The Book of Clarence is the latest addition to the biblical epic genre in Hollywood that has been around since the very beginning. However, coming from emerging filmmaker Jeymes Samuel and starring LaKeith Stanfield, the 2024 new movie offers something quite different from other entries in the genre like Ben-Hur, The Ten Commandments and others. That certainly holds true for The Book of Clarence ending.
If you haven't watched The Book of Clarence yet, we recommend that you come back to this article once you have, as we're about to get into plenty of spoilers for the movie. But if you have seen the movie and have a few questions about what happened to Clarence and others, let us try and clear things up for you.
The Book of Clarence takes place in ancient Jerusalem, when Jesus (Nicholas Pinnock) is being praised by many as the Messiah. However, the story focuses on Clarence (Stanfield), a man struggling to do something with his life. In an attempt to change his fortune, he decides to pass himself off as the new Messiah, making sermons based on his personal beliefs and faking miracles to get people's attention and money. However, his actions soon bring him into the crosshairs of Rome, which wants to snuff out any and all Messiahs that could give the people of Jerusalem hope.
So, how does Clarence's story end? And what about Benedict Cumberbatch, what's the deal with his character? We break that and more down right here.
What happens to Clarence in The Book of Clarence?
The movie actually starts off with an image of Clarence being crucified before jumping back a few weeks in time, seemingly giving audiences a glimpse as to what is going to befall Clarence. Of course, the journey is just as important as the destination.
Throughout the movie we see that Clarence is a schemer and non-believer in Jesus and God. Despite this and his desire to prove he isn't a nobody, Clarence is still a caring person, wanting to take care of his mother (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) and having true feelings for Varinia (Anna Diop).
He only begins his charade as a new Messiah after he is rejected from joining Jesus' apostles by his brother Thomas (also played by Stanfield). Yet as the money starts to pour in, Clarence's conscience is impacted by what he is doing, ultimately deciding to use the money to free slaves. Though part of his reasoning for doing so is because he believes more money will come as his influence is only growing.
However, that all changes when Judas (Michael Ward) gives Roman soldiers Clarence's location, ultimately leading to his capture. At his trial in front of Pontius Pilate (James McAvoy), Clarence admits he is no Messiah and was lying to get money. But Pontius says they will hold a test, if Clarence can walk on water, it'll prove he is a Messiah and therefore his guilt in the eyes of Rome; if he falls it'll prove his innocence, though they'll likely let him drown. But then a miracle happens, with Clarence, much to his own shock, able to walk on water. However, this ensures that Rome is going to not only imprison him, but crucify him.
This event fundamentally changes Clarence. He now truly believes in God and Jesus, ready to die for them. So he goes through the rigorous torture of being crucified.
The scene cuts to Clarence’s tomb, where Jesus comes and raises him from the dead, rewarding Clarence for his newfound faith.
As the movie ends, we see Clarence has a lightbulb over his head. This has happened a few times throughout the movie when Clarence came up with a new idea to try and get money. However, in this case it doesn't appear to mean Clarence has a new scheme, but rather his recent enlightenment
Is Jesus' story actually Clarence's?
Clarence's capture and eventual crucifixion has many of the same elements that the Bible details for Jesus' crucifixion, including marching the cross up the hill, being stabbed by a spear while on the cross and even asking God to forgive the people, as they "know not what they do." Add in his resurrection, and Clarence's story seems almost identical to that of Jesus. So, is The Book of Clarence saying that Jesus' story actually belongs to Clarence?
We don't think so. Jesus is a side character in the movie, but there are a number of moments to indicate that while there are parallels between what happens to Clarence and what eventually happens to Jesus, his story is still set to play out as we all know.
The big one being that Pontius Pilate is fully aware of both Clarence and Jesus, and is in fact more interested in capturing Jesus, offering Clarence a pardon if he gives him up. So while Clarence is being put through the ringer and Jesus is very much alive at the end of the movie, it stands to reason that the events around his own crucifixion are still to play out, but just aren't covered here because the movie's focus is Clarence.
Who is Benedict Cumberbatch’s character in The Book of Clarence?
Benedict Cumberbatch is one of the first characters that we see in The Book of Clarence, though you'd be forgiven if you missed him initially as he plays a character named Benjamin, who is so covered in dirt that he is nearly unrecognizable. Benjamin pops up a few times throughout the movie, asking Clarence and others if they can spare any money, though he is usually ignored.
That is until Benjamin comes across Jesus, who not only gives him money, but he makes it so that money spills out of his hand whenever he opens it. Benjamin uses this new found wealth to be cleaned. After he is done, he looks like the long-haired, bearded white Jesus that is common in Christian iconography.
Benjamin is then confused for Jesus because of the clothes that he is wearing and he is eventually crucified alongside Clarence. During the crucifixion, someone is painting Benjamin in a way that is again reminiscent of classic Christina iconography.
This bit ends up being one of the funniest in the movie, as it plays with how Jesus has often been portrayed as white, even though Jesus would have been from the Middle East, and therefore in all likelihood not white. Cumberbatch's Benjamin, therefore, serves as a possibility as to how this depiction of Jesus came to be.
The Book of Clarence is now playing exclusively in US movie theaters. It releases in the UK on January 19.
