Jesus
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Movie Reviews of Jesus
Movie Review: Disregard for scripture my @$$
Summary: 5 Stars
I have long been convinced that Mel Gibson should make the prequel to his magnificent, if visceral, work of art, THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, from the birth of Jesus all the way up to the last supper. If he did, this 2000 made-for-cable version of the life of the son of God would be good material to draw from.
JESUS begins when Jesus (Jeremy Sisto) has long since reached adulthood, working as a carpenter along side his earthly father, Joseph (Armin Mueller-Stahl). When Joseph dies, Jesus mother Mary (Jacqueline Bisset) tells him his time has come to teach the world of God's love for all, and Jesus heads out in to Israel. He is baptized by John the Baptist (David O'Hara), fasts in the sesert for 40 days and 40 nights, returns to Galillee to bring Mary with him,attracts a following of seventy-two disciples, twelve of whom he selects to be his apostles, turns water into wine, walks on water, drives moneychangers out of the temple, brings prostitute Mary Magdelene (Debra Messing) into his inner circle, triumphantly enters into Jerusalem, is arrest by the Jewish authorities who revile him as a blasphemer and social revolutionary, is sentenced to death by Roman governor Pontius Pilate (Gary Oldman), is crucified, and finally, after three days, rises again and sends his apostles into the world to spread the message of his and God's love and salvation.
Let me catch my breath hear.
Okay. The story of Jesus is truly an amazing story, fully suited to be put on film again and again, but JESUS is certainly one of the better one's, thanks largely to a truly phenomenal performance by Jeremy Sisto. Jesus is so often portrayed as divine from the get-go in movies, which tends to comprimise the view that he is a much a man as he is an immortal. This has been standard filmmaking prctice for years in Hollywood, but there hasn't been a Jesus like this since Willem Dafoe's equally strong performance in THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. And while I am mad that no film about Jesus has ever tackled the subject of his marital life (It is my firm belief that Jesus was married to Mary Magadelene, and was probably a Father but this did not at all intefere with his being the Messiah) JESUS is a winner. Jeremy Sisto brings a kind of big brother element to his portrayal of Jesus, as a man who is being lead by his Father through all of his adventures, but is above all a Jesus who isn't just BORN the Messiah, but who also CHOOSES to be the Messiah.
Bottom line: If you, like me, wanted to see movies about the life of JESUS after seeing THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, JESUS could very well be the best place to start, though LAST TEMPTATION also has many merits.
Movie Review: JESUS 2000!! ~ A Joyous Jesus For The Twenty-First Century
Summary: 5 Stars
Jeremy Sisto portrays an immensely friendly, likeable Jesus in the movie `Jesus', one of most recent cinematic renditions of the life of Christ. He's good looking, quite funny and all the girls love him, who wouldn't want to follow him? Add the very lovely Jacqueline Bisset to the cast playing his Mother Mary, the extremely talented Gary Oldman in the role of Pontius Pilate and Debra Messing as Mary Magdalene and you're set for a very enjoyable evening in front of the television set.
I love the clever manner in which Satan was portrayed. Sometimes as a seductive female in a provocative red dress, other times as a well-groomed, clean shaven 21st century businessman in a black suit. Some might consider this blasphemous, I see it as an impressive use of artistic expression particularly with the latter to the two portrayals. This unconventional choice of having Satan appear in modern day apparel was a stroke of genius and a fascinating use of poetic license. What a clever use of costume to visually express how time constraints simply don't exist in the spiritual dimension.
This concept of the illusory nature of time is also found at the beginning of the film where we get a glimpse into the dreamlife of the carpenter from Galilee and see visions of things to come. Jesus dreams of a future Holy War with combatants proclaiming his name as justification for their murderous acts and another more mechanized battle further into the distant future where a dying solider calls out his name with his last breath. In my opinion it's the inclusion of these unexpected and highly original variances from the original storyline that make this film such a wonderfully refreshing viewing experience.
The choice of David O'Hara to play the part of John the Baptist was a bad decision. I found it a bit disconcerting listening to a first century Jewish prophet proclaiming the Kingdom of God is at hand with a distinct Irish accent. I also thought Jesus' baptism at the Jordan was a little overdone. Minor concerns however for an otherwise wonderfully original retelling of the Jesus story.
Inventive - Imaginative - Thoughtful - Joyous! This DVD belongs in your personal library alongside `The Greatest Story Ever Told', `Jesus of Nazareth' and `The Passion of the Christ'.
Movie Review: Very solid, moving, story of the Life of Jesus
Summary: 5 Stars
JESUS lacks both narrative sweep of the epic JESUS OF NAZARETH or jolting power of THE PASSION of the CHRIST. But Jeremy Sisto's warmly existential portrayal of Jesus is surprisingly excellent "PM"rendering of the Greatest Story ever Told.Jacqueline Bisset's interpretation of Blessed Mother Mary is particularly noteworthy anticipating the peerless performance by Maia Morgenstern in THE PASSION. Jeroen Krabbe is superb as Satan; presented...perhaps again pre-figuring Mel Gibson's hermaphodite Lucifer...as alternately female seductress(anti-mother),and bitterly sardonic Political anti-Christ.[The episode of "The Three Temptations in the Wilderness"...apparently much influenced by Dostoyevsky's "Parable of the Grand Inquisitor"...is singularly effective and perhaps the film's most memorable,dramatic confrontation between ULTIMATE GOOD and EVIL.]
Untypically,Gary Oldman is disappointing as a campish gloating, Governor Pontius Pilate(his SPQR lackey--whose name I forget--is portrayed as obsequious clown). The rest of the ensemble cast is good with exception of Judas,who is unconvincingly characterized as petulant, rather than angst-ridden,disillusioned--or simply faithless--conspirator-traitor...
This telling of JESUS...originally presented in Spring of 2000 as TV mini-series...does succeed well because Jeremy Sisto's acting is CHRIST-like. Reviews demonstrate it will...as always apparently...offend some Fundamentalists who cannot truly imagine real humanity--or a sense of humor--in THE LORD.(At this point--AD 2005--how can anyone not believe Jesus has an incredible sense of Mercy-tinged humor?).Franco Zeffirelli's epic remains peerless. Mel Gibson's is(literally)beyond words in heart-aching brutality and courage.Director Roger Young's telling is kind and heart warming.JESUS,here,is not only mankind's Savior hero and Greatest Teacher; he is...to all men,women and children...caring,welcoming,best and truest FRIEND.
Happy,Blessed Easter...
Movie Review: Nearly the Jesus film I'd make
Summary: 5 Stars
Growing up watching the various Jesus films, I always wanted to make my own. Jesus was always pictured as an overly-serious, distant, even pompous person. It was a stretch imagining the little children coming to him, or average people being attracted to him. Yes, yes, he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, but surely during the three years he spent pouring into his disciples he was personable. Certainly his teaching in parables shows someone who could relate to the common man, not someone who acted like a Pharisee but had a different theology.
This version shows Jesus laughing, telling jokes, interacting with those he was teaching instead of just monologuing, and obviously caring for the people he met. One of the lines that I love is where he is finally introduced to Mary Magdelene, who has been following him for a while, and she introduces herself as a prostitute. He replies something like, "You USED to be one... a long time ago." That's grace and truth.
You don't want to take the entire film as gospel, of course. (We do have the Gospels for that!) They have added various conversations and even have Martha (or was it her sister?) having a crush on Jesus, but all of that simply makes it more real: Jesus lived in a world like ours. They don't create new theology, and I sure hope that you don't base your theology on a movie! Enjoy the movie; study your Bible. Get a fresh and uplifting perspective... I highly recommend the movie.
Movie Review: Hollywood Jesus
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a good movie of a sinner who is played by Sisto who is suppose to be playing the role of the biblical Jesus. But according to the Bible, Jesus was not a sinner. Obviously a big contradiction that throws the entire movie into confusion. The role of Sisto is a good portrayal of a sinner like us who needs to be saved from his sins by the REAL Jesus of the Bible. For people who think this movie portrays the factual account of the Savior, I would suggest Jesus of Nazareth. Better yet, if you have any doubt about the sinlessness of Jesus, read the Gospel of John for proof that he wasn't. I can understand why people would make a movie like this that distorts the facts of the Bible, or why people would think this is a good depiction of Jesus Christ. It's a matter of them wanting to create a Jesus according to their own ideas of him, instead of what the Bible says he was. But facts are facts and what other people think is pretty much irrelevant concerning truth. According to the Book you either accept the Jesus of the Bible as your sin-bearer who was without sin as your Savior, or, to quote the Bible, you continue believing that he wasn't who he says he was. If you should choose the latter, the Bible says you remain in your sins, and lost. This is only for all those who are interested in the truth of the Bible. Of course if you don't believe the Bible to be the truth, then nothing that the Jesus of the Bible has said will do you any good.