This might sound like a contradiction, but I’m an atheist who is extremely interested in biopics on religious figures. You can’t get me near any of the faith-based stuff that litters theaters for the most part, but a well-made biography of those who feel a spiritual calling to embrace, and even spread, the word of God, I find fascinating. The Testament of Ann Lee is one of the best in recent years, perhaps because it isn’t like a traditional biopic at all. Nor should we expect it to be, as it comes from the filmmaking duo of director/co-writer Mona Fastvold and co-writer Brady Corbet, who gave us The Brutalist just a year ago. Just as that film explored madness and genius through architecture, The Testament of Ann Lee explores faith as more than a holy connection, but an absolute physical one projected through dance.
The Testament of Ann Lee is a tough film to peg, which is part of why it’s such a staggering piece of work. At times, it’s closer to a Broadway musical than a traditional biopic. While it maintains a three-act structure seen in most films, little else about it is familiar. That will be especially true if you know little about its subject, Ann Lee, the leader of the Shaker Movement, an 18th-century Christian sect that rose to some prominence in England, before moving to the United States in the 1780s. They were known primarily for the emphatic form of dance as part of their worship, which is how they earned the name “Shakers.” For Ann Lee, played beautifully by Amanda Seyfried, the multiple failed pregnancies left her emotionally hollow, and particularly open to having her spirit filled with the presence of Jesus.
Lee faced persecution everywhere she went. Her upbringing in England was hard, and colored by early sexual interactions that would later convince her that complete abstinence was the only sure way to find God. This wouldn’t go over so well with her husband, Abraham (Christopher Abbott), who seemed to enjoy playing it a bit rough in the marital bed. This didn’t deter her most fervent supporters, including the sister Mary Partington (Thomasin McKenzie, luminous as ever), who narrates the film, and Lee’s brother William (Lewis Pullman), often called upon to attract others to the flock.
Believing their egalitarian ideals would be more accepted in the New World, Lee and the Shakers nevertheless faced harsher rebuke. Known as Mother Ann, and considered the female representation of God on earth, she held strong to the values that led her small but growing community to be influential in the forging of new American ideals. Perhaps all of that sexual repression made a difference? They had to put all of that energy somewhere, right? Fastvold doesn’t go so far as to question any of the Shaker beliefs, but I also think it’s fair to suggest that all of their wild dancing and singing was a way of releasing that pent-up sexual energy. Lee’s movement is tackled with the unquestioned dedication of a zealot. When the Shakers first arrived in America, they were appalled by the slave trades and rightfully shamed the traders for taking part. Fastvold doesn’t bother to examine why, in a sect where equality is key, becoming part of the anti-slavery movement wasn’t more of an issue. Also, how are the Shakers supposed to grow without procreation? Maybe I’m thinking more about those issues than is necessary.
Fastvold’s direction mirrors that of her creative and life partner, Corbet, in that she is able to make a relatively intimate, human story feel immense. The Shakers’ vivid gatherings take become something otherworldly, a divine sensation of freedom from earthly concerns. Backed by composer Daniel Blumberg’s mercurial score and aided by cinematographer William Rexer’s painterly visuals, The Testament of Ann Lee is a wonder to listen to and gorgeous to behold. Fastvold leaps dynamically from scenes of severe hardship; the Shakers recovering from a beating or a troubled mother admitting she’s considered filicide, to scenes that might’ve been ripped from an oddball comedy. Upon the Shakers’ arrival to America, one man is comically guided by his finger to the spot where they are to set up shop. It’s ridiculous, but Fastfold plays it straight and seriously. The Shakers are guided, hard and fast, by their beliefs, and that devotion is a rare commodity worth respecting.
Ultimately, The Testament of Ann Lee belongs to Amanda Seyfried. It’s such a departure from her manic, over-the-top performance in The Housemaid, and shows Seyfried’s incredible range. She grasps Ann Lee’s sadness, ferocity, her sensitivity to others, and the faith that made her a voice that people wanted to listen to. The entire ensemble is fantastic, but Seyfried delivers one of the best performances of the year if not THE best. The Testament of Ann Lee won’t be for everyone. It’s a bit of an odd duck. But I’d encourage those who are skeptical to give it a shot. They might find something in it to believe in.
Searchlight Pictures will release The Testament of Ann Lee in theaters on Christmas Day.
