Stigmata

Details

Frankie Paige is a young Pittsburgh hairdresser with little interest in religion and absolutely no belief in God. She spends her time working, going out with her friends and enjoying herself, until her mother sends her a set of rosary beads purchased whilst travelling in Brazil.

The beads once belonged to a recently deceased priest and, shortly after receiving them, Frankie begins experiencing a series of terrifying and apparently inexplicable attacks. The first leaves her with deep wounds through her wrists, closely resembling those traditionally associated with the crucifixion of Christ.

The incident attracts the attention of the Vatican and Father Andrew Kiernan, a Jesuit priest and scientist who investigates alleged miracles on behalf of the Church. Kiernan initially approaches Frankie's case with considerable scepticism, but is surprised to discover that she is an atheist. As he explains, documented cases of stigmata have traditionally occurred amongst people with an intense religious faith.

Frankie's condition rapidly becomes more serious as she begins suffering further wounds corresponding with those supposedly inflicted upon Christ during the crucifixion. Injuries appear on her feet, across her back and around her forehead, whilst increasingly violent supernatural events accompany each new manifestation.

More disturbingly, Frankie occasionally appears to become somebody else entirely. She begins speaking and writing in languages she doesn't understand and demonstrates knowledge she couldn't possibly possess. Kiernan gradually becomes convinced that something considerably more complicated than a conventional case of stigmata is taking place.

His investigation leads him towards the work of Father Paulo Alameida, the Brazilian priest who originally owned the rosary beads. Before his death, Alameida had been involved with the translation of an ancient document which could have profound implications for the Catholic Church.

Unfortunately, Kiernan soon discovers that certain senior figures within the Church are considerably less interested in discovering the truth than they are in ensuring that it remains hidden. Cardinal Houseman in particular appears determined to prevent the contents of the document from becoming public knowledge, whatever the consequences for Frankie.

With Frankie moving towards the fifth and final wound of the stigmata - the spear wound to Christ's side - Kiernan must discover exactly what is happening to her before the process reaches its potentially fatal conclusion.

Picture & Sound

Picture quality is generally good, although there are occasional moments that let the transfer down. The most obvious example occurs when Frankie receives the wounds to her wrists whilst in the bath, where the image becomes noticeably grainy.

Elsewhere the transfer fares considerably better. The film has a deliberately stylised appearance, switching between gloomy interiors, heavily processed imagery and sudden bursts of light and colour. Detail is generally good and black levels remain convincing throughout most of the darker sequences.

There's also plenty of rapid editing, unusual camera work and almost subliminal imagery during Frankie's attacks. It's a visually aggressive film and, despite the occasional weaknesses, the DVD generally handles the material well.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, however, is some of the best I've heard yet. Surround effects are used at the drop of a hat but, rather than becoming gimmicky or distracting, they work a treat and add enormously to the film's unsettling atmosphere.

A particularly good example comes near the beginning when the birds suddenly take flight inside the Brazilian church. The sound erupts around the room and immediately demonstrates just how aggressively the surround channels are going to be used.

The various supernatural attacks are equally impressive, with effects moving rapidly around the soundstage and plenty of low-frequency activity adding weight to the more violent moments. Quieter scenes also benefit from subtle ambient effects which help maintain the atmosphere between the larger set pieces.

The music is another major component of the soundtrack, with Billy Corgan contributing to the score and songs from artists including Natalie Imbruglia appearing throughout. It suits the film's dark, contemporary style extremely well and is reproduced with plenty of impact.

Menu & Extras

The extras are surprisingly good, with the most interesting addition being the opportunity to see director Rupert Wainwright's alternate ending. Rather than simply providing a few seconds of deleted footage, this gives you an opportunity to compare the theatrical conclusion with the director's original intentions.

It's a particularly welcome inclusion because endings can dramatically alter the way you respond to a film. Being able to watch both versions and decide which works better is exactly the sort of feature DVD should be offering. Nice touch.

Rupert Wainwright also provides a full-length audio commentary, offering background information on the production and explaining some of the decisions behind the film's distinctive visual style and story.

A collection of deleted scenes provides further material that didn't make the theatrical cut, whilst Natalie Imbruglia's music video adds something for fans of the soundtrack. The theatrical trailer and collectible eight-page booklet round things off.

It's not the most enormous collection of supplementary material we've seen, but there's enough worthwhile content here to encourage another look at the film after the credits have rolled. More importantly, the alternate ending and commentary actually add something to the package rather than simply padding out the back of the box.

Overall

Not believing in God myself, I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to make of Stigmata. On the one hand I was expecting a big-budget X-Files-style supernatural thriller, whilst on the other I was half expecting some sort of "isn't the Church wonderful" sermon dressed up as a horror film.

I was pleasantly surprised.

The film doesn't require you to share its religious beliefs in order to enjoy it. In fact, rather than portraying the Catholic Church as an unquestionable force for good, it presents a considerably more sinister institution in which certain people are primarily concerned with protecting its authority and controlling what information reaches its followers.

That slightly insane side of the Church is personified by Jonathan Pryce's Cardinal Houseman. He's initially presented as an authoritative senior figure, but his determination to suppress anything that might threaten the Church's position gradually reveals just how far he's prepared to go. By the end of the film he's definitely crossed the line.

Gabriel Byrne is well cast as Father Kiernan because his character provides a useful bridge between faith and science. He's a priest, but also an investigator who isn't prepared to accept every supposedly supernatural event at face value. His first instinct is to look for evidence and rational explanations rather than simply declaring a miracle.

That makes his relationship with Frankie particularly interesting. She's the last person you'd expect to experience the stigmata: she doesn't attend church, isn't remotely religious and doesn't even believe in God. The contradiction immediately suggests that something more complicated is happening than a straightforward religious miracle.

Patricia Arquette throws herself into the role and spends a considerable amount of the film being battered, thrown around, cut open and generally having a thoroughly miserable time. The attacks are often violent and visually aggressive, which helps give the film an uncomfortable edge.

The film's visual style certainly won't appeal to everybody. There's an enormous amount of rapid editing, flashing imagery, unusual camera angles and music-video-style photography. At times it almost feels as though the director has consumed several gallons of coffee and decided that leaving the camera still for more than five seconds would be dangerous.

For me, though, it generally works. The frantic style gives Frankie's attacks an unpredictable quality and contrasts nicely with the quieter investigation taking place around them. Combined with the superb surround soundtrack, several sequences become extremely effective.

The underlying conspiracy is also more interesting than I expected. The idea that an ancient document containing Christ's own words could threaten the authority of the established Church gives Kiernan something considerably larger to investigate than simply why Frankie is developing holes in inconvenient places.

Naturally, none of this should be mistaken for a documentary. The film plays fast and loose with religion, history and the nature of stigmata in the interests of producing an entertaining supernatural thriller. Anyone expecting a serious theological examination is probably going to come away disappointed.

But that's not what I wanted from it anyway. I wanted something atmospheric, creepy and entertaining, and that's exactly what I got.

The DVD itself helps enormously. Despite the occasional iffy picture, the Dolby Digital soundtrack is exceptional and one of the best I've heard so far. The alternate ending is also a particularly welcome extra and gives you a genuine reason to investigate the supplementary material rather than ignoring it after watching the film.

Those of you who are fans of The Smashing Pumpkins should also be pleased to hear that Billy Corgan has supplied a substantial amount of the music, alongside contributions from Australian songstress Natalie Imbruglia. The soundtrack fits the film perfectly and adds considerably to its atmosphere.

All in all, this is a must-have DVD in my opinion. Forget the religious undertones because they simply don't get in the way, forgive the occasionally iffy picture and enjoy what is a stylish and surprisingly effective supernatural thriller.

Just buy it.

Special features

• Director's Alternate Ending
• Audio Commentary by Director Rupert Wainwright
• Deleted Scenes
• Natalie Imbruglia Music Video
• Collectible 8-Page Booklet
• Theatrical Trailer