The Book of Clarence
Warning : The following clause take major spoilers for The Book of Clarence
Summary
Benedict Cumberbatch had a surprising , hilarious , and somewhat puzzling cameo inThe Book of Clarence , which at last impacted the film ’s twist ending . The actor had been a confirmed extremity of the shape for months leading up to the movie ’s release , but the details were kept on the down first gear . Then , for the legal age ofThe Book of Clarence , Cumberbatch seemed to be nowhere in sight — until the big reveal of on the nose who his type was and how he perfectly fit in with the over - the - top theme of Jeymes Samuel ’s ambitious celluloid .
The Book of Clarenceis prepare in Biblical Jerusalemand tells the story of a down - and - out weed principal ( LaKeith Stanfield ) who require to prove to the world that he could be somebody . Using the instance of Jesus of Nazareth ( Nicholas Pinnock ) , Clarence decides to pretend to be a Messiah , earning himself followers , wealthiness , and , above all , position . In bicycle-built-for-two with Clarence ’s wage hike to nimbus , The Book of Clarenceexplores the oppression of the BIPOC community , with the few blank cast members ( like James McAvoy ) play the Roman soldiers and leader . Cumberbatch is the exception , though his role still cleverly relates to the impactful idea of Clarence ’s story .
The Book of Clarence reimagines many biblical figures & stories through the eye of Stanfeld ’s Clarence , a sour prophet who becomes a on-key believer .
Benedict Cumberbatch Plays A Beggar Mistaken For Jesus In The Book Of Clarence
Clarence ’s tale inThe Book of Clarenceopens with a closeup of a filthy beggar on the street of Jerusalem , who comically begs the camera for money before being carry off the route by a chariot . This same beggar is fancy at various fourth dimension throughout the film , and he seems to have no signification to the plot until the third act when Jesus of Nazareth perform a miracle that gives the grungy man the ability to make coin out of his bare hand . The beggar uses his novel ability to pay some woman to clean him up , andit ’s only then that it becomes vindicated that the mendicant had been Benedict Cumberbatch all along .
Here ’s where Cumberbathc ’s part really became clever — the clean - up beggar bore a striking resemblance to the stereotypical image of the snowy Jesus that dominates advanced Christianity today . Though therealJesus ofThe Book of Clarencewas a Black man , the second that Cumberbatch ’s Benjamin took to the streets of Jerusalem , the multitude there began to misidentify him for the Messiah . Unfortunately for him , the Romans also mistook Cumberbatch ’s character for Jesus Christ , so they had him crucified . The material Messiah , theBlack Jesus played by Pinnock inThe Book of Clarence , is , therefore , never captured by the Romans .
Benedict Cumberbatch’s The Book Of Clarence Cameo Completely Changes The Bible
Cumberbatch ’s fiber in The Book of Clarence is meant to excuse why " White Jesus " has become the standard in modern Christianity , comically lend to the movie ’s root of Black subjugation .
Cumberbatch ’s character inThe Book of Clarenceis meant to explicate why " White Jesus " has become the criterion in modern Christianity , comically contributing to the pic ’s themes of Black oppression . It ’s a cagey pull , but the film takes it even further than this . Since the beggar is frustrate in Jesus ' place , the Messiah run low on living after that first Good Friday , andJudas Iscariot ’s betrayal is fruitless since the unseasonable man was captured and crucify . Still , this is n’t to say Jesus of Nazareth did n’t perform any miracle . Since Clarencewascrucified , the Messiah came to his grave on Easter Sunday and brought him back from the dead .
Of course , this is a drastically different version of events than what is narrate in the four Gospels of the Bible , but that ’s the entire point . The Book of Clarenceaims to tell the story from another man ’s perspective ( rather than Matthew , Mark , Luke , and John ) , thus demonstrating how these stories can be misunderstood and falsify over the years . Those who have power often dictate how a news report ( i.e. , the Roman Catholic Church ) is perceived , while the tales of those without power ( the Black residential area ) are ignored . at last , Cumberbatch ’s case inThe Book of Clarenceis a comical way of driving this point home .
