Resurrection – Imprint

Director: Daniel Petrie
Writer: Lewis John Carlino
Starring: ‎Ellen Burstyn, Sam Shepherd, Eva Le Gallienne, Richard Farnsworth
Year: 1980
Duration: 103 mins
BBFC Certification: N/A

The term ‘supernatural’ covers a pretty broad range of phenomena, with everything from faith healing to demonic possession falling under its umbrella. Not that you’d necessarily assume that if your only frame of reference was cinema. From the earliest days of Häxan and Nosferatu, filmmakers have almost exclusively chosen to focus on the darker side of the supernatural, casting their cameras over a vast multitude of ghosts, monsters, witches and demons. Very rarely, however, does a film choose to show an alternative view, one that depicts mysterious phenomena not as a force of malevolence but as a vehicle for more benevolent change and transformation.

Resurrection is one such rarity. Starring Ellen Burstyn as a car crash victim possessed with unexplainable supernatural powers, it is a personal favourite of the revered actress. In all likelihood, however, you’ll probably never have heard of it. Hampered by bad marketing, the film died upon its initial release in 1980 (despite Burstyn gaining an Oscar nomination) and it hasn’t been much better served on home video. Until now, that is. Newly released by Australian Label Imprint, surely enough time has now passed for Resurrection to finally live up to its name.

The first draft of Resurrection began as a story about Jesus returning to Earth as a woman; a concept unique enough to grab the attention of Ellen Burstyn. When that script didn’t live up to its initial concept, she suggested some drastic changes which were taken on board by new screenwriter Lewis John Carlino. The revised story focused on Edna May (Burstyn) an ordinary woman who is involved in a horrific traffic accident. Temporarily dying on a hospital operating table, she is eventually brought back to life, albeit with a series of devastating injuries. Forced to go and convalesce with her cold, imperious father on a run down farm in Kansas, Edna soon discovers that she has developed a new gift – she can heal people through her touch.

Slowly Edna’s life and her injuries begin to improve. She finds a new partner in Cal (Sam Shepherd) and begins to find purpose in healing the sick and needy. Yet Edna does not know where her power has come from. Her refusal to say that it is a gift from God begins to anger and confuse those with strong religious convictions, which will not only push away those closest to her, but may even put her very life in danger…

The most striking thing about Resurrection is how seriously it takes its subject matter. Screenwriter Lewis John Carlino and director Daniel Petrie depict Edna’s gifts with a beautiful, down to earth simplicity, never attempting to embellish or to make her powers feel bizarre or  outlandish. Thanks to this approach, the film has an earthy, almost documentary like tone, which makes it a fascinating companion piece to The Exorcist, another Burstyn film that attempted to depict the extraordinary in a manner that shunned theatrics in favour of a gripping verisimilitude.

Even Resurrection’s one foray into what can arguably be called fantasy is captured in a beautifully restrained and emotive tenor. As Edna dies on the operating table, Petrie takes us into his version of the afterlife. Despite adhering to what on paper sounds like a cliche, his visualisation of travelling through a ‘bright tunnel’ is elevated by shimmering shafts of brightly coloured light, where the figures of loved ones smile at us among shifting shadows. It is a uniquely powerful moment and, in conjunction with Maurice Jarre’s score, achieves a poignancy rarely matched in supernatural cinema.

Despite the film’s focus on a more positive and balanced outlook on unexplained phenomena (Resurrection could quite easily be called a supernatural drama) doesn’t mean that it shuns all associations with horror’s more infamous namesakes. In its exploration of something extraordinary happening to regular, ordinary people, Resurrection strongly recalls the more humanist elements of Stephen King’s work. Indeed, its study of a person possessed of supernatural healing abilities evokes King’s The Green Mile, with both stories seeing unearthly powers bestowed on kindly, benevolent souls.

Yet Resurrection’s grounded approach to its material is only half the story; Ellen Burstyn’s performance takes that material and elevates the film into something truly unique and special. Charting her character’s physical transformation just as convincingly as her emotional one, Burstyn imbues her character’s powers with an almost prosaic reality that feels startlingly convincing. Even when the film allows her to attempt something far more dramatic, such as when we see Edna absorb another character’s aliment, her performance remains rooted in a physical and emotional reality that adds significant weight to the leaps of faith that the audience are required to take. 

Burstyn is ably supported by a great supporting cast. Sam Shepherd works effectively as Edna’s increasingly confused and conflicted boyfriend, while legendary American stage actress Eva Le Gallienne is quietly moving in her only on screen appearance. An ensemble of great character actors such as Richard Farnsworth, Roberts Blossom and Lois Smith add colour and depth to a number of smaller roles.

Dealing with heavy subjects such as faith and belief, Resurrection manages to wear its themes lightly while never feeling slight. While one plot strand is left frustratingly and rather unconvincingly hanging, it nevertheless remains a powerful, quietly moving experience. By using a supernatural force to invoke feelings of contentment and tranquility as opposed to terror or revulsion, it emerges as a uniquely singular film that, in its most inspired moments, resurrects something in us that nowadays feels all too fleeting.

It makes us feel Hope.

Film:

Resurrection is out now in Australia, released through Via Vision on their Imprint Films label. The picture quality on the Blu Ray is only fair I’m afraid. The source used looks rather dated and tired and is crying out for a new restoration. That being said, there are still moments where the picture impresses and the encode handles darker and more challenging scenes rather well. The mono audio track offers clear dialogue and allows Maurice Jarre’s score to shine. So, while not a revelation in the A/V department, Resurrection on Blu Ray offers a serviceable presentation.

Imprint offer a few key extras on the disc. The first is a thoroughly researched commentary from film historian Lee Gambin. Gambin provides a great balance between critical analysis and production information on the film, as well as delving  into the supernatural phenomena depicted on screen. He also discusses Resurrection’s disappointing critical reception, including its poor cinema marketing strategy and home video release. A very informative and interesting listen.

Next up is an interview with Ellen Burstyn herself, recorded especially for this release. Over a half hour interview, she discusses the background to the film and her contributions to the story, a real life healing experience with her son that sparked her fasciation with faith/spiritual healing and the real life faith healer who helped Burstyn with the role of Edna. She goes on to discuss working with Sam Shepherd and the rest of the cast, explores the film’s botched release and explains why Resurrection is still so important to her. This is a fantastic interview and an essential watch if you liked the film.

The final extra is a 20 minute video essay, Born to be Wild: Resurrection and the Rise of the Divine Feminine, by Kat Ellinger. Here, Ellinger explores the film within its contemporary 80s setting and explains how the film was ahead of its time. She goes on to discuss how female supernatural phenomena has been depicted in cinema as well as how patriarchal society has generally reacted to divine feminine power, consistently relating her thoughts back to the film. A key takeaway is that Resurrection is unique among its contemporaries in Edna’s refusal to be broken or bent to will and ideas of men. Altogether, this is another great watch that is well worth your time.

The first 1500 versions of Resurrection also come with a limited edition slipcase – so if you like the film, better order sooner rather than later.

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