When choosing which movies to appear in, "Risen" star Joseph Fiennes likes to look at the stories that speak to him and "strike a chord" with his emotions. This is why he did not hesitate to be a part of "Risen," a movie directed by Kevin Reynolds that tells the story of Jesus Christ's crucifixion through the perspective of a Roman soldier and non-believer.
"I don't know why I gravitate toward them or them to me – if it's coincidence or if it's conscience," he told The Christian Examiner about his faith-based movie roles. "I recently played Eric Liddell (in the yet-to-be-released 'The Last Race'), a missionary who died in a Japanese internment camp. He was famously remembered in the film 'Chariots of Fire.' Maybe, if I really examined it, I am very drawn to the integrity that someone has. As soon as you raise the bar of your integrity, you are challenged, and I have great respect for those who do that and weather all the storms and remain true to their faith, remain true to their mission."
In "Risen," Fiennes plays Clavius, a Roman soldier determined to disprove the fact that Jesus rose from the dead after three days. In the quest he undertakes with his aide Lucius (Tom Felton), the two men begin to doubt their own beliefs and spirituality and face the reality that Jesus is indeed the Saviour.
According to Fiennes, they got the role of Clavius just "right."
"It seems there's an overwhelmingly positive reaction from theologians and Christian ministers from whom we sought counsel during filming and the editing process. I'm just a small component in that. It's like a detective story. Clavius goes on this mission, and on that mission, his conditioning and his understanding of the world as he knows it is undone, irrevocably," he shared. "That was a big challenge, really, to get that believability to the character and also to remain true to Scripture and also to make it a great cinematic event."
