Yesterday I was invited to Saddleback Church to preview the forthcoming movie Son of God, produced by the same people who created The Bible series for the History Channel last year, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, who were both present for the screening. I’d strongly recommend you put this on your list of movies to see when it releases on February 28th.
In terms of production value, it’s the best one of its genre. The Jesus Film pales in comparison, looking almost like a homemade movie compared to Son of God. The 1977 epic Jesus of Nazareth (over 6 hours long) was powerful for its time, but awfully hard to sit through. The Passion of the Christ, which, coincidentally, released exactly 10 years ago on Feb. 25, 2004, did not tell the story of the life of Jesus, but really honed in on the pathos of his final week. There really isn’t a modern day video retelling of the life of Jesus as good as Son of God. More flamboyant retellings, like The Last Temptation and Jesus of Montreal, really fall outside the mainstream and look more like a sectarian reinterpretation of the story.
The movie doesn’t stray far from the biblical narrative, though it fleshes out some of the narrative behind the Roman occupation, and it emphasizes the way Jesus was an offense both to Romans and Pharisees. Many of the lines are paraphrases of the words of Jesus and the biblical characters, but the movie isn’t indulgent in its adaptation. It leaves a lot out, but after two and a half hours, it would have been hard to meaningfully include more and still accommodate the modern attention span.
For that reason, you need to see it. Take your kids. Take your unbelieving friends. Take your small group and let it guide a discussion of which parts of the life of Jesus you tend to pay the most and least attention to.
The only criticism I have of the movie are just in the nature of the genre. Many of the characters are white people with British accents and perfect teeth. Of course, I don’t think American English would be any more authentic, and the only way around these cliches would be to do as The Passion and have the whole thing in Aramaic. Some of the dialogue is oddly lilting, and the soundtrack is a bit melodramatic. The costuming is a silly blend of immaculately clean robes in a rainbow of colors. Still, the actor who plays Jesus, Diogo Morgado, is a nice variation on his predecessors. Rather than pale and somber, he often appears amused. You can’t help liking him from the beginning. And to be honest, the cliches are at about the level of presentation that most Americans expect and even want from a story set in the ancient world. We have the same caricatures when it comes to stories about ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt.
So take the movie for what it’s meant to be. It’s not simply entertainment, and it’s not intended to offer a new slant on the biblical narrative. It’s fundamentally an evangelical tool for retelling the gospel again in a modern language. And anytime Christ and culture meet, it’s a good opportunity for Christians to enter into conversation with a world that has heard different representations of Christianity and still wants to see the real thing.
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Are you kidding reviewer seriously !! this is such a bad movie bad acting bad portrayall of Christ unmoving lacking the truth of the word of God it dosent stray much from the Bible are you joking the part of Christ brings thoughts of the song happy shinny people holding hands in some after school special made by non believers to say this film is better than Jesus of Nazereth is just ridiculous though it was not put out by so called christians it is one of the best life of Christ movies to date Son of God is just a bad movie all around
The Passion was great, but Son Of God starts off with the Nativity and ends with Essention!
The music in the movie is also so good!
Son Of God was pwerful and moving! Roma Downey and Mark Burntte bring the greatest story ever told alive once again on the Big Screen!! Diogo Morgado plays Jesus and does a phenomaneal job with the role. Roma Downey’s perfomrance was my favorite especailly because it was powerful and original. Son Of God is so good and amazing!!
There are way too many liberties taken in this movie. Mary sits in with the 12 when Jesus teaches? She enters the tomb alone without a visit from angels? Jesus says He will “change the world”? He is surprised by Judas’ betrayal and Lazarus’ death? Where is His power and majesty displayed? It is very watered-down and does not show the power of the Gospel to unbelievers as it should. Better than nothing to show to an unbeliever, but barely.
Odd that you would say the movie doesn’t stray far from the Biblical narrative. There are many scenes that do not follow God’s Word and I wonder why it wasn’t filmed the way it was written in the Bible. I found the movie very disappointing.
Great! Masterful, Moving! Gripping !
I may have missed it, but I would like to have seen Jesus forgive Peter.
After so much time on the Crucifixion, I felt that there should have been more on the Resurrection and Ascension.
You say take your kids – would it be appropriate for my boys ages 8 and 6?
Hi Jesica – it’s your call. There’s obviously a crucifixion scene at the end, which is not as bloody as it could have been, but it is what it is. I’d assess how your kids in general respond to strong imagery, and if they have particularly sensitive temperaments, you might wait. Hope this helps.
Thanks Pastor Jim. Surprisingly enough, my 6 year old would probably be fine. My 8 year old is sensitive to strong visual imagery, so we may wait a while to watch it.
I dont think so…. It is rated PG-13 for a bloody cruxifction, a brutal whipping, disturbing images, language and thematic elements.
I am glad to read this post. I was wanting to go see it the weekend it comes out. 🙂
Left a review but doesn’t seem to be here even though I was logged in and able to leave another review seconds ago….grrrr to WP….thanks for the follow and review of the movie!
oops….grrr again to WP for being so late in posting the comment (laugh)!
Great review of the movie…retweeted and thanks for the follow. ….haven’t been too active at WP lately but somehow got here today and read this and that. Keep looking up!
I will reblog this tomorrow. Too important not to do so. Thanks!
Reblogged this on Roti N Machali [The Bread and Fish].
I’m looking forward to it. I didn’t care for Mel Gibson’s movie. I want more story behind Jesus so it seems I’ll be going to Son of God. Thanks for the info!
Thumbs up for this review. Thanks. Tweeted and following; thanks for the follow – like what you have to say here.
Reblogged this on PATCO Blog It All… and commented:
Movie: To see or not to see?
Reblogged this on The River Walk and commented:
Ever since seeing the trailer for this I have been looking for a good fair review. Looks like I found one.