Most Biblical films offer solemn, self-serious tales of white people. With 2023’s The Book of Clarence, we get something different.

Set in 33 AD, Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) struggles to make a living. He owes money to various parties and deals with those pressures.

When he sees the rise of Jesus (Nicholas Pinnock) and his followers, Clarence feels this might offer a path to a better life. He attempts to become Jesus’s 13th apostle, a choice that leads him on a journey in which he eventually attempts to take over the title of messiah for himself.

Going into Book, I expected an irreverent take on the story of Jesus, and I got it. However, it didn’t follow quite the path I anticipated.

Book consciously splits into different sections, and each essentially comes with its own tone. The first chapter follows a path in the “struggling and disadvantaged person tries to make it in the hood” genre, while the second leans more toward Monty Python style satire.

Finally, the third segment emulates the final days of Jesus. It comes in a format akin to Last Temptation of Christ.

At times, these stylistic shifts can jolt the viewer, as they don’t always mesh smoothly. Book veers from one tone to another in a way that can feel jarring and without coherence.

Nonetheless, the end product largely works, even while it frustrates. Book comes with enough ambition to mostly overcome its flaws.

Though Book will also likely test the viewer’s patience along the way. Many of its choices can seem awfully self-conscious and forced, such as the decision to insert modern social commentary into the film.

For instance, the movie accentuates the poor manner in which authority has always treated people of color. While a valid point, it doesn’t fit this particular story well and can feel contrived.

Writer/director Jeymes Samuel also makes other stylistic leaps that don’t quite work. Though I respect his ambition, Samuel can’t always connect with these flights of fancy.

Nonetheless, the end product still largely succeeds, and it comes with a surprisingly powerful third act. After the comedic second segment, the final section goes much more serious, and it works.

A great cast helps, and as our lead – and his twin brother – Stanfield delivers a typically fine performance. He manages to make both roles seem distinct, and he also forms Clarence’s spiritual journey in a natural, believable manner.

Too much of Book seems over-thought-out to mean we get a movie that becomes a consistent winner. However, it brings admirable ambition and just enough wit and emotion to turn into a compelling ride.

The Book of Clarence appears in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The transfer lived up to expectations.

Overall sharpness appeared good. A little softness crept into the occasional wider shot, but those instances stayed modest.

The movie usually displayed solid delineation, and I noticed no shimmering or jagged edges. Edge haloes and print flaws remained absent.

Despite the movie’s Biblical setting, it opted for a heavy amber/orange orientation, with some signs of reds and teal at times. I thought the hues went to an extreme but the disc reproduced them as intended.

Blacks appeared dark and deep, and shadows showed good delineation. Low-light shots offered nice clarity. In the end, I felt pleased with this appealing presentation.

As for the movie’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, it added good zip to the proceedings. A few “action” scenes used the soundscape to the most impactful degree.

These moments occurred infrequently, though, so atmosphere became the most consistent element, and those moments created a satisfying sense of place and setting. The soundscape broadened in a compelling and involving manner.

Audio quality worked well. Speech was concise and natural, while music boasted fine range and vivacity.

Effects gave us accurate, dynamic elements without distortion. This turned into a quality mix.

When we shift to extras, we launch with an audio commentary from writer/director Jeymes Samuel and actor LaKeith Stanfield. Both sit together for this running, screen-specific look at story/characters, inspirations, music, cast and performances, sets and locations, stunts and effects, and related domains.

Yikes, what a disappointing commentary! Although Samuel and Stanfield touch on all those topics, they do so in a superficial manner.

This means that rather than give us an in-depth view of the film, we mainly hear lots and lots of praise for the movie and all involved. Given the daring nature of Clarence, I hoped for real insights, but instead, we just get two hours of happy talk.

Some featurettes follow and Book 4 runs eight minutes, 55 seconds. It involves Stanfield, Samuel, Tendo Nagenda, production designer Peter Walpole, visual effects supervisor Adam Azmy, costume designer Antoinette Messam, makeup department head Sian Richards, and actors Brian Bovell, David Oyelowo, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Caleb McLaughlin, Nicholas Pinnock, Teyana Taylor, Omar Sy, Anna Diop, and Alfre Woodard.

“Book” looks at inspirations and Samuel’s take on Biblical epics, sets and locations, various effects, costumes, makeup and hair. The featurette rushes through the topics, so we get some decent notes but not much depth.

The Gospel of Jeymes runs eight minutes, 42 seconds. We get info from Samuel, Stanfield, Woodard, Sy, Nagenda, Pinnock, Oyelowo, and actors Marianne Jean-Baptiste and RJ Cyler.

As implied by the title, “Gospel” looks at Samuel’s approach to the film. Like the prior reel, it mixes fluff and insights.

Next comes Band of Brothers. An 11-minute, 33-second reel, it comes with remarks from Stanfield, Woodard, Samuel, Cyler, Oyelowo, Diop, Sy, Taylor, Jean-Baptiste, Pinnock and actor James McAvoy.

We learn about cast, characters and performances. Expect more of the same happy talk here.

Song of Songs lasts four minutes, 11 seconds. It features Samuel, Stanfield, Sy, Pinnock, Nagenda and hair department dead designer Nakoya Yancey.

We get some notes about the movie's music. Nothing substantial arrives in this reel.

A Gag Reel occupies five minutes, eight seconds. Expect the usual goofs and giggles, though some improv moments arrive as well.

Eight Deleted Scenes span a total of 31 minutes, four seconds. Most of these would've come from the movie's third act and offer more dramatic material. I don't know how well they would've fit the final film, but they offer interesting material.

The scenes can be viewed with or without introductions from Samuel and Nagenda, as they tell us a bit about the sequences and usually why the clips got cut. They provide some useful notes.

The disc opens with ads for The Woman King, Big George Foreman, Equalizer 3, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. No trailer for Book appears here.

An irreverent but generally effective alternate Biblical history, The Book of Clarence wobbles at times due to its tonal inconsistency. However, it does more than enough right to make it a largely involving view of the Jesus story. The Blu-ray comes with very good picture and audio as well as a lousy commentary and a few other bonus features. This turns into an intriguing effort.