Product Details

• Actors: Jeremy Sisto, Debra Messing, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Jacqueline Bisset, Gary Oldman
• Directors: Roger Young
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 2
• Studio: Lions Gate
• VHS Release Date: July 25, 2000
• Run Time: 173 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (168 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1573629219
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,573 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  #23 in	Video > Special Interests > Religion & Spirituality > Christian Video > Jesus
  #25 in	Video > Special Interests > Religion & Spirituality > Christian Video > Feature Films
  #82 in	Video > Drama > Religion

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Tackling the story of Jesus for film is bound to incur controversy. Yet, in a bold move, CBS produced the television miniseries Jesus, which not only retells the biblical story, but takes a look at the more human side of the man. Jeremy Sisto stars, and although it takes a little while for him to gather enough momentum to have us believing him in this role, overall he is surprisingly convincing. While the movie does stray from strict scripture--Jesus is shown feeling conflicted over his feelings for Lazarus's sister Mary; Satan, portrayed by Jeroen Krabbé, works hard at convincing Jesus to stray from his path--most of the plot will be familiar to viewers. Beginning with an adult Jesus, who works with his father as a carpenter, the program traces his life and death through resurrection. The strong supporting cast, including Jacqueline Bisset as Mary, Gary Oldman as Pontius Pilate, and Debra Messing as Mary Magdalene, lends to the credibility of the miniseries. This is a satisfying retelling of the life of Jesus and will please those who want new ways to explore biblical stories, as Jesus not only reinforces the ideals of the New Testament but shows Jesus as a complex individual. --Jenny Brown

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This movie changed my life!, July 19, 2001

By	Diana L. Burkhardt (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jesus (DVD)

Before I was blessed to see this miniseries on TV, I was by no means a good Christian! I only went to church for weddings and funerals, and only thought of God when I wanted something material. After watching this movie, I was a born again Christian. Jeremy Sisto, who was one of my favorite actors to begin with, did such a wonderful job acting, I felt I was actually witnessing Jesus in action. The script was presented in modern language ( not the King James "thou" and "thine" mumbo jumbo) I gained so much understanding as to what Jesus really said and did, and the amazing people he touched. The next Sunday, which was Easter, I went to my first church service in years, and have been a devout follower of Christ since. I honestly believe that had I not seen this movie, I would be stuck as a non-believer, and I would be missing out on all of the wonderful things Christ has taught me. I recommend this movie for anyone who has doubts about Christ and the messages he brought to this world. Amen~!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The splashin' of the Christ, October 8, 2004

By	Jean E. Pouliot (Newburyport, MA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Jesus (DVD)

Every Jesus movie or miniseries has its strengths. "Jesus of Nazareth" is the most historically and scripturally accurate. Jesus Christ Superstar does the best job of seeing the parallels between Christ's time and our own (pretty good music too, I hear.) "The Passion of the Christ," as we all now know, is the bloodiest.

"Jesus," the miniseries, though unrealized in significant ways, attempts to address aspects of the Christ story that others have not and could not. First, the movie focuses on the relationship between Jesus and his earthly father Joseph, played lovingly by Armin Mueller-Stahl. Jesus' love for Joseph is palpably tender and reciprocal. Joseph is the old master; Jesus the eager apprentice, desperate to please and bereft when the old man dies. There is also a romantic sub-plot between Jesus and Martha, in this film depicted as his distant city cousin. Nothing comes of the relationship, but it makes you wonder the degree to which Jesus, fully human even by conservative theological principles, struggled with a desire to be a normal man of his time, learning a trade, getting married, and having a family.

Jesus, played adequately by Jeremy Sisto, is also shown as quite playful. He teases his disciples, splashing water in their faces and pulling their scarves. This is fun, though it doesn't seem to move the story anywhere. The scenes of Jesus teaching also attempt to break new ground. Rather than merely stringing together a long list of inscrutable sayings, gospel style, "Jesus" shows the Master interacting with the crowd, even getting a good-natured heckling.

"Jesus" fails to show why anyone would find this man threatening. Yet I was fascinated by the film's attempts to show Jesus as a person with an interesting personality of his own. Jesus in this film had real charisma, giving us more than the inexplicable magnetism of most Jesus flicks. Ultimately, the movie does not succeed (none have) in depicting the enigmatic man who has held the world in his spell for two thousand years. But "Jesus" brings to the screen a few more pieces for us to consider, making its subject perhaps a bit more accessible in a time that needs him more than ever.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who do you say that He is?, July 20, 2004

By	Casual Savant "Seeking Christ" (Manila, Philippines) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jesus (DVD)

If you have problems thinking of Jesus as a fun, sweet, wonderful guy to be with; if you object to portrayals of him weeping, laughing and horsing around with his friends; if the nature of his death is more helpful to your faith than the way He lived His life... this movie isn't for you. What the much touted "Passion of the Christ" does not address is who Christ was as a person. If he wasn't fully human as well as being fully divine, his sacrifice would have meant less. Jesus is portrayed in this movie as the kind of guy you'd want to hang around with, wouldn't be ashamed of talking to about your day over a glass of wine and would love as long as you draw breath. At the end of the day, the salient question still remains: "Who do you say He is? Does it come from your heart or just from your mind? Do you do the right thing because you want to get to heaven, or because you love Him?" If nothing else, this movie should clarify those questions.