LAMBS OF GOD
Australia, 2019, 200 minutes, Colour.
Essie Davis, Ann Dowd, Jessica Barden, Sam Reid, Daniel Henschel, John Bell, Kate Mulvaney, Damon Herriman.
Directed by Jeffrey Walker.
Lambs of God is a television series based on a novel by Marele Day adapted by actress, writer, director, Sarah Lambert. It was filled in rugged terrain in Tasmania. The director is Jeffrey Walker who has directed a considerable number of television series including Dance Academy subsequent feature film. He also directed several of the Jack Irish telemovies. He received some acclaim for his comedy, Ali’s Wedding.
While the setting is an island off the British coast, the time is 1999. However, the ruins on the island of a monastery are inhabited by three nuns, the order of St Agnes, with the play on words from Latin for lamb, agnus, and the lambs of God. The community is very strange indeed, feminist in its way, regarding the deity as female, prayer and Scriptures, but also practical life in tending lambs which are seen as the incarnation of deceased sisters. Essie Davis portray Sister Iphigeneia who is in charge. Ann Dowd, who made such an impact in The Handmaid’s Tale, is the elderly Sister Margarita. British actress, especially from British television, Jessica Barden, is a young ingenuous junior sister.
However, life on the island is disturbed by the visit of a rather self-important priest, Australian actor Sam Reid. While he belongs to a rather hierarchical church, especially exemplified by a haughty John Bell as the Bishop, he brings a modern tone, the diocese wanting to claim possession of the island and turn it into a tourist resort.
While the situation and the characters are somewhat exotic, the development of the narrative is not what the audience might have expected, the imprisonment of the priest, the concern of his former drug addict sister and her reliance on the local police (Kate Mulvaney and Daniel Henschel), the Bishop’s intervention, his somewhat thug assistant priest (Damon Herriman).
Sister Iphigeneia is rather mysterious but audiences will begin to suspect aspects of the presence of the young sister. There is a further development went Sister Iphigeneia goes to confront her mother, Sigrid Thornton, to raise money to pay for the island. Certainly, off-putting images of the Catholic Church. Bizarre aspects of an enclosed spirituality. And a great deal of melodrama.
1. The title? The nuns as lambs of God – and the reincarnation of the dead nuns? The symbol of lamb of God from the Bible? The Latin Agnus Dei? The order of St Agnes? Issues of sacrifice, the sacrifice of the lambs, and communion with them? How intelligible the narrative and background for non-Christian audiences? Christian audiences?
2. 1999, the United Kingdom, the coast, the town, the police centre, the bars, homes? The island, old, the ruins? The brambles and the vegetation? The parts, the causeway? The sea? The Cathedral, the church and offices? The blend of the old with the 20th century into the 21st? The musical score, songs, hymns and chant?
3. Audience knowledge of Catholicism and traditions? Or not? Conference, nuns, habits? Rituals of prayer, community life, cooking, meals? Orthodoxy? Authenticity? The church of the Bishop, formally dressed, formal and severe in his manner, interested in power and finance, not pastoral? The worldly interest? The priests, classics, narrow outlook, superior? Bob as henchmen and thug priests? Priests, vocations, ministry, obligations of celibacy?
4. The setting, the three nuns as characters, ages, the mystery of her their being there, the origins of the order, lifestyle, no modern conveniences, looking after the sheep, the symbolism of the sheep, shearing, the wool, knitting, killing the sheep, consuming the sheep, killing day? The meeting, Eucharistic, the drinking of the blood? St Agnes, child, violated, the brothel, executed as a martyr? The female perspective of this religious congregation and their perspective on God, female?
5. The device of fairytales and their being recounted, Beauty and the Beast for Margarita and her experience, flashbacks to the past, the rape, the silhouette of the Beast as a devil? Her sense of sin, a touch demented? The story of Snow White, Iphigeneia, her jealous mother, her growing up, beauty, her love for Jeremiah, the Huntsman pursuing them, killing Jeremiah before her eyes? Then her disappearing? Carla, the story of Briar Rose and her preservation? Ignatius telling the story of the prodigal son, an allegory for what had happened to him? Their life stories through fairytales, and their weaving them into the garments?
6. The sudden arrival of Ignatius? The hard journey, the car of the causeway, the brambles, the nuns and the reaction? Ignatius proper, classic, but relying on his phone? The mystery of his visit?
7. The church situation, the presentation of the Bishop, wanting to buy the island, setting up the resort, the brochure and the glamour? The nuns and their treatment of Ignatius, and his spitting, the wine, the meal and the lamb? Sleeping with the sheep? His clothes? The worsening situation, his harsh attitude, wanting the phone, Carla with the phone, his injuries, the decision to keep him, putting his leg in the cast, his being trapped?
8. The Bishop and his character, his assistants, severe personality, autocratic? The interviews with Barnaby? Wanting the investigation secret? The reluctance about giving money, financing the helicopter? Bob as an assistant priest, seemingly innocuous, but a spy, his presence at the memorial, the commission by the Bishop, his going to the island, infiltrating, on the island?
9. The nuns, Margarita, her age, her flowers and strictness, visions, the madness, the story of Beauty and the Beast, the flashbacks, the image of the beast as satanic?
10. Iphigeneia, 25 years on the island, in charge, decision-making, relationship with the other sisters? Her having visions? Carla, her age, ingenuous and innocent? Yet elements of sexuality?
11. Iphigeneia, the situation, the buying of the island, her going to look at the files, the newspapers, her life, the Snow White story, her vain mother, the affair with Jeremiah, the Huntsman and his killing of Jeremiah? The decision to leave, going to the hotel, the encounter with the lawyers, the explanation of the deal, interactions with her mother? The press conference, leaving the letter for her mother, checking on the property and bequest to the next of kin? The plan?
12. Carla, her age, innocent, left in the basket, her naivete, living according to the rules, the relationship with the others, the works and the lambs, taking Ignatius’ phone, the attraction to him, her being sheltered, sexual arousals?
13. Ignatius, his options, to die or to become part of the community, ordered to knit, the instructions, his new clothes, his being washed? the shell and his loosening the plaster? Knitting, Margarita and her anger with him, Carla and her help implement it? Passing of time, acceptance, his telling the story, his version and interpretation of the prodigal son?
14. The helicopter flying over, Carla learning about Frankie, explaining his sister, getting the phone, phoning the Bishop, the call of the time of his memorial?
15. Frankie, the situation, her back story, the two as children, alcohol, drugs, AA, her children, wanting to reconcile with Ignatius? Not believing that he was dead? Her continually challenging Barnaby? The AA meeting, Bob and his presence, going home, his getting her to drink, his wanting her to talk? His plan?
16. Bob, commissioned by the Bishop, going to visit the sisters, the sinister encounters, through the brambles, falling to his death?
17. Iphigeneia, the sisters, pushing the car into the water, avoiding the helicopter? Coming back to the island, the boat, the oarsmen, the memories of the past, the sexual encounter, Carla’s birth?
18. The group together, in peace, Ignatius becoming part of the community, his being officially received, vows, the knitting, into the future? Relationship with Carla?
19. 20th century Gothic story – with bizarre religious overtones?
