The Nativity Story
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Movie Reviews of The Nativity Story
Movie Review: yes, the stable was a cave
Summary: 5 Stars
As Orthodox Christians have always known, our Lord was born in a cave (as He was buried and rose from the dead in one). This gritty, realistic, and generally orthodox film about the Nativity is highly recommended for its attention to such detail, and to its dogmatic assertions: one of the Magi proclaims the Child as "God made flesh," which isn't strictly scriptural but true nonetheless. No, not everything is perfect from an Orthodox point of view. The angel Gabriel, for example, should have been depicted, as is traditional, as a young man, not a bearded guy. The Magi probably came later. The film faithfully has the shepherds hear (but just from one angel, alas) that "you will find Him lying in a manger," but when they arrive, the Child is in His mother's arms. Small stuff, this, given that the film is the best depiction I've seen of the Nativity. Other nice points: the use of the imagery of the fish, the lamb, and the snake; the honor of St. Joseph and his relationship with the Mother of his Lord; the oiliness and treachery of Herod; the often humorous interaction between the wise men. Highly recommended.Movie Review: A must-see for Christans!
Summary: 5 Stars
This was a beautifully portrayed version of a beautiful story! Contrary to the "expert" reviews I read prior to seeing this movie, it was exciting and real even though we all knew how it would end! Non-Christians may not see the real value, but as a believer, I saw a movie that accurately portrayed the hard life of the poor under Roman rule in those days. We understand why they were anxiously awaiting the Messiah. And we see the difficult situation that a young girl,very human, found herself in. We understand her parents' reaction and the horror of her betrothed. We feel the treacherous journey to Bethlehem. As a mother, I feel how frightened a girl of her age must have been, having a baby in a stable with only a man whom she barely knew, to assist her. It made the story very real. My only regret was that our local theater did not play it during the Christmas school vacation break, so I did not get to take my grandchildren...all nine of them. It would have been worth the money! I did, however, promise to buy the DVD when it is released so that we can all watch it on my plasma screen TV!!!
Movie Review: "...and thou shalt call his name Jesus."
Summary: 5 Stars
You know the plot: After young Mary is betrothed to an older man, she is told by an angel that she will bear God's son. She could be stoned for this pregnancy, but Joseph has a dream explaining the situation, and he takes her as his wife. They must then make the difficult journey to Bethlehem for the census, and they arrive just in time for the baby's birth in a stable.
It is a lovely story, told quite simply and tastefully. The costumes and village sets are rough-hewn and authentic-looking in earth-tones. The international cast features Keisha Castle-Hughes as a straightforward and uncomplaining Mary, used to hard work and Roman tyranny. Oscar Isaac is a warm and protective Joseph. Shohreh Aghdashloo is wonderful as Mary's cousin Elizabeth; in fact, the entire cast is excellent.
The movie is suitable for all ages and I hope it becomes a tradition to show it on television every Christmas. It sticks to the Bible story and is happily lacking in Hollywood razzle-dazzle. The photography is beautiful and it is respectfully directed. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: Very good film, but use some caution with very young children
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a very nice film.
Regarding whether it is suitable for all ages - some caution is needed for younger children and you may want to preview some parts and decide what to watch them with your children and what to skip:
1) It opens and closes with scenes from the massacre of the innocents (the male children 2 years and under) which are disturbing even if a child doesn't understand what's going on. So you may want to preview that. It's easy to skip them by starting the film after that and ending it a little early.
2) There are also some brief, grisly scenes of executed and crucified bodies.
3) Finally, there are some long-ish scenes when Elizabeth and Mary are giving birth. They can be educational if you are there to explain what is going on, but it's possible they may be too much for some very young children.
I realize it might be an affront to the director, but I wish there was an option to play this movie without the first two sets of scenes.
Movie Review: Beautiful presentation of the Christmas Story
Summary: 5 Stars
This rendition of the story of Jesus' birth is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! It is one of the best presentations of the birth of Jesus that I've seen. We've shown it to friends and it's wonderful to see how children respond to the movie. They love it, understand it, and talk about it for days later. Naturally, this is a movie maker's interpretation of scripture and creation of a story line, but for the most part I can't fault their dialogue. The only real complaint I have on Biblical accuracy is the fact that they have the wise men coming to the stable the night Jesus was born instead of the biblical explination that they came into the house. Most biblical scholars believe that the star appeared the night Jesus was born, then the wise men began their journey, and seeing as how Herod killed all the baby boys 2 years and under, Jesus was probably "around" 2 years old when the wise men arrived and visited in their house, not the stable. BUT overlooking that problem, I would highly recommend this movie.