Pilgrimage 2017

In AD 55 Cappadocia, Saint Matthias is dragged in chains by a crowd to be stoned to death, and just as the last stone is about to fly, a crack of lightning shatters the moment, hinting at a power beyond the ordinary.

Fast forward to 1209, in storm-wattered Ireland, where a French Cistercian monk named Frère Geraldus arrives at a remote monastery with a papal charter. The goal is stark and dangerous: to embark on a pilgrimage that will transport their holiest relic to Rome, in the hope that it will bolster the upcoming Fifth Crusade. The monks reluctantly agree, clinging to legend that the relic’s holy power will purge those who lack purity. Among the small band are a multilingual Brother Ciarán and a novice named Diarmuid, joined by a mute laborer. A rainstorm erupts as they travel, and the golden reliquary is struck by lightning but remains unscathed, reinforcing in their eyes the sanctity and power of what they carry.

The Irish landscape is volatile: Norman forces sweep through Gaelic lands, and Geraldus bears the burden of protecting the pilgrims. They reach a Norman encampment led by Baron de Merville, who believes aiding the pilgrims could grant him absolution for cruel acts committed as a crusader. The monks are unsettled by the violence surrounding the Baron’s camp, especially by the Baron’s son, Raymond de Merville. Geraldus argues that a measure of protection, though harsh, is a necessary evil for their sacred mission. Hidden within the convoy is the shocking truth: the reliquary does not contain the remains of Matthias, but the very stone used to martyr him; the pope imagines its power will fuel a crusade.

A larger caravan, now under Raymond’s command, escorts the monks toward a waiting boat in Waterford. The languages of the group are discordant—Raymond speaks French and the mute labourer seems to be known only to those who speak his tongue—while Brother Ciarán alone communicates in French, leaving the others in the dark about some of the tensions beneath the surface. A brutal setback arises when a bridge is found burned and its guards dead, prompting Raymond to chase after the attackers, leaving a slim guard to watch over the monks.

Ambush follows ambush as Gaelic warriors strike, slaughtering soldiers and monks. The Mute cries out a protective instinct as a sling stone strikes and knocks him unconscious, but he later reawakens with a fallen sword in hand, slaying Gaels and even killing their chieftain. Geraldus interprets this brutal, violent defense as holy wrath on the Gaels for desecrating the relic, and the two young monks, Diarmuid and Cathal, witness a transformation of their journey into something grimmer and more perilous. They choose to pursue the relic, reasoning that it is too dangerous to wait for Raymond’s men to rescue them.

The Mute tracks the stolen cart and the missing reliquary, silently eliminating a Gaelic scout and locating the Irish camp, where Brother Ciarán is bound hostage to a tree. Diarmuid pleads to rescue Ciarán, but Geraldus insists their sacred duty lies with the relic itself, arguing that Ciarán would likely say the same if the positions were reversed. Diarmuid volunteers to slip into the camp after nightfall to reclaim the relic, even if it means leaving the ornate reliquary behind with the Gaels.

As the plan unfolds, Raymond and his lieutenants descend on the camp for the relic, revealing their true motive: they have hired the Gaels to slay the pilgrims so that King John of England can seize the relic instead of the Pope. In a quiet moment of truth, Ciarán reveals that he threw the reliquary from the cart before he and the cart were captured, urging Diarmuid to find the relic and leave him to his fate. Devastated, Diarmuid leaves his mentor to face the consequences.

The monks manage to escape as Raymond discovers the reliquary’s emptiness. Ciarán refuses to reveal its location, and Raymond kills him brutally with a grim, multi-pronged barb after Ciarán calls on Jesus. The relic’s disappearance deepens the peril, but the monks recover the empty reliquary’s hollow home and press on. Dawn breaks as horns sound in the distance, and a fog-shrouded river appears as a possible lifeline. Geraldus proclaims that the divine sign must be read as permission to continue, and the monks race toward the water, praying for deliverance.

At the river, the ferrymen bring a glimmer of hope. Geraldus proposes that the Mute should murder the ferrymen to clear a path, but Brother Cathal negotiates with the pearls he recovered from the reliquary, trading them to secure a crossing. The boat carries them toward the coast, yet the tide is too shallow to pass. Raymond and his men close in from behind, and the ferrymen, fearing their own danger, cast cargo overboard and push the boat through the shallows. Geraldus, speaking French, convinces the Mute to stall the pursuers and buy the pilgrims time to escape, arguing that God will forgive the Crusader’s sins, no matter how great.

In a brutal confrontation, the Mute fights Raymond and his soldiers. He defeats some but is ultimately overwhelmed as Raymond stabs him with a barbed prong, asking where he comes from. The Mute’s reply is stark and singular: “Hell.” He then bites Raymond’s throat, severing an artery, and advances on the remaining enemy troops with grim resolve. On the boat, Cathal reveals he was struck by the last arrow and collapses. The sound of swords clashing on the shore echoes as Geraldus explains that the relic’s power would inspire thousands to wield holy violence. Disturbed, Diarmuid hesitates at the edge of the vessel and contemplates discarding the relic. Geraldus resists, and in a final struggle, he plunges overboard with the relic as Diarmuid watches in horror.

The ferryman’s question—“Where to now?”—lingers as the survivors drift away. The camera lingers on the boat, and a supernatural light bathes the vessel, suggesting that God’s will has been fulfilled even as the fate of the relic remains ambiguous. The film closes on the quiet, unsettled note that the sacred power once believed to save may have already changed everything in unexpected, irreversible ways.