This is Saturday. Friday, yesterday, was the, uh, crucifixion.
Now, this is Saturday when they ask for the tomb to be sealed.
...than all his blasphemies combined.
You have your own guard. Secure it yourself.
My words exactly.
CAIAPHAS: To which I replied, "We need a Roman seal."
This must be seen as the impartial will of the Prefect.
PATRICK: It's a very smart scene. I thought Kevin executed this brilliantly.
Peace in Jerusalem, peace in Judaea.
Which you will lose if this body vanishes.
PAUL: Now, the work of Caiaphas and Pilate is political.
They both do want peace in Judaea, so...
Just see to it.
PATRICK: Steve Mirkovich did a wonderful job cutting this film.
Uh, his fingerprints are all over this.
Just that reveal right there,
the choice is made between Kevin and Steve
to start the shot from inside the tomb,
Joseph of Arimathea's family tomb, of where Christ was laid to rest.
Starting it from within, having the rock roll,
the stone roll to expose Joe Fiennes' face, Clavius' face, I thought was just genius.
- (STONE RUMBLING) - (MEN GRUNTING)
PAUL: This was early in the shoot, too, right?
PATRICK: This was actually the first day of production,
and what's beautiful about this first day, and what we found out later on,
is this was one of the roads
that the Romans marched through when they took Malta.
This was on what's known in Malta as the Roman road.
And it wasn't chosen on purpose.
This is something we came across later.
There is Andy Gathergood and Richard Atwill in the background here.
We were to have the night off.
I'll have rations sent.
PAUL: This is another thing I think you guys did great in casting.
So many unique, different faces.
We'll see it later with the disciples, but now, those two guards.
Very unexpected, those two.
PATRICK: That's Kevin Reynolds' style.
PAUL: Yeah, he did a great job.
PATRICK: He casts his pictures so well.
Very eclectic.
There's a certain levity, when necessary, in a character.
It's really, all facets of human behavior end up in his casts.
You test me, Tribune.
What was his name? The Nazarene.
PAUL: This is where we really start to get the score coming in.
Beautiful score.
He was called Yeshua.
PATRICK: We've gotten a lot of thumbs-up from the use of Yeshua as Christ's name.
That was Kevin's choice,
and I thought a really good, authentic choice.
PAUL: Well, at this point, he was Yeshua. The "Christ" came from the Greeks later.
It means... "Christ" means messiah.
So once it started to spread and Paul took it through there, they called him the Christ.
PATRICK: Up above that path, in Malta,
there's a Roman graveyard, too, dating back to these days.
Now, that is a CG wall, and that was shot in Spain.
That's the Jerusalem wall in the background.
He forgot. You know he did.
They'd have sent food by now if he had told them.
He's an officer.
Yeah, if we'd forgot, could you fathom the beating?
PATRICK: There's a perfect example of a character. (LAUGHS)
PAUL: Of Kevin. Yeah, it's great.
PATRICK: John Hubbard and Ros Hubbard of Hubbard Casting out of London
worked with us very closely to put together a beautiful ensemble.
PAUL: So, in the spirit of the film, understated, that is Easter Sunday.
The dawn of Easter Sunday.
- Tribune, Pilate... - Summons me.
- He's gone. - The Nazarene?
Of course, the Nazarene. His tomb is stone empty.
- Who brought this news? The guards? - Your guards are missing!
Some simpleton reported it. Who did you put on the detail?
PATRICK: What's seamless here, and something to note,
is that this scene was shot in Malta at Pilate's palace.
But the scene just before it, in the guard barracks,
was in fact shot in Spain,
which is an example to show of how Kevin was just a master
at collapsing moments in the film in faraway countries
to feel as if they're seamless and they just melt into each other.
CAIAPHAS: Exactly as I had predicted.
The heretic's disciples came in the night and stole the body.
Already, they are proclaiming him risen from death.
Will the people believe it?
CAIAPHAS: The weak will.
PATRICK: These are the stakes of the film.
CAIAPHAS: So we must announce the theft.
PILATE: Will they believe you?
They'll believe the guards, if you don't kill them first.
PILATE: (SIGHS HEAVILY) Endless.
Proclaim it before this blossoms.
It's not enough.
Without a corpse to prove him dead, we have a potential Messiah.
I want no doubt. Tiberius cannot arrive to unrest.
We must find a body.
PATRICK: Perfect.
- Will you help? - Of course. But proclaim it.
PATRICK: Listen carefully to Roque Baños score creep in here.
Perhaps you'd prefer a post in hell.
You will track down each and every one of these disciples.
But more importantly, you will find the corpse of this cursed Yeshua
before it rots.
PATRICK: So, very difficult to get in one line
the whole mission behind the film for a lead character.
And I don't think Paul and Kevin could've crafted that moment any better.
We are firmly launched into the second act of the movie at this point.
And we know exactly the stakes and the goal.
The rest unfolds without us knowing
where we're gonna go next or how it's gonna end up.
Coming back into the Arimathean's tomb,
we debated about showing this material, which is the burial cloth,
until we decided to go ahead and show it as the shroud, ultimately.
Which today is known as the Shroud of Turin.
As if they burst.
(INSECT BUZZING)
PATRICK: Of course, Clavius here is in full detective mode, with all senses alert.
He's picking apart the clues.
There's something wrong, clearly.
MAN: Tribune, see this.
PATRICK: Even if you didn't know the story, you would know something is wrong here.
This is not simply the theft of a body.
Something happened here.
(GRUNTS)
Oh! (PANTING)
Oh, my!
- Where has he gone? - You tell me.
The body, was it anointed?
We had no time. We just wrapped him with myrrh and aloe.
(WHISPERS) That's what you see, sweat and herbs. Bring it.
PATRICK: Clavius is still following the party line of being a Roman,
discounting things that he knows aren't necessarily explainable.
Arrest anyone claiming the Nazarene lives, and find out where they heard it.
Yes, Tribune.
And comb the city for bodies dead in the last week.
Examine each for marks of the crucified.
Dig them up?
Every one. And bring him to me presently.
PATRICK: All of these scenes were shot, uh, in the daytime,
without the use of big Hollywood lighting.
This is Malta light.
And we had it from 6:00 a.m. till about 10:00 p.m. in the summertime.
PAUL: Now, this is the Temple Mount,
which was the largest building in Jerusalem.
You can just see touches of it.
And again, I keep bringing this up,
but in the spirit of the film, this is all understated.
There is the back there.
A great structure.
I said, "In private."
PAUL: That would be knocked down by the Romans in 70 AD.
PATRICK: What's wonderful about Kevin's approach
is that he does only show snippets
to put you right there on the ground.
It's not overwhelming.
It is personal, close.
You are a fly on the wall in this experience.
But the Prefect has spared you.
PATRICK: This is a great example of finding a practical location in Malta
and augmenting it to look like a side opening,
a doorway to the Jerusalem wall, which leads directly to the Temple Mount,
which is behind that great wall.
Everything you see in this shot is preexisting
and a structure that is 1,000 years old.
That doorway was created, was built,
but everything else is organic to the location.
- All armed? - Yes.
And you saw this while sleeping?
No. No, I... We, um...
We awoke as they were cutting the ropes.
- Cutting them? - Yes.
Yes.
And then they rolled away the stone,
took his body and ran.
While you watched?
(STUTTERS) Yes, but we were held...
PAUL: Clavius here knows something's wrong. He senses it.
By the way he was looking at the ropes, he knows they weren't cut.
Have you been told to say these things?
PAUL: It's almost a film that requires the second viewing.
You see the details more.
His gut is telling him, "Something's wrong."
This is great here.
And he knows that's a lie.
What else is a lie?
PATRICK: Now, for Joe to be so good as Clavius,
he needs someone to act with and against.
And that's really where, you know, the careful choosing of these actors
such as Andy Gathergood as Tomb Guard 2 came into play.
PAUL: Now, I love this shot. This is Kevin's shot right here.
There's just a little taste, but, wow, it feels like you're there.
Open the doors!
PATRICK: We shot all that on a Saturday when traffic wasn't too bad around us.
Well, so what?
They really fear he rose from death.
PATRICK: There he is.
Mmm-hmm. Perhaps the Messiah.
PAUL: This guy's a key character.
Anyway, so I heard.
Arrest him.
- Turn him. - (GROANS, COUGHS)
- (INSECTS BUZZING) - (MAN RETCHING)
How old is this one?
GUARD: At least a week.
- These? - The thieves he died with.
- CLAVIUS: We're done. - (GROANS)
In two days, he'll be unrecognizable.
Wait till you see combat.
PAUL: So, now a relationship is budding between Joe and Tom, as his mentor.
(CROWD SHOUTING)
PATRICK: Digging up, uh, burial grounds
is not the best way to get your residents to embrace your occupiers.
That's why we need your eyes, Tribune. This grave here is very hasty and shallow.
PATRICK: The washing.
(SNIFFS)
Well?
Two score, we questioned. Eleven, I think, you should examine.
One, I suspect, could be a disciple.
(GAGGING)
(PANTS)
- Forgive me, Tribune. - Take some chicory.
In time, the stomach numbs to these things.
- Now bring them in, one by one. - Sir.
(SIGHS)
CLAVIUS: Who took the body?
I don't know.
PATRICK: Joe Fiennes and Tom Felton got along immediately.
And, um, Tom respects Joe so much.
And that just played right into them working together in their respective roles.
It really was, uh, the master and the apprentice.
And they got along famously.
Their scenes together are very powerful and respectful to each other.
...to promote a lie that threatens Rome and the Sanhedrin.
It was not Yeshua's followers.
Not the true ones.
PATRICK: Because we're in the European Union, in the region,
we were able to use a lot of the same personnel
that Mel Gibson used on The Passion of the Christ,
set designer, costume designer.
Uh, we were really fortunate to inherit the authenticity from that movie.
And other period films.
So we really had a top-notch crew
and heads of department in both Malta and Spain,
which was so important to get the quality of the production on the screen.
PAUL: This is a key foreshadowing here
when he says he would embrace you as a brother,
'cause he does, in fact, do that later.
...before I am forced to break you.
PAUL: We get the sense that Joe is an... Or Clavius is an honorable man here,
'cause he threatens a lot, but he doesn't really hurt any of these people.
We immediately identify that he's a fair man
even though he's been given this task on a daily basis to kill people.
He's a just man.
I return his crown.
LUCIUS: Sit.
PATRICK: Now, Miriam started out in the first script as a shopkeeper.
Why do you tremble?
You're a Roman.
PATRICK: Through all the drafts, she was always a witness.
You were heard shouting, "Yeshua yet lives."
Joyously, says the report.
PAUL: Now, the idea again is that, per scripture,
we know that risen Yeshua was seen in Jerusalem.
And this is really the only example of a person that experienced that.
Again, just a little taste of a sliver of what it was like to have been there.
CLAVIUS: I have no doubt.
Were you a follower of the Nazarene, Miriam? Or just a follower of a follower?
He loved me.
An old woman.
He lifted me up.
Lifted you?
If you knew him, you'd understand.
Stop spreading rumors men are lifted from death.
(GENTLY) Come.
PAUL: The idea of lifted, I mean, that's the whole point of the film, really, is Risen,
that I got directly from scripture, he is risen.
But the whole idea here
is the rising of these people and their spirit, and Clavius in particular.
- You're too late. - LUCIUS: Come.
PATRICK: Miriam just confirmed that they are seeds already cast,
meaning his disciples are already growing and that the Romans are too late.
They cannot stop what is in motion.
Clavius will find himself caught up in that.
PAUL: Now, it may not appear super obvious,
but this is another beautiful thing Kevin brought to the film.
Clavius is now gonna pray to a statue of Mars,
which, of course, is a Roman god.
PATRICK: The god of war. PAUL: A pagan god. Yeah.
And he's gonna ask, uh, you know, for help, basically.
I pray not to thee today, divine Mars, but to the god of the Hebrews, Yahweh.
Hear me.
Take back your favor in defense of these people I seek, and relinquish them to me.
If you do this with clear and recognizable signs,
I vow to erect temples for you and initiate games in your honor.
PAUL: There's an interesting dialogue thing there,
where he's looking at the same figurine
and trying to pray to the Hebrew god there.
PATRICK: This is Mario de la Rosa playing, basically,
the character known as the informer.
Uh, what Kevin Reynolds loved most about Mario,
is A, he knew of him and of his work.
I believe Mario had read for Kevin before on other movies,
but he was very much a Peter Lorre type of character from Casablanca.
Uh, he resembled Peter and he had that acting trait that Peter Lorre had,
which was shadiness, quite frankly, and he played the role beautifully.
And he brought a lot of life to the picture in a villain type of character,
who basically gets his, in his way,
in that he's cast aside at the moment of impact
when Clavius finds the disciples.
PAUL: And I remember a great thing on the set,
I was talking to him about this,
and he didn't know who Peter Lorre was.
- (PATRICK LAUGHING) - PAUL: Which was even better.
PATRICK: That's great.
He might be his son.
Their names.
(CLAVIUS SCOFFS)
One way or another, we will have our answer.
I know only one. (CLEARS THROAT)
A woman of the street.
Mary Magdalene.
Last time she was spotted was on the morning the body was stolen. Early.
Not seen since. That's all I have, Tribune.
PAUL: Now, as the story is unfolding here,
we, you know, we start with Clavius in a very powerful position,
destined for Rome.
But as he starts to interview these people, he's starting to realize that, "Wait a minute.
"These people have nothing to gain by telling him this, especially the last man."
And Mary Magdalene is gonna be the first person face to face
that actually saw the risen Yeshua.
PATRICK: So, this is the point in the story where Clavius talks to Lucius
about showing no quarter, meaning showing nobody mercy.
Clavius' men have been killed before brutally by the zealots.
This sets up a lesson for Lucius
not to show them any pity or mercy, them being the zealots.
PAUL: Which comes back around at the end of the film
when they confront each other.
PATRICK: Which we will see shortly. PAUL: Yeah.
PATRICK: Now, what we're going to see here is Maria Botto,
who is playing Mary Magdalene.
Maria is Argentinian and is a very strong woman.
And she really embodied Mary Magdalene.
What I came to learn from Maria on set
is that she, in many ways, is a disciple of Mary Magdalene.
She had read many books about her
and studied her and has always wanted to play this role.
So she was quite humble when she was allowed to, uh, audition for it.
And she nailed it.
PAUL: And she's so tough when she kicks the guard back.
CLAVIUS: Why did you run from us?
MARY MAGDALENE: Instinct.
I've seen you before.
- MARY MAGDALENE: My other life? - (SCOFFS)
At Yeshua's death. You were there beside his mother.
Was she also the woman with you at his tomb?
(CRYING) If you knew what happened there,
all cares would cease.
Enlighten me, then.
PAUL: And Clavius is getting closer and closer to the source here.
Spare me the riddles and zealot babble.
Where did you take Yeshua?
He's right here.
Is he a goblin? A sprite? Alive again somehow?
Open your heart and see.
I see delusion to keep a crusade alive.
I could have what I want pulled from you, put you to death like that.
It doesn't matter.
Ah.
- A martyr. - No.
Then give me the others, and I'll grant you freedom.
I'm already free.
PAUL: Well, it's another excellent Kevin Reynolds...
It's his direction. It's beautiful.
PATRICK: Kevin and Lorenzo spoke on this day.
Throughout this week, we shot a lot of interviews back to back.
And Kevin and Lorenzo decided
to shoot this very much in a Casablanca-like way,
in getting close, close up on the actors,
to show the intimacy of their interrogation.
And, um...
PAUL: Now, here's Roque Baños' score, too.
Which heralds the spirit, basically, throughout the film.
PATRICK: So, the close-ups here
were to convey the intensity of the interrogations.
And how personal this is to each character.
This is Clavius' job. He must complete this mission.
Mary Magdalene, on the other hand, must also complete her mission.
She's mad, refuses to talk sense.
PATRICK: And you notice the wider shots here
when we're trying to be a bit more objective.
Just...
Let her go.
Sir?
Release her. The woman's touched.
PAUL: But the thing that has happened
is that Clavius has now come very close to Yeshua with Mary Magdalene.
And the scene that follows
shows he's getting closer and closer to the truth.
When he has the dream with Yeshua on the cross here.
- When that turns, wake me. - Sir.
PATRICK: Ah, the score is beautiful here.
Very haunting, mysterious.
Now look at this camera work, the way Kevin and Lorenzo tell the story
by pulling right into the hourglass.
Really well done.
These are craftsmen of film.
Now, this is one of my favorite sequences of the picture.
We come right into something, we have no idea what it is.
PAUL: He just spoke with Mary Magdalene, and it's pulling in the spirit.
PATRICK: Cliff Curtis is so wonderful as Yeshua.
LUCIUS: Tribune.
Your sand has run out, and Pilate summons you.
PATRICK: And his sand has, literally, almost ran out.
PAUL: Mmm-hmm.
Now he's shaken. Now he's starting to doubt a little bit here.
PATRICK: Grabbing his weapon wasn't the first choice, was it?
You're digging up the dead?
No stone unturned, Prefect.
But a Hebrew cemetery?
PATRICK: Look at Joe's performance here.
He's a little exhausted by what he's been through the past two days.
Do you not realize the wrath incurred?
PATRICK: Peter Firth just delivered a genius performance.
PAUL: And, again, brilliant framing here by Kevin in this shot.
Beautiful. Very classic.
For both of us, Tribune.
PATRICK: Look at that push-in.
Beautiful dolly work, right into Joe's reaction.
PAUL: Now, this is now threatening Clavius' career here.
The disciples are key. We find them, we find him.
PATRICK: Again, very clean piece of storytelling
to get us into the next leg of the movie.
Find the disciples.
They will then tell you where the body of Jesus is.
The Nazarene's disciples, how many are there?
Their names? Their plans? Their weapon caches?
Where do they gather? Who leads them now?
Where are they hiding his corpse?
PATRICK: I love the way Joe has a little bit of Clint Eastwood in him in these moments.
He's very focused, very convincing.
Work quickly.
PAUL: And dangerous. PATRICK: And dangerous.
PAUL: He's tough. He's a tough man.
PATRICK: Here we go.
Well,
11 now.
PATRICK: I love this actor's work here.
Watch how he moves his hand.
He hasn't decided what he's gonna give up yet, though.
I'll give you one.
PATRICK: Here we go. This is Steadicam.
(MEN GRUNTING)
PATRICK: And this was an actual location in Malta
of a very old rock hut, in a way.
Bring him.
What do you hope to win by spreading fantasy?
By mine own eyes, Tribune, I... I walked with him.
He spoke to me. (CHUCKLES) It's unbelievable, but it is so.
Then conjure him up.
Right now.
PAUL: Tom does a lot with his eyes in this scene. It's beautiful.
God is not at my beck and call.
God?
Yahweh manifests himself through a crazy, poor, dead Jew.
(LAUGHS)
PATRICK: This performance was wonderful.
We needed to cast very carefully to match the disciples correctly.
And Bartholomew had a levity to him and a humor to him.
- Much better than salt. - (SNICKERS)
How many are you?
Well, we are few for now, and our only weapon is love.
But this, well, this changes everything.
PATRICK: Stephen Hagan is the actor's name,
and he was so thrilled to play this role.
He loved it.
Why do you fear him so? This empire means nothing to him.
"Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's."
PAUL: This message still holds true today.
This is still an issue today, the same,
the people that can't conceive of this being true.
Of course, to Clavius, this is just ridiculous. This guy's insane.
No.
I don't remember seeing you there, probably because you ran.
Didn't you?
Shall I tell you what you missed?
Feel it.
Imagine having this driven through your arms.
And then the same driven through your feet, your feet.
Can you imagine it?
It's what you hang from. Nails, rubbing on bone.
You have to decide what's worse.
The agony here.
(BARTHOLOMEW WINCES)
PAUL: So, finally, Clavius is gonna get physical with one of these witnesses.
So, it's starting to get dangerous now.
There's Tom with his eyes, it's beautiful.
And you realize you will never breathe easily again.
PATRICK: Tom is taking in a master. Lucius is watching his boss work.
...will be like sucking through wet cloth.
PATRICK: What a smart man Clavius is.
Most take days, gasping for someone to kill them.
And if he still felt anything at the end...
PATRICK: We think we know where this scene is going.
This was...
This is the work of Kevin...
BARTHOLOMEW: Enough.
...in knowing exactly how he wanted this to play.
There's a very distinct beginning, middle and end to this scene.
You never see it coming.
And no one expects it.
Where are the other disciples? I will not ask again.
Tell me, and you're free.
PAUL: He was smiling at the beginning of the scene, and now he's in mortal terror.
CLAVIUS: Where are they?
PAUL: The score keeps building and building.
They're
everywhere.
(LAUGHS)
PATRICK: Fantastic.
What a complete reversal.
And the finish is genius.
Joe has hit a wall at every turn.
Clavius is in deep trouble.
His mission is completely, completely in jeopardy.
PAUL: And he's spoken to two people that said they've physically seen him alive now.
So, of course, the rat is gonna trail Bartholomew.
PATRICK: Now, that's an actual wall in Spain.
Are there any others?
PATRICK: So, the locations that
Pete Shilaimon and Kevin found in Spain are fantastic,
the way they marry just perfectly to the locations in Malta.
PAUL: Now, a tremendous pressure on Clavius here to get this done.
He couldn't find a body, so he brought a body that isn't Yeshua.
The wound in the side.
PAUL: And he is not rewarded by Pilate.
I can't tell.
Nor can anyone else.
PATRICK: They have no other option.
Let it be so, Prefect.
At this point, almost any corpse could be the Nazarene.
I'll still find those who took him.
PAUL: And this reassignment is more of a demotion than anything else.
...is a creature with many heads.
Right now, I need you elsewhere. Trouble in Hebron.
PATRICK: Now, Hebron was known as a hot spot.
But something yet needs unraveling with this.
PATRICK: And this is clearly not a path to Rome.
It's more a path to death, certain death.
So, Clavius' demotion is really a death sentence for him.
You are dangerously clever, Tribune.
PATRICK: He's failed Pilate miserably here.
Can I turn my back on you?
That's what I fear the most, Prefect.
PATRICK: Furthermore, he's the only one that knows the body on Pilate's terrace there
is not, in fact, Yeshua, but one that could pass as Yeshua.
So, Pilate is really the master here in getting rid of the only witness.
But in the end, what does it all matter, really?
Pardon?
In a few years,
that's us.
PATRICK: Came sooner for Pilate.
TOWER GUARD: Open!
(GATE RATTLING)
What goes?
Rumor has it we're heading to Hebron, so I took the liberty, Tribune.
Your tomb guards have been sighted.
They finally fled the temple.
PATRICK: What's interesting about this scene is, in Spain,
the animals were trained, for the most part,
uh, and used to working in movies.
Malta, less so.
But nonetheless, we used goats and cows and sheep and horses,
all types of animals in this film.
Your ambition is noticed.
PATRICK: And, um, it really brings a lot of authenticity to the picture.
Because, I mean, that was basically their labor force.
PAUL: And, "Your ambition is noticed" is a callback
to what Pilate said to Clavius in the bath.
PATRICK: This is what I consider Richard Atwill's finest moment in the movie,
as Tomb Guard 1.
And we're gonna experience here in a minute how he felt about what he encountered.
PAUL: And this actually pushes Clavius over the edge.
He knows this man, and he's actually gonna get the truth out of him,
which is going to shock him.
You've been hiding. Where did you gain silver like this?
Off a dead man.
(CHUCKLES)
Of course.
So what?
I was pardoned by the Prefect.
Pardoned.
Nothing can be done to me now.
I said what they, uh...
What was proclaimed.
PAUL: Now, at this point, Clavius is working off the clock.
He's doing this on his own.
PATRICK: He's been relieved.
PAUL: He just wants to know what happened now.
Why?
To see how your tale matches your mate's.
PAUL: He knows something is not right.
We were attacked in the night while sleeping by the rabid disciples.
The priests paid you to say this.
They stole his body and bade us say that he is risen.
How did the stone fall 10 paces from the tomb?
It took seven men, myself included, just to roll it closed.
And the ropes weren't cut. They were torn as if thread.
The seals melted like butter. Shall we go there?
No!
Why does it bother you so?
No more lies.
How did they take him?
PAUL: This acting was incredible.
He did several takes at this intensity.
You forgot us. (SOBS)
Forgot! We'd had no supper.
That's why the wine made us slumber. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we slept.
PATRICK: Kevin did a lot of takes of this from two angles
on Clavius and on Guard 1.
And they had to repeat the intensity for each take.
This was a very emotional day on set, very still and quiet, but intense.
Until we was wakened by this terrible...
PATRICK: Now, we the audience have the benefit
of sound and music and lighting,
but when you were on set watching these actors perform,
you could be brought to tears.
PAUL: And watch the tear in his left eye. Unbelievable how strong this is, this acting.
...rose in the tomb.
It was the sun.
It was...
PAUL: This guy is a Roman, and now Clavius is taking this in.
...a figure appeared that I could not gaze upon
because of the terrible light,
(SNIFFLES) and it wasn't a man.
It wasn't.
And there was this voice all around I could not fathom.
And then we went running. We ran so far and long.
So far, until we could...
(GROANS AND WHIMPERS)
Until we could think again.
And then we went and told the priests because that's what you bade us do.
PATRICK: Now, this deals with the tomb guards and the story of the tomb guards
and what they witnessed and heard.
Tribune,
I have seen much in the service of the Emperor.
Cannibals and...
And the Blue Celts in Gaul and...
I've seen a man taken by a serpent at sea.
But never I witnessed a moment so...
So...
PATRICK: The reason Kevin didn't show any type of flashback
to aid or augment Guard 1's recollection
of the angel coming and Christ being risen out of the tomb,
basically falls into line with the point of the whole film,
was to experience this story through the eyes of the people in it and around it.
And, more importantly, Clavius was to get shades and shadows and colors of this story
from many different people to where he can make up his own mind.
PAUL: And also, this is the tradition of how it's been
brought to all of us, is that it's a story.
Uh, the reason why this has more credibility here
is because he knows this man, and now he's not lying.
And he sees he's a broken man, and now he's becoming a drunk
because he can't deal with what happened.
But which gives it all that much more...
Now, seriously, Clavius is really questioning what happened.
He returns to the tomb.
PATRICK: Yeah, for one of his own to be so distraught over what he witnessed.
The case has been closed for him.
He's no longer on the job. This is his own personal...
PAUL: Here's another beautiful...
PATRICK: This is his own personal journey.
PAUL: The camera operator... PATRICK: Yeah.
Lorenzo Senatore was the cinematographer with Kevin.
And they shot this a few different ways, but they wanted to reveal the shroud.
They wanted to reveal the burned image.
PAUL: And now, he's seriously questioning if this is real or not.
Wonderful cut right to the...
PATRICK: Statue of Mars. PAUL: To his former god.
And now he's really questioning what is going on here.
Tribune.
PATRICK: A-ha!
We have them.
(PEOPLE SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY)
PATRICK: So, finally, finally, they got the clue that they paid the scout for.
They know where the disciples are.
And in this point in the story,
even though Joe has been kicked off the case by Pilate,
he will redeem himself by solving this case.
He will find the body of Jesus.
PAUL: This is all a set that was built in Malta, this street.
PATRICK: Yes, this whole street is known as Jerusalem Street
in the production report.
And it was built from scratch, because we couldn't find a location in Malta
that would give us the freedom to shoot this correctly.
And this is certainly, if not the most important,
one of the most important scenes of the movie, as you will see here.
MAN: It's the Romans. Quickly!
PATRICK: Clavius is in full warrior action here,
no longer the diplomat or the investigator.
He is out for answers.
PAUL: This was an extremely hot day in Malta, too.
I remember, it was like 90% humidity, 100 degrees.
I'll block the end and work my way back!
No!
PAUL: Now, it was very tough on the crew, but they were totally into it.
Joe was totally into it even though it was super-hot.
PATRICK: The heat in Malta was a problem.
But everyone acclimated over a couple weeks.
So, clearly, Clavius has found what he was looking for.
PAUL: The upper room.
PATRICK: The upper room, where the disciples later received the Holy Spirit.
PAUL: Correct.
It's wonderful how he captured them all in a state of shock,
that Yeshua is in fact alive.
PATRICK: Now we see Cliff Curtis in full Yeshua mode, alive, risen.
And Clavius.
PAUL: Some more great camera work here with the understated.
The light...
He has seen the light, but it's beautiful. It's perfect.
PATRICK: And, I guess, so have we.
Really well done as Clavius backs out,
and the sun is backlighting him and blinding us.
And the sound mixture of Lucius being echoed,
'cause Clavius is in a complete altered reality.
Sir? Tribune?
Stand down.
Look for me shortly.
Tribune. Sir, we are close. I can feel it.
I don't need you for this.
PATRICK: That breaks Lucius' heart.
The man he looked up to just told him he doesn't need him.
PAUL: He knows something is wrong.
And actually, the way Joe read those lines, there's so much in there.
You can tell he's broken now himself.
LUCIUS: Soldiers, stand down!
PATRICK: Now, I love the camera work here as we go back on Joe's feet.
Lucius knows something's wrong.
Could it be a power grab?
Could Clavius want full credit?
PAUL: Another interesting detail here is when he walks in the room,
Yeshua knows his name, which he couldn't possibly know.
PATRICK: This is probably my favorite scene of the film,
and the way we revealed Yeshua.
PAUL: And he calls him Clavius here.
YESHUA: Welcome, Clavius.
PATRICK: That's Stewart Scudamore as Peter.
YESHUA: Come join us, brother.
PATRICK: These are the apostles, the disciples of Yeshua.
There are no enemies here.
Thomas.
PATRICK: And there's Thomas.
- Lord. - Thomas, where have you been?
PAUL: Now, per scripture, the disciples have already seen
the risen Yeshua once.
This would be the second time when the doubting Thomas sees the wounds.
YESHUA: (WHISPERS) Sorry? Why are you sorry?
PATRICK: The way Kevin executed this is just perfect,
completely exceeded my expectations.
Look at this work.
Mary Magdalene told him, told Clavius about this.
And she's taking great, great enjoyment in watching Clavius.
PAUL: And Roque Baños? PATRICK: Roque Baños.
PAUL: Roque Baños. Such a memorable theme.
YESHUA: Touch this. THOMAS: Your wound.
PATRICK: Wow. Powerful.
PAUL: I like the detail, too. There's not the typical hole in his hands.
It's like they've healed, which also, of course, is impossible.
But this is the risen Christ.
(QUIETLY) How can this be?
PATRICK: Ah, perfect.
Now that was hard to do.
Yeshua?
PATRICK: To shoot that and cut it and make it work
to where we're all surprised in the audience, was not easy.
Steve Mirkovich did a beautiful job cutting that with Kevin.
Simon?
He said, "Stay in Jerusalem" till we receive...
(SIGHS)
...some spirit.
Well, what did we just receive?
I don't know.
- Galilee. - What?
When he appeared on the road,
Yeshua said, "Tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they'll see me."
I told you this.
We have seen him.
In Galilee, you'll see him once more.
And avoid them.
(GASPS)
PATRICK: If you know the story, you would know that Yeshua,
after resurrecting from death,
appeared to Mary Magdalene.
PAUL: Outside the tomb.
PATRICK: And told her that they would see him again in Galilee.
Very interesting, the way Kevin addressed this
from Paul's script of not showing that specific moment in history.
But showing Mary repeating and informing the disciples
of what they are to do next.
PAUL: Now Clavius' world is rocked. It's over.
He's seen this with his own eyes.
I also think it's a very interesting choice to make the disciples at that point
still confused by what's going on, as anybody in that position would be.
PATRICK: This is new to them.
They did not know what to expect.
Most of them lacked faith that he resurrected entirely until they saw him.
Yeshua appeared, so they would have
some concrete understanding of what was happening.
PAUL: So, Pilate's gone from, basically,
sentencing him to another post, to now he's left his command entirely.
"Do not seek me.
"Do not follow or wonder.
"Persecute no one on my behalf.
"I have seen two things which cannot reconcile.
"A man dead without question
"and that same man alive again.
"I pursue him, the Nazarene, to ferret the truth.
"Clavius Aquila Valerius Niger."
PAUL: The way that I always conceived the whole film,
we always thought the movie would start in darkness and transition to light.
And it did start with darkness, with a horrible crucifixion,
through all these scenes, to where now Clavius has seen risen Yeshua.
And now as the movie transitions into the desert,
it's gonna be filled more with the spirit and more light.
PATRICK: We are firmly in the desert of Spain,
and a wonderful location that Pete Shilaimon found
and worked with Kevin in confirming to use this.
This is wonderful as Clavius,
literally and metaphorically, sheds his Roman skin,
his cloak of Roman identity,
and starts to morph into
really the barren desert landscape, along with the disciples.
PAUL: And he's gonna become, essentially, a disciple, slowly, slowly.
PATRICK: Now, everyone thought it was hot in Malta.
It was hot-hot in the desert of Spain.
PAUL: It doesn't come across that...
PATRICK: It appears warm.
You know, down in Almeria, Spain, you're closer to the equator,
so you're dealing with different levels of humidity.
Uh, you also get a lot more daylight, which is great for this type of movie.
This, for the most part, is a daytime movie.
So, when you have 14, 16 hours of light,
you have a lot of leeway to get things right, to shoot it until you get it right.
PAUL: Now, Tom Felton is assuming Clavius' command, as it were,
and he's being tasked to go get him.
Ten days.
PAUL: And he's still worried about unrest in Jerusalem when the Emperor shows up.
(BARTHOLOMEW LAUGHS)
Do you need some help, Thomas?
PATRICK: Very important scene here.
Clavius clearly...
Clavius is the lone wolf who suspects everybody.
I brought water!
PATRICK: What's great about this is Clavius suspects everybody.
He is, uh, cautious around these disciples.
He's not sure who they are, obviously, or really what their intent and motives are.
But I love the way Stewart Scudamore here embodies Peter, you know.
Uh... Salt of the earth, a man of men.
PAUL: A true Greek, as Peter was.
- The actor himself is Greek. - PATRICK: Yeah.
And that was done on purpose. He was chosen on purpose.
He always wanted to work with Kevin Reynolds, too.
He's a big fan.
Uh, they had crossed paths years earlier, when Stewart had auditioned for Kevin on...
I believe it was Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
But what I love here is Peter clearly points out to Clavius
he's not a bad guy.
He was simply bringing him water.
PAUL: And he threw away his sword just as Christ
threw away his sword at the night they took him
- in the garden. - PATRICK: The garden of Gethsemane.
PAUL: This is also starting to get into the brotherhood.
I feel that what these actors really conveyed here
was a sense of how much they love each other.
PATRICK: Now, with these actors, we're probably in week seven here of production.
And this was all shot in Spain.
And this was the second part of the production.
And by this time, our cast had spent a lot, a lot of time together,
and they were truly friends.
They ate together, they hung out together,
they spent their free time together on boat trips, fishing.
And it really shows on screen.
PAUL: And this takes us inside Peter's head here.
After all he's seen, he's still trying to figure out what's going on.
After this, yes.
He rises from death, eats, sleeps and then disappears.
(PETER SIGHS)
He has a body,
the same vessel Yahweh gives all men.
It is how he has reached out to us.
(SIGHS HEAVILY)
(CHUCKLES)
I haven't every answer.
PATRICK: What Kevin did beautifully here, and throughout the movie...
PAUL: "We're astounded, too."
PATRICK: What Kevin did beautifully here, and throughout the movie,
is he conveyed that the disciples were new to this as well.
And they were figuring it out as it was being shown to them.
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.
I wish I did, but I don't.
The answers wait in Galilee?
We are followers. We follow to find out.
PATRICK: Our costume designer and co-costume designer, Maurizio and Gianni,
uh, worked with Mel Gibson for a very long time on Passion of the Christ.
And we were so fortunate to have them on our film.
All these costumes were custom-made from scratch,
and just perfectly embody the characters, personally and to the period.
This is in Spain, where we literally had to hire 40 horses
and basically a cavalry of men...
- Down. - Oh...
...to show that a Roman squad or platoon even
had tracked our disciples and Clavius.
CLAVIUS: I bring danger to you all.
They have a tracker.
They can't know we're up here.
(CAMEL GROANS)
They already do.
TRACKER: I found the enemy.
And they're out for blood.
(HORSES NEIGHING)
It doesn't scare us.
Not anymore.
PAUL: He's not scared anymore. This is a good line, though.
Then fear the death of what you're entrusted with.
(CAMEL BELLOWS)
(HORSES NEIGHING)
(SOLDIER GRUNTING)
PATRICK: Now, this is an editing marvel by Steve Mirkovich and Kevin.
Because, basically,
12 men
escape under the nose of a Roman platoon.
And it's shown in such a way that they are cornered, boxed in,
and almost as if they had the spirit helping them get out of this.
Because these men
are the men that carried the message of Christianity throughout the world.
There were many times where they had been cornered, boxed in,
close to death, elimination.
But in some way, they were allowed to pass through.
And I think the metaphor of this scene shows just that.
TRACKER: This way.
PATRICK: All of these locations that you see here in the escape shot
were all shot in Spain and were all practical.
Um, again, found, primarily, by Pete Shilaimon and Kevin Reynolds
after days and days of scouting for just the right locations
to create and enhance the intensity of their escape,
and most importantly, this.
Lucius catching them.
PAUL: Yeah. Quite a few of the locations were dangerous.
With the high cliffs and what have you.
PATRICK: On a production note, our cast at most times
were completely cabled and harnessed off
when they were anywhere near edges.
'Cause the ground was unstable and slippery.
But let them pass.
PAUL: Now, this is paying off, the earlier "give no quarter"
that he taught him.
The Nazarene?
Vanished.
PAUL: And this is... Very literally, Clavius is changing sides here.
(WHISPERS) There are no enemies here.
PATRICK: Look how good Tom Felton is.
So believable.
...in your hands, Beneficiarii.
Know that.
I believe
it resides in these men.
PATRICK: Great shot.
Look how humble and simple.
(GRUNTING)
PATRICK: Clavius, always the warrior.
He's still got it.
No one dies today.
PAUL: Which is the theme of the second half of the movie.
No one dies today because...
And now he's starting to...
A day without death is starting to become reality here.
He could've killed him.
It would've been safer.
Walk on.
PAUL: Here, the personification of the disciples here,
this is before they receive the Holy Spirit. They're still on very shaky ground here.
PAUL: In that scene, Clavius confronts the man he was mentoring,
and he could've killed him,
but it's showing, symbolically, that he's changing.
Clavius is not afraid that Lucius is gonna kill him,
and by giving him the sword back, uh, he trusts him.
A lot's going on there.
PATRICK: So that last shot was a drone shot, which was wonderful.
PAUL: This is very Lawrence of Arabia.
PATRICK: And here we are at the Sea of Galilee.
This was shot in Spain,
and a very good match to the actual Sea of Galilee,
which we did a lot of research to find, to match shorelines and really the backdrop.
And here they wait.
It was here that he called us to follow him. Sometimes, he's hard to recognize.
ANDREW: Simon! Simon!
Simon, they want to eat.
Then let's fish.
Let's fish! Come!
ANDREW: (LAUGHS) Come! Come on!
He'll find us!
(ALL LAUGHING)
(ALL YELLING INDISTINCTLY)
PETER: Come on.
(SEABIRD SQUAWKING)
PATRICK: This part was shot in a tank in Malta,
which is a very well-known tank and a lot of big, big movies use this tank in Malta.
This boat was built from scratch...
We are here!
...by Maltese boat builders
to replicate the, uh, historical spines of boats
found in the oceans around this period of time.
And this was shot all night long in Malta.
I think it was about the second week of principle photography,
and it's some of the most beautiful photography, as you'll see here.
The overhead shots, we used drones.
Underwater, we had scuba, obviously.
But we were in pretty much a controlled environment.
PATRICK: And here, this is the point in the story, too,
as we're coming into the middle of act three,
this is where Clavius has pretty much abandoned his identity as a Roman soldier.
However, personally, he's still very much vested
in finding out the truth and the answers to his mystery,
the case of Yeshua having resurrected.
He wants to see him again.
And he's also been embraced by the disciples here.
They've taken him in.
He's along for the ride.
They understand his questions
are their questions, or were their questions, too.
PAUL: You see his ring there prominently.
It's still... His old life is still there.
PATRICK: Now, Stewart Scudamore just does a beautiful job here.
And this is hard to pull off.
The element of surprise.
PAUL: This is one of the few scenes in the movie
that's actually completely scriptural, at the end of John.
No.
PAUL: Where he tells him to cast again on the right side.
PATRICK: I love how Kevin and Lorenzo
just got enough of the figure walking on the shore
to spark the interest and imagination of Peter to figure out something's going on here.
Look at the cutting work in this scene. He just gives you a little bit.
Pulls you along, pulls you along.
PAUL: You know, internally, though, what's really going on here,
throughout the whole film, actually,
we're watching this story through Clavius' eyes.
Now, Clavius, for the first time, is with them,
and he is seeing what they normally lived, living with Yeshua.
This is the second miracle with the fish.
And just like in the Gospel,
Peter is the first one to recognize Yeshua on the shore.
PETER: It's fish.
(GRUNTING)
- It's fish! - (ALL LAUGHING)
Fish!
(LAUGHTER CONTINUES)
How did you know?
Faith! (LAUGHS)
PATRICK: And what Peter just said there was, "Faith."
- He knew he would arrive. - PAUL: See, now...
And Clavius is like, "What is going on?"
He came to see him again, and now he's about to see him again.
It's too much to behold.
PATRICK: And if you're in the theater, I hope you are swelling with tears at this moment,
'cause it is complete fruition for Clavius.
How they embrace the risen Yeshua.
PAUL: And then, this was kind of the intent of the movie,
is to give us five minutes being there with the disciples
when this stuff happened.
And you feel like you're sitting with them here, the way Kevin shot this.
PATRICK: God, this is so powerful.
These are our disciples, all of which were handpicked for their role.
They're so different and so similar.
Cliff is just beautiful here, so full of love.
He's welcoming.
PAUL: And now him...
Clavius and Bartholomew have a whole different relationship now,
from the first meeting to this meeting.
Did you know he would rise?
He said he would,
but, truth be told, we doubted it.
(LAUGHS SOFTLY)
Then what made you follow him?
WOMAN: Leper! Go! (GRUNTS)
Get out of here!
Go!
MEN: (YELLING) Leper! Leper!
- Leper! - Out!
- Get out! - Out! Out!
PATRICK: We wanted to show one miracle, really, in the movie,
but not be too heavy-handed with it.
And we all decided from Paul's original screenplays and through the drafts,
uh, the healing of the leper
was an accepted miracle that many people witnessed.
He's going to do it.
Do what?
THADDEUS: He's going to heal that man.
(LEPER GROANS)
How?
PATRICK: The inspiration of the makeup used on the leper
came from Papillon, from Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman.
We saw them many times, Roman.
PATRICK: If you guys, you movie buffs, love Papillon,
you'll recognize some of the techniques here,
of the disfigurement...
PAUL: And I love how Cliff makes those motions, the sound.
It's very loving.
(LEPER CONTINUES CRYING)
- YESHUA: Do you have faith? - (LEPER SOBS)
Come, stand.
PATRICK: It's a beautiful scene.
PAUL: And we're seeing it through Clavius' eyes,
just like the rest of the story.
PATRICK: Here comes Roque's score.
Magnificent.
Still in service, Yeshua is still in service, even though he's risen.
What a wonderful performance.
That's James Shilaimon who did that performance as the healed leper.
Magnificent. So powerful.
That's why.
PAUL: He's playing off the line of, "Why do you follow him?"
That's why.
You feel Clavius is starting to feel it now.
This is ridiculous.
This was a very dangerous location.
PATRICK: So, this was all done in Malta, believe it or not,
even though it cut seamlessly with what we just saw at the Sea of Galilee in Spain.
And these were long days,
and the sparrows above, the flock of sparrows are CG,
but it conveys the spirit.
The people on the back hilltop
are the people who have heard of the leper's healing
and have come to find out what just happened.
There's some wonderful crane work and drone work here.
- This, of course, is a drone. - PAUL: And in the Gospel,
this was a very important part of the Gospel where, uh, Yeshua calls Peter aside.
And he basically is telling him he's gonna take over.
Why?
To be closer.
Simon, do you love me?
Yes. You know that I do.
YESHUA: Do you love me? PETER: (CHUCKLES) Yes.
- Simon, do you love me? - With all my heart.
Then you must feed my lambs.
(CHIRPING AND WHOOSHING)
PAUL: Now, this is where he's telling him what's gonna happen in the future.
He's gonna be, uh... How he's gonna die.
PATRICK: And live.
(ANIMAL HOWLING IN THE DISTANCE)
PAUL: And I think, secretly, anyone watching this movie wants this
five minutes with Jesus Christ on a rock.
I think most people would give up a lot for that.
Incredibly staged by Kevin.
PATRICK: This is Clavius' chance.
PAUL: 'Cause he's given up everything for this moment, basically.
PATRICK: His case, his mystery, his detective's journey
has come to completion.
What else is there?
I don't even know what to ask.
(SOFTLY) Speak your heart.
I cannot reconcile all this...
PAUL: Again, Cliff's choices here, to be loving,
I think really sets his portrayal apart.
With your own eyes you've seen, yet still you doubt.
Imagine the doubt of those who have never seen. That's what they face.
What frightens you?
Being wrong.
Wagering eternity on it.
PATRICK: We wanted Clavius to have a moment with Yeshua.
He'd been chasing this ghost, if you will,
until he realized he, in fact, was alive, he had risen.
And...
When you died...
PATRICK: We wanted to make it personal to Clavius' journey.
I was present.
(VOICE BREAKING)
I helped.
I know.
PATRICK: That touch on the shoulder says so much.
Certainty? Peace?
A day without death?
PATRICK: And there it is. PAUL: Now Clavius knows.
PATRICK: Yeshua has been with him since the beginning.
And that smile is so convincing and so comforting.
PAUL: And in the broader sense,
the whole story is about the fact that that's what he really wanted, and he got it,
just not the way he expected.
PATRICK: And Roque Baños' score comes in here beautifully,
the theme of the movie is so appropriate here.
PAUL: Where was this shot?
PATRICK: This is all Spain, too.
APOSTLE 1: He's gone. APOSTLE 2: What?
- PHILLIP: Yeshua is gone. - John, wake up!
PAUL: Now, this is the Great Commission.
These few men are gonna travel the earth and spread the gospel.
- Yeshua! - Yeshua!
- Brother!
(RUMBLING)
PATRICK: And I love the little camera roll here that Kevin and Lorenzo did,
just to unsettle us.
And the way they depicted the Ascension is beautiful and feels natural.
PAUL: Oh, this is movie magic, too.
There's a green screen, and... But it looks very natural, though.
YESHUA: (ECHOING) Go
into all the world and preach the gospel...
PATRICK: Of course, this is biblical.
YESHUA: You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem
and all Judaea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
And know that I will be with you.
Always.
(RUMBLING CONTINUES)
PATRICK: As the risen Yeshua was taken up.
(WIND HOWLING)
(GASPING)
Lord?
(ALL SOBBING)
PATRICK: The Ascension needed to be filmed and executed just right.
PAUL: Now, of course, if you've read the Bible, you know the story.
You know what Peter is thinking now is, "It's on me now."
PATRICK: Yeah.
PAUL: "It's on me, and the disciples are gonna have to carry this."
This is John here, beginning.
It's how life is lived, by the sword or by love.
And it changes you here.
It's time.
Bye, brothers.
PATRICK: And what's nice about this is Kevin and Paul
were showing that these guys were just beginning,
they were beginning to become apostles.
They needed to apostolate the message and get it out there,
and they were trying new things and finding their way
and the way to deliver the message.
PAUL: And they're headed back to Jerusalem
to receive the Holy Spirit on the Pentecost.
That's basically where they're on their way back to now.
Now Clavius is completely transformed.
He looks like one of them.
Join us, Tribune.
Jerusalem only bodes trouble.
Ah, trouble and this spirit he promised. We are called to receive it there, Roman.
Your call is to fish.
(CHUCKLES)
Aye, for men.
PAUL: The great big Greek personality is perfect.
He's so powerful as a leader.
Will you fish, too, Clavius?
(SIGHS)
PATRICK: And here comes the theme.
...farewell, brother.
PATRICK: So perfect.
Farewell.
PATRICK: All the stars were in alignment on this film.
God bless and keep you.
PATRICK: From the script, to the director, to the cinematographer, the cast.
PAUL: Look at that Lawrence of Arabia shot there.
PATRICK: The composer.
I will always have you with me.
PATRICK: The producers, the locations.
PAUL: And dour Clavius is now smiling.
He's changed.
PATRICK: It feels like an epic.
PAUL: Now he's gonna wander into the desert,
where we pick him up from the first shot in the movie.
PETER: Brother!
Wait!
JAMES: That way?
PATRICK: This, of course, is the location of Caesarea,
which is a coastal town above Jerusalem on the edge of the Judaean landscape,
and this is, of course, Pilate receiving Caesar as he was coming from Rome.
PAUL: Now, that was shot in Malta, right? PATRICK: Yes.
This location was built. It was an actual port,
but we customized it to fit our needs to replicate Caesarea.
Of course, Lucius has returned from the desert to report he found nothing.
Which is very interesting, because even...
- I doubt we'll ever hear from them again. - PATRICK: Ha!
PAUL: Now, of course, they'll be back in town in just a few days.
(PATRICK LAUGHS)
PATRICK: It's a very interesting decision here,
that Lucius decided not to report anything.
That Lucius decided not to report anything.
And here we find ourselves back at the innkeeper's hut,
where we realize we have been told a story.
And in the classic framework of an epic,
Kevin very much bookended the movie
with this opening scene and this closing scene.
PAUL: And taking off the ring and laying it on the cross, the window cross.
He's given up one life for another.
...do you truly believe all this?
PATRICK: And this is how the message is spread.
(SOFTLY) I believe...
I can never be the same.
PATRICK: The message was so powerful
that it ultimately crumbled the Roman Empire and changed their foundation of belief.
This story has never been told before on film.
And it was such an exciting opportunity and journey,
and Paul and I are so grateful to LD Entertainment for making it happen
and allowing us all together to make such a high-quality, beautifully-told story
with just phenomenal actors, filmmaker, crew, locations.
Very proud of Kevin and Paul,
they crafted a beautiful script from Paul's story.
Obviously, my partner Mickey and Pete Shilaimon worked tirelessly.
Lorenzo was wonderful.
- All of our team... - PAUL: Steve Mirkovich...
PATRICK: All of our core team were hand-chosen.
Which was a wonderful experience.
We had the time to really pick and choose.
And we ended up with a great, great dugout of a hell of a team.
Thank you, Cliff.
Thank you for your sacrifice
and for turning in one of the great performances.
It's Patrick Aiello again.
Thank you, everybody, for listening to the commentary.
We hope this has brought to light
some of the thoughts behind the reason why we made the film,
how we made the film,
how we were so specific and purposeful in our choices, start to finish.
And that we were making the film for a reason,
to, uh, instill hope and faith
and to show that everyone can resurrect themselves, in a way,
and change themselves for the good.
And, uh, thank you for watching and listening to us.
This is Paul Aiello signing off.
Thank you for watching the film.
I'd like to thank my brother Patrick, we've worked on this for many years.
Mickey Liddell, who came on board with this and made a lot of great script notes
and suggestions and story suggestions
and then was bold enough to produce the film.
The other producing partners, Pete Shilaimon, and then Kevin Reynolds,
who I think did a wonderful job bringing this to life.
I feel very fortunate and blessed that the movie came out so well.
Thank you.