THE RECKONING
Directed by: Paul McGuigan.
Produced by: Caroline Wood.
Written by: Mark Mills, based on the novel by Barry Unsworth.
Director of Photography: Peter Sova.
Edited by: Andrew Hulme.
Music by: Mark Mancina.
Released by: Paramount Classics.
Country of Origin: UK. 110 min. Rated: R.
With: Paul Bettany, Willem Dafoe, Gina McKee, Brian Cox & Vincent Cassel.

The play's the thing wherein lies The Reckoning. Set in 14th century England, this play within a screenplay is based on the novel, not surprisingly entitled, Morality Play. A vagabond troupe of theatrical players uses the alleged events behind a local crime to hold the mirror up to nature, seeking to expose the real evils within society and ourselves. In so doing, they thrust themselves into the midst of an unfolding mystery, upon which hangs the fate of a presumably innocent woman awaiting judgment day.

Paul Bettany plays the main protagonist, Nicholas, a priest who is a literal and spiritual fugitive with a heavy cross to bear. Having committed sins of the flesh, he flees flock and frock to save his own neck. However, after circumstance brings him and these migrant actors together, he decides to join the living once more, taking refuge in his new livelihood. Arriving in a village, the troupe overhears a pending decree to hang a woman for murder. The troupe's master-player, Martin (Willem Dafoe), seizes this opportunity to convince the group to depart from their usual performances of hackneyed biblical stories. Together they inventively create a new theatrical genre, the first courtroom drama. Into this foray, the townspeople become audience and jury over an alternative account of the recent felony. In addition, Nicholas sees a chance to be redeemed through the imparting of justice.

Unfortunately, what ensues is probably Everyman's guess. In other words, the story explains itself away. The troupe's revolutionary art form takes on a search for honesty that seems ironically costumed in conventional explanations of right and wrong. The script, like the book, becomes preachy, calling attention to lessons warning against temptation corrupting the spirit. As a result, this medieval crime drama becomes "The Case of the Scripture that Killed the Script." Even with a heartfelt performance by Bettany and a fine ensemble, the movie never fully touched my soul or enlightened my spirit much beyond the obvious. The most moving portrayal was from that of the accused, Martha (Elvira Minguez), a woman deaf and mute, who communicates only through her hands and eyes. In fact, most of the power of the performances and story came from moments without text. This led me to wonder if the truer moral to be taught here is, with some screenplays, silence is golden. Max Rennix, actor/writer based in New York
March 5, 2004