Product Details

• Actors: Bruce Marchiano, Richard Kiley
• Format: Box set, Color, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 4
• Studio: Thomas Nelson Pub.
• VHS Release Date: February 19, 2002
• Run Time: 250 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0718000315
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #209,395 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the power of The Word, February 14, 2004

By 

Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This is a lovingly crafted production of The Gospel According to Matthew, and is a treasure to own for repeated viewing. Filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, it is visually beautiful, with marvelous detail in the costuming and set design; it has a cast of mostly unknown actors, anchored by Richard Kiley and Bruce Marchiano. Notable in the cast is Gerrit Schoonhoven, wonderful as Peter, and Marcel Van Heerden as John the Baptist.
Kiley is fabulous as an aging Matthew, who is dictating his gospel to two scribes, and with his resonant voice he narrates portions of the dramatization of Jesus' life.

Bruce Marchiano is remarkable in the long and difficult part of Jesus. His portrayal is strong, warm and accessible. It is a Jesus who laughs and hugs people, and the first two tapes are largely in this upbeat mood, with it not getting dark and dramatic until the entering of Jerusalem on the third tape.
Marchiano is the only one in the cast with an American accent, which at first sounds odd, especially since his voice has an uncanny resemblance to Kevin Costner's, particularly when speaking with force and emotion (perhaps they both hail from the same area of the country), but this initial reaction is soon forgotten as one gets engrossed in the film.
Marchiano is an expressive actor, and so natural; he is hilarious in Ch. 7:3-5 (the speck in your brother's eye), and so moving in the parable of the wedding feast (Ch. 22:7-14), and 23:3-39, when Jesus speaks to the scribes and Pharisees. It's a powerful performance, nuanced and full of insight, and will inspire the mind and feed the soul.

Taken from the New International Version, the language is contemporary, and is understandable to all, making it an excellent introduction to the Bible for children.
Vol. One, Chapters 1:1-9:1; 58 minutes.
Vol. Two, Chapters 9:2-14:36; 58 minutes.
Vol. Three, Chapters 15:1-23:39; 70 minutes.
Vol. Four, Chapters 24:1-28:20; 64 minutes.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly the Best!!!, July 14, 2003

By 

Gregory Nyman (Winchendon, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Bruce Marchiano shines in this depiction of Jesus Christ, in the Gospel of Matthew - the Visual Bible, which is a "word for word" walk through the entire Gospel. Richard Kiley stars as "Matthew" at a later age, and you see him speaking the words to a couple of scribes who are recording the words of Christ for posterity and future generations. It is an amazing sight, and work of art.

Marchiano, in a unique portrayal of Christ, draws us into the drama and emotion of the life of Christ, and we experience the tension and intrigue as He sets the scene for what is to come. I recommend this film highly. There are approximately four(4) installations of this series, and for a bargain, it can be gotten through some of these auction sites. It's a definite for your film library!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing representation of Jesus, March 27, 2003

By 

A. Collins "muscr8r" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Visual Bible: The Book of Matthew [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This 4 volume set is a word for word quotation of the Scripture in the NIV translation. Filmed on location in the Middle East and Africa, events of the Bible are expertly enacted by a believable group of actors. Bruce Marchiano's portrayal of Jesus is life changing. His performance is marked with love and joy. The God of love would certainly have enjoyed healing and building relationships with the people He had created. I was especially touched by Jesus' tenderness. I could not give any movie a higher recommendation.