It's difficult to write about a movie that focuses on the
life of Christ without bringing your own personal beliefs into it. How can you
claim to be offering an unbiased review if you believe in Christ to begin with?
I do and always have, but I intend to try and hold my personal beliefs in check
while writing about SON OF GOD, new on DVD.
If you haven't heard about this film then you've not been
paying attention. In 2013 producer Jeff Burnett and his wife Roma Downey put
together a TV series that no one expected anyone to watch. What happened
surprised the doubters when THE BIBLE went on to become one of the most watched
min-series of that year. With that triumph the pair decided to focus on the
life of Jesus and made this film which was released to theaters. Once more some
were surprised when the film did well financially.
The film opens with Jesus birth but then moves fast forward
to his gathering the apostles starting with Peter. As he moves forward the film
doesn't stay too long on any given moment but puts together bits and pieces
from Jesus life in the order they happened. Given the subject matter and amount
of time allotted for a feature film there is no way that the entire story of
Jesus could include everything from start to finish. What the makers of this
film have done is touch on many of the momentous items and miracles that
happened in that time.
While the first hour of the film touches on his earlier
life, teachings and miracles, the second hour begins by setting up his crucifixion.
The political ploys between the Romans and the heads of the Jewish religion at
the time to insure stability of their personal power is covered here showing
that they had no belief in Jesus' teachings and feared him more than anything.
He was a disruption to the same old same old, putting their control in
jeopardy. As this second hour begins we see them maneuvering him into an arrest
which culminates in his conviction and then crucifixion. While painful to watch
there is no way it compares to what we saw in Mel Gibson's film THE PASSION. In
truth, we don't need to.
What separates this movie apart from so many others is the
final 18 minutes of the movie. Where THE PASSION showed the death of Christ, SON
OF GOD shows his resurrection and appearance before the apostles after rising
from the tomb. This was a complaint many religious leaders had with Gibson's
film so they should be satisfied with the presentation of it here.
All of that being said, a short description of what the
movie is about, the question becomes is it worth watching? Was it entertaining?
To answer honestly I'd have to say for the most part no. It moves along at a
slow pace and uses dramatic music in the background too much. Things that
happened in Jesus' life seem to be pushed out and then moved aside to get to
the next thing and yet the pace drags. The acting is solid for all involved but
no one stands out here. The story for most of us is well known and with the
exception of the resurrection offers little that we haven't seen before.
That being said, there is a reason to watch the movie. While
it may not be a whiz bang movie that holds you by the throat, it does offer an
introductory presentation of the life of Christ. If you have children that
can't seem to focus on reading the Bible, or if you have problems sticking with
it, this movie might offer some insight as to what you'll find there. For some
it will give them a glimpse into what Christianity is all about. If nothing
else, it could be a good conversation starter that will make people either
defend their convictions or defend why they don't have them.
I'm glad I watched the film. I'm
glad that it was made and that it was successful. I would guess that a number
of people will add it to their collections so that they can watch and remember
what they should already know if they believe. Perhaps it will cause a few
people to reconsider what they should be doing with their Sunday mornings,
perhaps not. In the end the determining factor of whether to watch this movie
or not, and if you will enjoy it or not, depends mostly on your own personal
beliefs. For me it was a nice reminder of what I hear every week at church.
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