Netflix’s Mary: Catholic director says he wanted to show great reverence to the Virgin

A new Netflix film about the Virgin Mary has received mixed reviews, with some Catholics on social media criticizing the depiction of Mother God and the type of relationship she had with Saint Joseph.

“There will always be criticism, no matter what kind of movie you make, but if you do it all for the right reasons, like we did, then, to me, that takes care of itself,” said the film’s director, DJ Caruso, a Catholic, in an interview with CNA—EWTN News’ English agency—.

According to Caruso, every decision was made to “make the best film possible” and “show great reverence for this incredible woman and her life.”

Netflix’s “Maria” was released on the streaming platform on December 6. It is considered a biblical coming-of-age epic and portrays Mary’s experience after her miraculous conception of Jesus and her journey to escape King Herod.

Staying true to Scripture was “the foundation” of the film’s creation, Caruso said. The script went through 74 drafts and received input from Catholic, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders, including the late Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, Monsignor David G. O’Connell, who served as Caruso’s spiritual advisor.

A memory that the Catholic director holds close to his heart is a conversation he had with O’Connell about the script and the bishop told him: “Please give Joseph a voice… Joseph was a hero and we never see Joseph as a hero”.

“So I promised him I would make José like this,” Caruso shared.

Another aspect Caruso wanted to focus on was Maria’s humanity, which also inspired the creation of the film.

“I always felt, particularly from the younger audience, that there is a great appreciation for the Holy Mother and all that she is — this great, iconic, beautiful woman. But what was it like when you were a young girl and all this was happening? Using her as our anchor and seeing all of this through her eyes and the humanity that she had… It just felt to me like the most compelling way to tell the story.”

As the father of a young daughter, Caruso thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool if a 17-year-old girl saw this movie and was like, ‘Maria is great!’ Not only do I love her, but she’s so cool!’”

Caruso believes that portraying the human side of divine figures and holy figures, like the Holy Mother, “makes them endearing, makes them relational.”

“There is a great reverence towards them, but at the same time, in that reverence, you never saw the struggles or what it was like and for me to do this, what is it going to cost? “It takes great courage and great sacrifice to do something incredible like María did,” he explained.

“And what about the human side of her and the decisions she had to make? It really makes a character relatable and makes you understand their situation and brings you closer to them when done well… I wanted to highlight a human element in Maria.”

Caruso shared that throughout his career, his faith “has played an important role because it is who I am, so it will always show up in some way.”

“Even if it is not necessarily a religious story, I have always infused it and celebrated the unconditional love of God,” he maintained.

While making this film, the “fiat” of Mary and her acceptance of God’s will impacted Caruso personally. He pointed out the “bizarre mess” that society is currently in and the need for each of us to make the right decisions.

“Whether we are young, old, we have to make decisions: is it human nature that is going to guide me and all these things or is the grace of God my guide?”

Reflecting on Mary’s powerful words, “Let it be done to me according to your word,” Caruso said, “If we can take that to our hearts and if that can be the message that is conveyed this Christmas, as Catholics, we have to make that choice to to say, ‘I give it to you and I surrender, and I’m going to put it in your hands.’ “I think that’s a really important message.”

Translated and adapted by ACI Prensa. Originally published in CNA.