On Sunday evening, I clicked on NETFLIX but didn’t know where it would take me. I am not able to hack much violence and so much of what is on offer now seems to force violence on us. I looked for a bit of comedy but nothing caught my eye and then I saw the word and title: “Broken” with a picture of a priest. I wondered and clicked.
It led me to episode 1 of series 1 of a drama set around a priest, Fr Michael Kerrigan, living and ministering in a poor parish in Northern England. I decide to give it a go.
Six episodes and a few mugs of coffee later, I turned off the television, brought the dog out and went to bed. There is only the one season, so I watched it all in one night. I’ve often heard people say that about a book – “I just couldn’t close it” or “I had to finish it.” I felt the same.
The priest, at the centre of the drama is played by Sean Bean and his character is written by Jimmy McGovern. As is often the case I found myself looking for bits around the drama and came across this interview with McGovern
In the interview he says that he loves to write. He said that an empty page is an invitation to him. He says that he could not have written this sooner, certainly not when his parents were alive as he addresses issues that he’d not want them to have to hear. I’m not sure if some of what is portrayed in the drama reflects what he means here.
Interestingly he says that he has no faith, that he wishes he had but that he felt there was need to write about a good priest. Something very real being said here and that reality is well captured.
There are many dark moments in the drama, not always easily watched but it is very believable. The priest, certainly gives all he has to his community but he has his own struggles. Quite often the very consecration of the Mass is a challenge to him and he explains why. I think the fact that McGovern could even begin to understand this, let alone, portray it, speaks a lot about his own understanding of the celebration of Mass and the priest’s role therein. Equally, Bean’s dramatisation of this struggle is enough to make me think about how easily I could take the consecration for granted.
Much of the exchange that takes place is in the setting of confession and I saw somewhere that when McGovern approached Bean to play the part of Fr Michael, Bean was reluctant saying that hearing confession was “passive” but McGovern insisted it wasn’t. I am paraphrasing now but he told him that when a priest hears confessions, the penitent goes away lighter and the priest carrying more weight. That in not passivity, McGovern, told him. It is clear McGovern’s upbringing and his Catholic roots have embedded themselves in who he is and what he writes.
Anyway, I just thought I’d share this. I cannot say I felt totally comfortable watching all this drama revealed but I went to bed, somewhat renewed that a drama can portray what a priest tries to be and the difference he can make. I went to bed, feeling I could do more but grateful for what I do.
BROKEN on Netflix? I think so!
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