573 of 596 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SUBLIME AND HAUNTING MASTERPIECE, February 5, 2004
This review is from: Gospel of John (DVD)
I just saw the DVD and was surprised at the power of this film.
The Book of John is treated like the finely wrought piece of literature it is. The material is adapted with fidelity as a self-contained work. Seeing it as a complete story is much different than taking elements of the life of Jesus out of context.
A lot can be said about the adaptation, directing, acting, production design and music -- but what stands out is that the sum of these parts is much greater than the separate elements, as fine as they are. Dare I say this is a work of inspiration?
The role of Jesus in world history deserves consideration in the light of the extreme religious fanatacism rampant today from the so-called People of the Book. Who was this person who claimed to be Son of God and Son of man? Factually, the apostle John details only a few points in the life of the Man who conquered death. But John says "Believe in the resurrection and you have eternal life now." How radical is that?
"The Gospel of John" does not shy away from a blunt account of the role of the Roman and Jewish powers in the murder of Jesus; however, the movie makes it abundantly clear why the Pharisees saw Jesus as a threat. In today's world He's still a threat to those who seek power alone,
For me, what jumped out of the film and still echoes in my mind is the several times Jesus asks, "Why do you hate me?" That question reverberates in today's headlines.
In a politically correct world, we no longer have public conversations about the subjective truth of the life of Jesus. Or the meaning of that solitary life. With advances in quantum physics, we consider the fundamental nature of of matter, time and consciousness. The Gospel of John touches on all these things with sublime power and insight.
Like in any other movie, this one richly rewards the suspension of disbelief. Surrender to a remarkable film that will haunt you long after final fade out. Finally I understand why those early followers of Jesus said: "We are not as those who have no hope."
The original DVD release (quickly out of print) has three discs with detailed extras that cover all the major production elements.
A later release has a two hour version of the film, very nicely edited, as well as the original three hour theatrical version.
Both versions of the film are beautifully transferred in a widescreen format that fills newer 16:9 screens.
I review DVDs for a local paper. I watch a lot of movies and "The Gospel of John" is among the best films I've seen in the last year. It's actually about something profound and acutely relevant. And it is rendered with style and grace.
If you've seen Jesus' crucifixion in Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," see the rest of the story in "The Gospel of John."
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121 of 127 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unvarnished truth, October 27, 2003
The Gospel of John is, in my humble opinion, the best Biblical-based movie since The Gospel According to St Matthew. The Gospel of John was filmed in Toronto using unknown actors and a British director. The intent of the Producers was to present the text of the book with no embelishments or viewpoints, letting the words speak for themselves and leaving the viewer to draw their own conslusions. The film accomplished this beautifully. The result is a powerful presentation that, while three hours long, seemed to fly by. I never got bored or tired, and felt like I had been there 2 hours or less.
Sadly, it gets mediocre reviews from the "sophisticated" reviewers who cannot appreciate the simple beauty and power of the words as written by John without the aid of post-modern interpretation.
I understand it is only showing in limited theaters in the South, then going straight to video. If it is in a theatre in your city, go see it. If not, get the video when it comes out. It is well worth the price.
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93 of 98 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very Smart Portrayal of Jesus, December 15, 2003
This movie, based on one of the modern langauage versions of the Gospel of John is fairly accurate and nicly filmed. Christopher Plummer narrates and the actor portraying Jesus does a fine job. The strength of the movie is that while it is filmed on a limited budget, the director, Eric Till, is up to the task of trying to get everything he can out of the sets, sights,and people in the movie.
The movie does have some drawbacks, and since most reviews have focused on the positives, I'm going to briefly mention a couple of negatives: (1) the casting of Mary is just downright poor. The women is way to old and appears more like a great-grandmother than a mother. After all, Mary was probably only 14-16 years older than Jesus and this puts a lot of things into historical context (albiet, probably not that important for this film); (2) Refering to miracles as such and not as "signs" misses an important point. The word "signs" pointed to something about Christ and John used the Greek equivalent for a reason.
The greatest positive for this movie are the post-resurrection appearances. This film, unlike others, takes a good 20 minutes or so and focuses on the appearances of Jesus to his disciples after the crucifixion. I enjoyed these scences very much.
I recommend this film highly for anyone looking for a decent movie about the life of Christ.
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