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Director Mona Fastvold’s third feature is an ambitious account of the life of the 18th-century religious leader who pioneered the Shakers movement. Co-written with The Brutalist’s Brady Corbet, this speculative account of Ann Lee’s (Amanda Seyfried) life and teachings is part religious musical and half historical epic. It’s not an easy film to digest, nor will it be to everyone’s tastes, but it’s one you certainly won’t forget.
For those unaware, the Shakers (or Shaking Quakers) were a splinter group of the Quakers who believed in celibacy, egalitarianism, and communal living. They worshipped in a unique way, singing, dancing, and shaking to communicate with God. They were persecuted in England and moved to America to create a utopian community that still exists today.
The Testament of Ann Lee is split into three chapters and narrated by Ann’s loyal disciple Mary (Thomasin McKenzie). She explained how Ann was born into working-class Manchester in 1736 and became averse to intimacy after watching her parents together as a child. This sex aversion is heightened when she marries brutish Abraham (Christopher Abbott), with whom her union is a troubled one. Ann turns to the church after her first four children die before they can even turn one and finds a new lease of life in her loss.
The Quakers are not enough for Ann, who starts to experience religious hallucinations. In her grief and loneliness, she devotes herself to a stronger, more physical form of worship. Soon, she starts to lead her own congregation and becomes convinced she has been called upon to take her church to America. So, Ann, her husband, and six other congregants sail to the New World to spread the word.
The narration can sometimes fall into explaining too much instead of letting the audience watch things play out. In the first act, Mary describes the Evangelical world Ann grew up in, explains the scepticism towards the church, and tells Ann’s story before it plays out on screen. For a film so bold and experimental, it does sometimes feel the need to over-explain the story. Thankfully, in the second and third act, the film drops its biopic structure and starts to rely more on the atmosphere created.
The Testament of Ann Lee is not a musical, but it has enough extended music-led scenes to please fans of the genre (or annoy those not keen). With music composed by Daniel Blumberg, the songs are integral to Ann’s beliefs, the Shaker movement, and the movie’s atmosphere. Blumberg mixes original Shaker hymns with anachronistic instruments and new songs to create an experimental soundtrack unlike anything else.
Song and dance routines play throughout The Testament Of Ann Lee as the group forms a close relationship with each other and to God. Some of the songs are jarring and anxiety-inducing, more like animal sounds than music, while others are more melodic and gentler, luring those around them into a trance-like state.
This often-edgy soundtrack is paired with Sofía Subercaseaux’s sharp editing, contributing to the very specific rhythm of The Testament Of Ann Lee. The film comes at you in intoxicating waves, whether it’s visual or audible, mimicking the group’s shaking rituals. Whether you are a believer or not, these religious scenes will have you feeling something.
Mona Fastvold directs the film with 70mm cinematography to look dreamy, like the audience is seeing Ann’s real life through one of her visions. The moments where the Shakers communicate with higher powers are jaw-droppingly beautiful, reminiscent of Ryn Coogler’s Sinners. Limbs fly in the air, heads toss back, as the characters feel the music. Fastvold frequently shoots these moments from above their heads, like her camera is the God being worshipped.
Amanda Seyfried delivers a career-best performance as Ann, playing her from girlhood through to her dying days. She is remarkable as she transforms from a woman grieving her children to a leader (in a time when women did not preach) who considers herself the second coming of Christ. Seyfried has always possessed these skills, but she has rarely been able to unleash them like she can here.
It would be criminal if Seyfried is left out of the upcoming awards season chatter after delivering such powerful work here. The Testament of Ann Lee relies on her hypnotic performance, which will have you believing Ann could encourage people to give up their lives and join her religious sect.
While Seyfried has the material to work with, sadly, her co-stars do not. Lewis Pullman is underused as Ann’s loyal brother, William. There are hints that his personal life does not align with his public religious views, but the film fails to pull at this thread. Pullman only gets one big musical scene, the rockiest of them all, but it will leave you wanting more. His lack of appearance may also be because the actor flits between four different accents per scene. While Seyfried also struggles with the Northern English account, she just about gets away with it.
Stacy Martin and Tim Blake Nelson are two other actors whose characters are so underdeveloped that they are almost background scenery. They appear in proceedings with little to no arc or backstory. Christopher Abbott’s Abrahm is key to the narrative, yet it’s never explained why he acts this way toward his wife. There is a sense that much of their character development was left on the cutting-room floor.
The Shakers are ripe for being laughed at with their loud panting, writhing, and shrieking, but this film never mocks the sceptical or the faithful. Ann Lee’s life is viewed through a very contemporary lens, yet she is never negative about her teachings. The Testament of Ann Lee is a powerful ode to the power of community, of sticking to your convictions and staying passionate about your personal belief system.
The Testament of Ann Lee should be applauded for its audacity and commitment to not playing it safe. Every scene is filled with innovative visuals, rhythmic editing, and a breathtaking leading performance. The 130-minute runtime could be considered self-indulgent, and some of the characters feel underwritten, but there is much more to appreciate than the few flaws.
Ultimately, The Testament of Ann Lee is an unforgettable experience that works when you feel the story instead of thinking about it. Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet might just have a future masterpiece on their hands.
Grade: A
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The Testament of Ann Lee
An epic fable about religious leader Ann Lee, the founding leader of the Shaker Movement, who was proclaimed by her followers as the female Christ and went on to build one of the largest utopian societies in American history. Lee — one of the rare female religious leaders at the time —and her followers worshipped through exuberant song and dance.
