The third installment of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out cinematic universe paints a dual image of the Church.
In his latest escapade, Benoit Blanc investigates the murder of a vengeful and authoritative cult of personality priest, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks. Wick’s small-town church, Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude, has a small, loyal attendance of regulars, all perfectly stereotyped with reasons to be so enamored by a tyrannical spiritual leader.
Any other attendees are usually pointed out by Wicks and their sins put on public display as an example of man’s depravity with the intended response of eliciting an emotional response and a walk out (his favorite) which he then ties in to why the Church must fight and be warriors against the world—not giving an inch to its seductive ways and why he is their only access to the Divine. It’s an obvious reference to the type of Fire and Brimstone preaching that has painted a grim medieval view of the church for centuries and paints those who partake in it as hateful and bigoted.
Sure enough, not even 5 min. on screen, Blanc launches into an alliterative tirade that seemingly tears the Church apart, accusing it of its history of homophobia, racism, misogyny and bigotry. It’s a grim picture. We know from the previous film that Blanc lives a homosexual lifestyle, and he clearly has baggage weighing him down due to hurt from the Church.
The worst part of Blanc’s monologue is that he’s not entirely wrong, but I couldn’t help but think of my church while listening. Each week, I gather with a family of the most loving and gentle people I’ve ever met, who are well aware of their sins and acknowledge their utter dependence on a Savior. No one is turned away at our doors, and we are slow to judge, remembering that we ourselves deserve no good thing.
Blanc’s searing indictment of the church, I’m sure, resonated heavily with most watchers, but this is not the film’s purpose in the slightest, I propose, and for the Christian, “Wake Up Dead Man” ends up being as hopeful as it is heartbreaking.
The foil to Wicks is a young priest named Jud Duplenticy. He stands in complete juxtaposition to the Monsignor and is everything he is not. Where Wicks is passionate and judgmental, Jud is gentle and empathetic; where Wicks is vengeful and manipulative, Jud is forgiving and self-sacrificial.
That is because he knows what it is like to be radically transformed from the inside out, to have your heart transformed and renewed, as Romans 12:2 says. He was a prodigal son, lost in the world and filled with anger, enough anger in fact to kill a man in a boxing match.
That tragic accident was the catalyst that caused Jud to hang up his gloves and dedicate his life to Christ. Only someone who knows the true wretchedness of their sin nature and the free gift of everlasting love and redemption that comes from Jesus is equipped to lead a flock in humility.
Throughout the film, Blanc is confronted with his presuppositions of the Church by Father Jud exemplifying the true nature of the Bride of Christ. One such example comes through my favorite scene in the entire film.
In a phone conversation essential in the evidence gathering process, Jud is exasperated by one woman, by the name of Louise, bloviating on the other side. He is in a rush for information and kindly tries to interrupt her several times, with Blanc motioning and mouthing for him to speed it up. But suddenly, Louise falls silent.
‘Father Jud, can you pray for me?”
In a second, Jud’s entire worldview shifts. No longer is he playing detective, but he is snapped back into reality and back into his role as a Christian, dropping his agenda entirely.
“Uh… of course, Louise. May I ask what for?”
Louise then tearfully explains that her mother is unwell, harsh words were exchanged, and she is afraid her last words with her mother before her passing will be that horrible memory. Blanc stays silent, either stunned, frustrated or confused by this event, while Jud immediately drops to his knees and prays fervently. This drastic reordering of tasks is not something easily understood by the unbeliever.
This is the church being the church. Allowing God to use the Ministry of Interruption in our lives is one of the most sanctifying and humbling experiences we can have as Christians. It happens in the grocery stores when you’re just trying to check out, but the bagger expresses that they’ve had a bad day. It happens in that uncomfortable situation where you are deciding whether to give your money to the unhoused person. It happens when your residents at college call you at 3 a.m, crying in the midst of a crisis when you just need sleep for that big exam.
We don’t always get to decide when to be the hands and feet of Christ, but the true church is prepared to be so whenever the Spirit prompts us to, and we better be prepared to drop whatever we are doing to love on our brothers and sisters.
Something Wicks brought up in all of his sermons is the Church’s duty to fight the world and to plant the flag of Christ proudly and be His warriors. Carefully measured, this is true, and one day Christ will return not in meekness but in power. But Jesus was born not to fight the world but to save it. He came to be a servant, not to be served. God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son to die for it (John 3:16).
Despite being a secular film, made by an unbeliever, “Wake Up Dead Man” exemplifies the true Gospel in the character of Father Jud. It made me thankful for my church; it reminded me to serve unselfishly and to rely on Christ alone as my daily bread.
At first glance, this film can seem to be an indictment of the church. However, being reminded of our faults and the hurt that we can and have caused using Christ’s name in vain is something we can all benefit from. It’s a film not out to reject Christ, but to point out the planks in His Bride’s eyes (Matthew 7) and its ending reminds us of Sin’s total power to deprave and that Grace has the final say.
