In the past couple of weeks I've watched most of 5 different movies about the life of Jesus. Here is a brief evaluation of them in order of preference:
Jesus of Nazareth- I think this is the best overall Jesus film that I have seen. Yes, it is super long. And I think Jesus seems a little too stoic. But I think the producers really cared about getting things right and were skilled at telling the story.
Gospel of John- This is just the 4th Gospel word for word, so it's hard to argue with the dialogue. I think this movie did a pretty good job at portraying Jesus. Some of the scenes helped me to see certain characters in new ways.
The Nativity Story- Even though some of the historical details are probably not quite right in this film, I think it was very beautifully filmed and acted. Both Mary & Joseph were excellent. The beginning and the end seemed a little odd for some reason, but the middle was nice.
The Passion of the Christ- This movie seems to be based on the idea that Jesus' death had to be the bloodiest death ever or the atonement wouldn't work. Some of the satanic episodes seemed very odd. Pilate seems like a pretty nice guy in this movie.
Jesus CBS- I like that they tried to emphasize Jesus' humanity, but I just didn't like the acting in this movie. I guess I prefer a bit more balance between a fun-loving portrayal of Jesus and a Jesus with a sense of the seriousness of His mission.
Jesus of Nazareth- I think this is the best overall Jesus film that I have seen. Yes, it is super long. And I think Jesus seems a little too stoic. But I think the producers really cared about getting things right and were skilled at telling the story.
Gospel of John- This is just the 4th Gospel word for word, so it's hard to argue with the dialogue. I think this movie did a pretty good job at portraying Jesus. Some of the scenes helped me to see certain characters in new ways.
The Nativity Story- Even though some of the historical details are probably not quite right in this film, I think it was very beautifully filmed and acted. Both Mary & Joseph were excellent. The beginning and the end seemed a little odd for some reason, but the middle was nice.
The Passion of the Christ- This movie seems to be based on the idea that Jesus' death had to be the bloodiest death ever or the atonement wouldn't work. Some of the satanic episodes seemed very odd. Pilate seems like a pretty nice guy in this movie.
Jesus CBS- I like that they tried to emphasize Jesus' humanity, but I just didn't like the acting in this movie. I guess I prefer a bit more balance between a fun-loving portrayal of Jesus and a Jesus with a sense of the seriousness of His mission.
1 comment:
i've been a proud attender for Jesus Flickfest for the 3 years that it has been running here in Winnipeg Manitoba. it runs during Holy Week including all day Good Friday and Saturday (and during the evenings Wed and Thurs too). at Flickfest i've seen many of the pics you list here (and more) but one that i know that you haven't seen is Son of Man. i say it that way because it has no official North American release for some reason and to my knowledge has only been shown at Flickfest in North America. it's a South African film set in more modern times that encapsulates the resurrection within the African struggle for the respect and equality of all. i find that resurrection stories can either seem hokey or they can be glossed over so that there's no real power for life after the fact.
if you should find yourself in Winnipeg for Flickfest at Easter time then just let me know, the popcorn's on me.
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