Stigmata – Capelight Pictures Mediabook Edition

Director: Rupert Wainwright
Writers: Tom Lazarus, Rick Ramage
Starring: ‎Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathan Pryce, Nia Long, Thomas Kopache, Rade Serbedzija
Year: 1999
Duration: 103 mins
BBFC Certification: 15

The late 90’s was an interesting time for vaguely Christsploitation-esque horror films to drop in the cinema with both the Schwarzenegger starring End of Days and Rupert Wainwright’s Stigmata hitting screens within months of one another. But, while the former had its more biblical horror elements buried under the weight of its stars action chops, Stigmata attempted to channel more of an Exorcist vibe with its story of an atheist hairdresser who suddenly starts experiencing signs of stigmata.

That hairdresser is Frankie Paige (Arquette) and upon hearing about her symptoms, the Vatican dispatches Father Andrew Kiernan (Byrne) to investigate why this non-believer is suddenly bleeding from spontaneous wounds that match those of Christ on the cross. Questioning his faith and position as a priest, Kiernan struggles to believe how Paige could be experiencing such a holy event, but when signs of possession also show through it’s apparent something more sinister is at work.

Stigmata is very much a film of its time, a turn of the millennium mix of horror and religion that’s as messy as it sounds. It’s chock full of late 90’s aesthetic, from Arquette’s grunge chic, to over saturated colour grading and hyper-kinetic editing, and even a score written by Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan. Under the surface of all of this dated kitsch though, it feels like Rupert Wainwright is trying to make something a little bit different from the average horror flick.

There are times when the cinematography and location shooting combine to create some striking imagery, from the bleak and oppressive apartment that Paige lives in (which seems to have a constant problem with leaks from the persistent rain, both eerily evocative and a health and safety nightmare) to the brightly lit streets of Vatican City. The story itself is ultimately an exploration of science vs faith, considering what the concept of “belief” could be to a non-religious individual when confronted with ideas of faith and religion, as well as pitting the idea of faith itself against the institution of the church.

At it’s core, Stigmata is as much a DaVinci Code-esque mystery as it is an Exorcist style horror story, as Kiernan begins to discover there’s something behind Paige’s experience that could shake the very foundations of the Catholic Church, one that his boss, Cardinal Houseman (a wonderfully scenery chewing Jonathan Pryce) is keen to see covered up by any means necessary. These moments, mixed in with imagery of Paige drenched in blood from her stigmatic wounds creates a film that is at times compelling and intriguing with a narrative that is pro-faith but fiercely anti-church. It’s just a shame it doesn’t stay that way.

Ultimately Stigmata doesn’t really know what it wants to be. The horror elements often seem at odds with the religious mystery and ultimately the narrative is wound up with an unsatisfying Deus Ex Machina revelation. Plot threads and even characters from earlier in the film are left unresolved and hanging by the time the credits roll as the story shifts gear in a different direction part way through. But it’s not a terrible film; it’s certainly watchable and falls into the category of being “fine” – perhaps it’s a product of its time, a film trying to explore big ideas while still being appealing to a mainstream late 90’s audience who might want more horror with their religious philosophising; perhaps it’s a story that could almost benefit from a more modern retelling. As long as you know what to expect, Stigmata is still worth checking out for some of its more intriguing ideas.

Bonus Features

• 2-Disc Limited Collector’s Edition Mediabook, the main film on Blu-ray and DVD and a 24-page booklet 
• Audio Commentary with director Ruper Wainwright
• Holy Rites: Making of “Stigmata” 
• Deleted Scenes
• Alternate Ending
• Theatrical Trailer

This edition of Stigmata, from Altitude and Capelight Pictures, comes in a lovely “Mediabook” package, a cardboard box which opens out like a book and contains the discs (here a DVD and Blu Ray) as well as a lovely booklet. It’s a great looking package for collectors.

Bonus features wise, there’s nothing new here over the original DVD release from 2000, with the same making of documentary, deleted scenes and an alternate ending which provides a somewhat darker and perhaps more ambiguous ending to the film.