Review: 'The Last Supper' is welcome Lenten viewing

By Dr. Joe McAleer

“This is more than a story. It’s an invitation to know Jesus. The Last Supper and the Resurrection brought the world a new covenant. This is Christ’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life.”

So read the end titles of “The Last Supper,” a new feature film appearing on March 14 in cinemas nationwide that is welcome Lenten viewing for the entire family. 

One could say that Holy Week and, especially, the events on Holy Thursday are having a Hollywood moment. “The Last Supper,” directed and co-written by Mauro Borrelli, a Catholic, and produced by the makers of “The Case for Christ” and “God’s Not Dead,” lands in cinemas two weeks before season five of “The Chosen” premieres with the same theme and a clever tagline: “The table is set.”

First out of the gate, “The Last Supper” offers an interesting and moving perspective on the final week of the life of Jesus, played by Jamie Ward. This is an emotional Lord, often brought to tears by impact of His miracles and the heavy burden of His Father’s mission, even before the Agony in the Garden.

Tale of two Apostles
It’s also an intriguing tale of two apostles, Peter (James Oliver Wheatley) and Judas (Robert Knepper). Their interplay throughout the film offers an undercurrent of good versus evil, of perseverance versus temptation.

We see much more of Judas that normally shown in screen. Here is a man tormented, lurking in the shadows, where he hears the voice of the Evil One and sees ropes turn into snakes. Judas is so demented, it’s surprising the Apostles keep wondering who among them will betray Jesus. 

On the other hand, Peter is a standout, as we recall his transition from wide-eyed faithful apostle to thrice-betrayer, and ultimate return to grace. The smooth stones on the shores of the sea of Galilee provide a colorful metaphor.

“Day after day, year after year, I watched the sea shape and sculpt the stones on its shores, wearing away their rough edges. But some stones did not yield so easily,” Peter muses at the opening of the film. “Perhaps that is what I am to Him. A rough, unshaped stone longing to be molded for the great purpose He has set forth for me.”

The Bread of Life
After the Resurrection, Peter tells a large assembly, “Once I was a jagged stone, rough and unworthy. But His grace has smoothed my edges and made me whole. Now it is your turn to taste the Bread of Life.”

Amen!

Alas, we only catch glimpses of Mary (Mayssae El Halla) and Mary Magdalene (Nathalie Rapti Gomez), who speak no words. But seeing them join the large happy family celebrating their own Passover meal downstairs from the Upper Room is a lovely and hope-filled complement to the supper above that would change the world forever.

“The Last Supper” is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for violent content, bloody images, and suicide. For more information, visit thelastsupper.movie
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