Stigmata

Language : English / Italian / Portuguese

 

Year of release : 1999

 

Run time : 1h49min

 

Genre : Thriller / Supernatural horror

 

Cast : Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathan Pryce, Nia Long

 

 

A priest is investigating the appearance of the Virgin Mary's figure on a wall in Brazil. While there,he investigates the statue which cries tears of blood. As he does this,a priest of the church is being buried. A child steals the rosary the dead was holding. He sells it to a woman.

 

Fast forward with the credits song into the life of Frankie Page,a 23 year old atheist woman. We find out the woman buying the rosary was her mother.

Unluckily for Frankie,the rosary came with a surprise. From the moment she holds it,weird and bad things start happening to her. At first,she gets nauseated by the scent of tea,and she thinks she might be pregnant. Later that night,while taking a bath,she receives wounds in her wrists. Wounds so bad,she needs to be hospitalized. She starts writing things she never heard of in a language she doesn't understand,and gradually receives more and more wounds known as stigmatas.

 

This is how Frankie finds out who are her real friends. She was dating this guy,but for him she was more of a booty call,and even when he sees her receiving a stigmata,he's just unimpressed,as if she was a crazy stranger,a disgusting guy. She has one good friend,who's always beside her,always helping her and taking her to the hospital,a real friend,who never has enough of what's happening to Frankie.

 

This is one of my favorite movies,I watched it so many times to the point I know the lines by heart. I loved how the movie was filmed,the little moments,the close-ups..the Christian imagery. I loved the music intro,combining the Christian imagery with the profane of this woman's life,as she's introduced to us.

 

I love how her world is on blue,while the world of the investigating priest is on red-gold,the color of the sunset. In her world is always raining,as if it is in mourning ( the soul of the departed priest crying for the world which is blinded to the truth by certain members of the church).

I love how certain passages of conversations are replayed in the next scene,while usually Frankie is walking to her job,as if those are her thoughts,heard by the audience. Thoughs that haunt her.

 

I even liked the places they filmed at, the architecture of the buildings and the interior design,or maybe certain pieces of furniture,like Frankie's bed.

I even liked her hairstyles.

One thing I never liked but won't hold against the movie, are Frankie's clothes.

 

The soundtrack is one of the first soundtracks I ever liked,and to this day,I still love it,Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins did an amazing job!

 

I thought the actors were all great,and gave their best,especially Patricia Arquette.

 

The visual effects still stand the test of time.

 

Rating : The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of !