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Last year, the History Channel aired a mini-series called "The Bible", executive produced by husband and wife Mark Burnett and Roma Downey (who also played Mary, Jesus' mother). The mini-series was nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys and received high audience ratings. "Son of God" is the Jesus section of that mini-series, brought to large screens in the hopes of finding an even wider audience. There has been very little traditional advertising for the film. Burnett and Downey have chosen instead to reach out to church groups for screenings, relying on a grass-roots awareness campaign to get the word out. There has also been a concerted effort to reach out to Jewish groups, in the hopes of avoiding the charges of anti-Semitism Mel Gibson's " The Passion of the Christ " faced. The Jews in power still don't come off great in "Son of God". They seem petty, fearful and small-minded. "Son of God" is explicitly for Christian audiences (I saw it with a church group, who applauded mightily as the credits started to roll), opening with a dreamy voiceover from the Apostle John telling us how God has always been there, as we see images of fighting dinosaurs, Noah's Ark crashing through the waves, and a "Blue Lagoon"-style glimpse of Adam and Eve in the Garden. It's heavy-handed and melodramatic, openly sentimental, and extremely earnest. "Son of God"'s earnest-ness is not necessarily a strike against it; it was made by earnest people who want to spread the word. But it's a tough draught to swallow if you're not in the mood for a sermon.

Unlike Gibson's film, which focused on Jesus' arrest, torture, and death, "Son of God" takes us through Jesus' life from its humble beginnings in the barn, to the gathering of his followers, his march to Jerusalem, and all of the miracles he performed along the way. It's a Greatest Hits montage. Watch Jesus multiply the loaves and fishes and walk on water and raise Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus (played by Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado ), first approaches the fisherman Peter ( Darwin Shaw ), loading up his boat in the dead-calm Sea of Galilee, Jesus smiles knowingly at Peter like he's got a secret. Peter tells him there are no fish out there, and Jesus, smirking, runs his hands through the water and Presto! Peter's net is filled with fish. Jesus' miracles come off as party tricks throughout the film, with the watching crowd breathing "Oooh!" as something incredible happens.

His followers multiply, and so do his critics. He threatens those in power, not only the Jewish high priests (led by Caiaphas, played by Adrian Schiller), but the Romans occupying Jerusalem.

Filmed like a blockbuster epic, with quick cuts, hi-definition photography, a moody insistent score by Lorne Balfe, and some awkward repetitive CGI shots of what is clearly a model of the Temple in Jerusalem, "Son of God" features a pretty bad script, especially when all of the Apostles are talking amongst themselves about Jesus' message and what it all will lead to. "We have to take his message straight to the heart of power," one Apostle helpfully exclaims. Or Pilate, looking on as Jesus is dragged out to be tortured, murmuring, "It's as if he knows that this must happen."

There are a couple of weird details I liked, mostly having to do with casting. Greg Hicks plays Pontius Pilate as a macho guy nervous about his new position as governor, wanting to please his overlords and keep the Jews in line at the same time. We see him strolling around in a see-through nightie, getting massages, fighting gladiators for exercise, and lolling about on chaise longues with his hottie wife, eating grapes. My favorite Pontius Pilate is still David Bowie from Martin Scorsese's " The Last Temptation of Christ ," but this Pilate is pretty entertaining. It is refreshing to see Mary Magdalene ( Amber Rose Revah ) as an accepted part of the Apostle group (although not invited to the Last Supper); her sex not even commented on. Now that's revolutionary! And Fraser Ayres plays Barabbas, the rabble-rouser chosen by the crowd to go free in exchange for Jesus' death, as a scarred and furious precursor of the present-day rugby thug.

The film is most interesting when it focuses on the political machinations of the Roman occupation, and what it meant for the Jews being occupied. The overall problem with "Son of God" (besides the fact that it was already seen, in full, in mini-series form) is that Jesus, smirking throughout, comes off as a cipher. It is the blonde gentle Jesus from the stained glass windows and Sunday School books. It is not a visceral portrayal of a man who spoke about the beauty of the humble and about compassion for the weak and the despised, who stood up for the little guy—all of those humanistic messages that were so revolutionary at the time (and remain so today). His Sermon on the Mount isn't rousing or mind-blowing in "Son of God". It's delivered too casually, too off-handedly for that. It is difficult to believe that that pretty-man in a white dress strolling around smirking ever threatened anyone.

Sheila O'Malley

Sheila O'Malley received a BFA in Theatre from the University of Rhode Island and a Master's in Acting from the Actors Studio MFA Program. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Film credits.

Son of God (2014)

Rated PG-13

138 minutes

Roma Downey as Mother Mary

Diogo Morgado as Jesus

Louise Delamere as Claudia

Darwin Shaw as Peter

Amber Rose Revah as Mary Magdalene

Andrew Brooke as Antonius

Simon Kunz as Nicodemus

Christopher Spencer
Richard Bedser
Colin Swash

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Reflections on Son of God

Reforming Hollywood: How American Protestants Fought for Freedom at the Movies

By William D. Romanowski
March 23 rd 2014

2014 is being heralded Hollywood’s “ Year of the Bible .” The first film to reach theaters is Son of God , a remix of material by the same producers of the History Channel’s successful miniseries, The Bible .

It seems hardly a coincidence that Son of God opened on Ash Wednesday, ten years to the day after Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ was released. The promotional campaigns for both movies relied less on broad market advertising in favor of creating grassroots awareness in religious circles. Reportedly, over half-a-million advance tickets were sold across the nation.

After a strong opening weekend of over $20 million however, box office fell by more than 50 percent, then dropped to just over $5 million in its third week of release. Unlike The Passion , which earned over $370 million domestically, Son of God looks destined for humbler commercial prospects.

A perennial problem for evangelical moviemakers is that their efforts to mass-market the Gospel have to please the palette of born-again moviegoers who, despite the movie’s evangelistic purpose, remain critical to the film’s commercial prospects. What distinguishes evangelical art from its secular counterpart is what I call its confessional character; to qualify as “Christian” a movie has to contain a clear presentation of the gospel message. Son of God certainly meets this criteria. The result however, is that movie ends up preaching to the proverbial choir.

What I find interesting is the way Son of God caters to the Christian faithful while also attempting to make the Messiah’s story appealing to nonbelievers. Movies have to rely on a common cultural cache—ideals, beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions—in order to connect with audiences. But the communicativeness of Son of God depends to a surprising extent on viewers having ample knowledge of the Christian Gospels.

The Son of God narrative lacks coherence and clumsily advances like a checklist of “the Messiah’s greatest hits,” as a Washington Post critic put it. Scenes are underdeveloped, but contain enough information to serve as prompts for those familiar with the Gospel accounts.

Consider Peter’s initial encounter with Jesus. As the scene unfolds, the lack of verisimilitude raises questions. Why would Peter, apparently an experienced fisherman, readily obey a complete stranger, set out, and cast his fishing nets again? And even after the astonishing catch, would Peter have not as much as a moment of hesitation when invited by the stranger to follow him? “What are we going to do?” he asks. “We are going to change the world,” Jesus replies. The cost of Christian discipleship is that simple.

However cryptic this encounter, there is just enough narrative information presented for a Christian viewer to “get” the significance of the scene by filling in any gaps with a mental flashforward: Peter, of course, is the rock upon which Jesus will build His church. Without such prior knowledge however, an uninformed viewer could easily find the scene contrived, puzzling, and even unbelievable.

Part of the power of this narrative viewpoint is that it shores up communal identity among the initiated who are aware that others won’t “get” these hidden meanings by virtue of being outsiders. To use a Biblical metaphor, the effect is akin to separating the sheep from the goats. The approach works as an extended metaphor with characters, like uniformed viewers, missing meanings to which only the faithful are privy.

During Pilate’s interrogation outside a prison cell, Jesus tells him, “My kingdom is not of this world.” On that line of dialogue, the Messiah’s head drops back and is engulfed in a ray of bright white light streaming down from above; the use of cinematography to make an all-too-obvious reference to Jesus’s “heavenly” kingdom. Before leaving, Pilate, looking perplexed, glances upwards at the light. The gesture is intended, I assume, to signify that the Roman prefect doesn’t “get” Jesus’s meaning (even if it looks more like he is wondering, as I was, about the mysterious light source in the otherwise dark dungeon). That Christian spectators do understand makes for a cinematic moment of solidarity.

Wrestling with the messianic character has been the raison d’etre of Jesus movies. The ascetic depiction of Christ in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) leans on the divine side; Jesus being tormented with fear, doubt, and sexual fantasies in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) emphasizes the Messiah’s humanity. It is fair to expect any retelling of the Christ story to justify itself by offering a new perspective. The Son of God however, provides a straightforward, simplistic, and rather unimaginative version of the Christ story, representing Jesus as entirely free of any fear, temptation, reluctance, or uncertainty. In short, there is nothing thought-provoking about this movie’s treatment of God-become-flesh. (Although I do wonder why even the most reverent efforts ignore the prophet Isaiah’s description of the coming Messiah as having “no beauty that we should desire him” (53:2).)

Son of God is not meant to be great cinematic art . Apparently, the producers’ single-minded purpose is to provide a clear and unambiguous cinematic statement so that moviegoers “may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20: 31). Unfortunately, this approach leaves much to be desired aesthetically and religiously. As the Washington Post critic observes, “ Son of God is nothing if not sincere, its earnest retelling of Jesus’s life story resembling a gentle, pop-up book version of the New Testament, its text reenacted for maximum reassurance and intellectual ease.” Even a reviewer for the evangelical flagship magazine Christianity Today admits that “watching Son of God was not a dreadful experience, but it wasn’t a particularly inspirational or entertaining one, either.”

Others trace the film’s lack of originality to the merchandizing of The Bible miniseries, which is available on DVD now along with other inspired products. For that reason, Variety dubbed this theatrical spinoff “ a cynical cash grab ” and one religious reviewer took it to be more a “ marketing ploy ” than a movie.

Nevertheless, to the extent that Son of God was crafted as a matinee affirmation of the Christian faith, its success in that regard might well come at the expense of welcoming the uninitiated.

Headline image credit: Film. Public domain via Pixabay .

William Romanowski is Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences at Calvin College. His books include Eyes Wide Open: Looking for God in Popular Culture (a 2002 ECPA Gold Medallion Award Winner), Pop Culture Wars: Religion and the Role of Entertainment in America Life , and Reforming Hollywood: How American Protestants Fought for Freedom at the Movies . Read his previous blog posts .

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Reflections on the Movie “Son of God”

Here are a few reflections that I have on the film Son of God having seen the movie at the theater this week. This is not a review of any sort, we know the story and how it ends after all, and obviously if we are Christians it is a movie that we should see, if more than anything so that Hollywood makes more movies about faith and the Bible, but I thought that I would write just a few of the themes that struck me as I watched the film, such as God, love, joy, prayer, forgiveness, Mass, and Gospel.

The first thing that I noticed about the movie is that they are following the Gospel of John for the account of the life of Jesus. One thing that this does is to give the story a focus that other movies that have tried to cover all the gospels have not had. But more importantly it uses a narration of the Prologue from the first chapter of John as the introduction to the story as a great panorama of the stories of the Old Testament that are flashing by us on the screen (creation, Noah, Abraham, Moses, King David, etc.). The point is to show us that the story of Jesus does not begin with his birth in Bethlehem, or with the creation story of Adam of Eve, but that “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ,” because he always was, always is, and always will be, not just the Son of God, but God himself. Jesus is not simply a person who lived at a time in history, a great teacher of philosophy, a prophet who spoke great truths, or even a miracle worker. This movie reminds us that Jesus is in fact God!

The first thing that I notice about Jesus in this movie is that they portray Jesus very differently than how many movies portray Jesus. They show Jesus as happy, with an infectious smile and friendly waves to the crowds. He has a serious message certainly, but it is not delivered sadly or ominously, but in a way that is loving and caring. You can see why Jesus would have been so popular and attractive to the people, because Jesus is filled with love and joy. Sure there is the serious resolve and bitter pain of the Passion of course, but even those are shown with the greater idea that the Passion was part of the great love that Christ has for us and that leads to our ultimate joy. Jesus reminds us, as Pope Francis has done with his exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), that the message of the Gospel is one of love and joy. The portrayal of Jesus reminds us that we must be people of love and joy.

Then there is the Last Supper in which Jesus is celebrating the Passover with his disciples. This is always a moving scene because it is the final meal that Jesus shares with his disciples. But what struck me about the scene is that in the movie the action does not stay focused on the Upper Room. Instead the movie switches from the Upper Room, to the Temple, and to Pontius Pilate’s home. What is everyone doing at all three places? They are praying! Jesus (with the disciples) prays to the Heavenly Father, the Jewish leaders pray to God (whom they feel that Jesus has blasphemed), and Pontius Pilate is praying with his wife to the pagan gods. How strange it is for us to witness so much prayer going on! If only God was so busy receiving prayers today! The collage of all of these prayers struck me as so wonderful (even if Pontius Pilate was not praying to the Heavenly Father) because prayer was important to them all. If only we could say the same thing in today’s secular world. This scenes reminds us that we must pray.

Then there is the scene where Peter returns to the disciples after having denying Jesus three times and running off to save himself. When asked why he had run off and abandoned Jesus, Peter becomes downcast and simply says, “I failed Him.” How true this is for each one of us. How often we fail Jesus by the choices we make, the things we do, the things we say, and even the things we think. We fail him. Our faith fails him. But what we must remember is that Jesus forgives us each and every time that we turn back to Him, no matter how many times we fail. We just simply must realize that we have failed him and turn back to him in forgiveness and turn to Him and say, “I have failed you.” Jesus is full of love, mercy, and forgiveness, especially when we have failed Him. This scene reminds us that we must never be afraid to turn to Jesus.

Next, there is the resurrection scene where Mary Magdalene and the disciples return after discovering that Jesus has indeed risen from the dead. They are obviously filled with joy at this happy and momentous occasion, but then Peter has a moment of inspiration and asks for some bread and wine to be brought. He then speaks the same words that Christ spoke at the Last Supper. They celebrate Mass together just as Jesus did at the Last Supper. The movie ties the Mass immediately to Christ so that we get the idea that the Mass is not a simple ritual that developed over a number of years by a hierarchical religion, but is in fact a divine meal instituted by Christ that has been celebrated in perpetuity since the Last Supper. This scene reminds us of the sanctity and importance of the Mass, it is not a simple religious service, but a divine event that connects us in a special way with God.

Finally, the movie concludes, not as the Gospel of John concludes with Jesus meeting the disciples on the road to Emmaus (one of the few downfalls of the movie, because it is an especially powerful encounter that should have been included if following the story from John’s perspective), but with the disciples running off with great excitement to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth (borrowing from the Gospel of Matthew). The sense of mission is important certainly, but the reason why it works especially well (despite my wish for the inclusion of the road to Emmaus story) is because it shows how happy and excited the disciples are to go forth with the message of the Gospel. If we truly believe the Gospel and what it says to us about our future as children of God, then we certainly should be just as happy as the disciples, unable to contain our joy or our excitement for sharing the Gospel with others. We would not only know the words of the Gospel, but we would make them a part of our lives. We would not only know about Jesus contained in the scriptures, but we would have a personal relationship with Christ. This scene reminds us that the Gospel must be a part of who we are.

Son of God is not just a story about a man named Jesus. It is a story about God becoming flesh and dwelling among us, and because of that everything is changed forever.

‘Son of God’ movie review: Undoubtedly sincere, but also simplistic

Is it possible to love Jesus and not like " Son of God "?

That's the slightly discomfiting question some viewers might face upon seeing the feature film, presented by producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett as a condensed form of their 2013 History Channel miniseries , " The Bible ."

Such bold repurposing (and monetizing) of their property may strike some observers as the ultimate in, you should pardon the expression, chutzpah. But "Son of God" is nothing if not sincere, its earnest retelling of Jesus's life story resembling a gentle, pop-up book version of the New Testament, its text reenacted for maximum reassurance and intellectual ease. After a brief scene at the manger, the film focuses on his teachings as an adult, a series of tableaux that, in their perfunctory pacing and diorama-like staging, play like the Messiah's greatest hits. Those loaves and fishes? They're here. Casting the first stone? Yep. Lazarus? You bet. At a recent screening, a viewer could be heard murmuring along to the familiar gospels, like a baby boomer mouthing lyrics at a Dylan concert . ("Do your early stuff!")

Enough snark. It's easy to take pot shots at "Son of God," which hasn't been directed as much as cobbled together by "Bible" veteran Christopher Spencer. The visual effects are often cheesy, the dialogue leaden, the melodramatic emotionalism continually snuffing out the possibility of authentic emotion. To its credit, the film places Jesus firmly within his historical context of oppression at the hands of Roman authorities in first-century Palestine, where Jewish leaders desperately tried to preserve their fragile kingdom by placating and politicking. Having excised at least one controversial character — a devil figure many critics thought bears an uncanny likeness to our president — Downey and Burnett take pains to identify Jesus as a Jew, his disciples intoning prayers over his battered body after the crucifixion.

In other words, there’s nothing to give the slightest offense in “Son of God,” which is at its modest best when it’s focusing on palace intrigue in Jerusalem between Roman governor Pontius Pilate (a scowling Greg Hicks) and high priest Caiaphas (a sour Adrian Schiller). As for Jesus himself, Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado is all beachy waves and beatific smiles, his teeth an impeccable white even when covered in blood.

And there's a lot of blood in "Son of God," as well as swordplay, especially at the hands of sadistic Roman soldiers. There's a lot of crying too, especially from Downey herself, who plays Jesus's mother, Mary. As the Passion hews to its inevitable narrative, more than a few audience members may find themselves reflexively humming tunes from " Jesus Christ Superstar ," the 1970s musical that, for all of its own sometimes inadvertent campiness, can now be appreciated for creating moments of genuine feeling in its music, metaphors and imaginative staging.

“Son of God,” on the other hand, continually falls prey to starchy, even sophomoric literalism, with Jesus’s teachings sounding like carefully rehearsed speeches and his miracles coming off like magic stunts. As for the tricky challenge of representing God, at one point in Gethsemane we’re encouraged to imagine an entity akin to the Man in the Moon.

Its narrative is too simplistic, its drama too inert for “Son of God” to be taken seriously as art; as iconography, it exists somewhere on the continuum between Warner Sallman’s 1940 “Head of Christ” and Ted Neeley’s groovy blue-eyed savior in “Superstar.” But Downey and Burnett clearly mean for their film to make an impact not as an aesthetic experience, but as a spiritual one. And their tireless evangelism for their movie has worked: More than half-a-million advance tickets reportedly have been sold to church groups across the country.

To the filmgoers thronging to theaters this weekend: Don’t expect to see a great film, or even a very good one. Whether you discover a meaningful channel with which to continue your walk with the film’s protagonist, however, is strictly between you and your god.

PG-13. At area theaters. Contains an intense and bloody depiction of crucifixion and some sequences of violence. 138 minutes.

March 31, 2014

Arts and entertainment, movie review: ‘son of god’.

The disciple John tells the story of Jesus in the February 28-released film, “Son of God.” The film was adapted from History Channel’s recent miniseries, “The Bible.”

The film begins with an aged John (Sebastian Knapp) speaking the first few words of his gospel, “In the beginning was the Word… .”

His narration takes the audience back to Jesus’ presence in the beginning of time. Jesus was with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, with Moses when the Red Sea was parted, with the nation of Israel as they struggled for the Promised Land and with Abraham as he was chosen by God.

These moments, quickly flashing by on the screen, culminate with Jesus’ birth in the stable, as John speaks that Jesus came to dwell in the flesh.

When Mary calls her child Jesus, every wise man and shepherd visiting the stable kneels and bows down in reverence. This scene, as well as that of Peter (Darwin Shaw) and Jesus walking on water, inspire awe and wonder.

John’s narration skips ahead to the calling of the first disciples by Jesus (Diogo Morgado). This film excludes events in Jesus’ childhood, because it is, after all, being told from John’s viewpoint. And John likely didn’t have significant interaction with Jesus until he became a disciple.

The film seems to slightly sensationalize the words spoken in Jesus’ first meeting with Peter. Jesus tells Peter, “Just give me an hour and I’ll give you a whole new life.” Peter responds, “Who says I want one?”

And after Jesus has stirred the waters and overflowed Peter’s nets with fish, Jesus asks Peter to come with him, but Peter asks what they are going to do. Jesus responds, “Change the world.”

However, to both the village people and the high-and-mighty Pharisees in the film, Jesus and his disciples are changing the world. This is evident by the people’s facial expressions and physical reactions to Jesus. For the Pharisees and the Roman officials, Jesus is distastefully turning their world upside down, evidenced by their scrunched up faces and raised eyebrows. Jesus leaves them speechless.

But for the townspeople, it looks like Jesus is turning their world right side up. He calls Pharisees “hypocrites,” blesses the hated tax collectors and shows grace to an adulterous woman.

As Jesus shares the parable found in Luke 18 of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying, Matthew (Said Bey), one of the hated tax collectors, becomes overwhelmed by the grace Jesus is showing to him. His eyes flood with tears, and a look of confusion mixed with gratitude crosses his face.

As the film continues, the high priest, Caiaphas (Adrian Schiller), and a prominent Pharisee begin throwing around terms like “dangerous man,” “miracle man” and “fraud” in reference to Jesus.

It’s easy for the audience to see that the Roman officials are out of control. Scenes of Roman brutality repeatedly appear on the screen. But it’s also easy for the audience to see the chaos from the perspective of Roman officials and Pharisees: Jesus is its source. The film’s music definitely adds to the mounting tension throughout the film.

Still, the mystery lingers as to why the people began to hate Jesus as quickly as they began to follow him. This enigma is even shown through the flashback Jesus has as he carries his cross through an angry crowd of people – the very same crowd that welcomed him with shouts of “Hosanna!” and “Messiah!” not long before.

The film uses a flash forward as well as a flashback element to show the humanity of Jesus. The flash forward shows Jesus’ submission to God’s plan for his earthly life as God reveals it to him. At the Last Supper, Jesus foresees his crucifixion and betrayal by Judas (Joe Wredden).

After Judas’ betrayal in the film, Jesus isn’t just taken by the Roman officials. He’s kidnapped. Yes, the Roman officials essentially blind Jesus by pulling a black bag over his head and shoulders and drag him away, which becomes more of a comical interruption than a serious arrest.

But the seriousness of the film is quickly regained. Although the crucifixion isn’t as graphic as previous films, Jesus’ suffering is vividly displayed. It’s painful to watch as a barely recognizable Jesus hangs on the cross, blood dripping from his mouth.

The location for many scenes is set by wide, establishing shots. However, many times the wide shots lack focus or seem as though they are a still photo, rather than a recording of the city from afar. Special effects, such as a storm rolling in and Peter walking on water, are limited in how realistic they look.

But the acting is high quality. “Son of God” gives its audience a chance to understand the men and women of the Bible. People we’ve read about but never seen become people that really lived as the film gives us a glimpse into their lives. We see their dress and their expressions. We hear their voices speaking the familiar words we’ve read. We see their humanity.

In the end, the film as a whole leaves out more details than it adds to the familiar New Testament story. But what is captured in the 2-hour, 18-minute film does not hinder the Gospel presentation. It is evident that every frame of the film was inspired by the truth of the Bible, and that this film has been produced to take God’s Word to the lost.

And that, in the midst of today’s Hollywood culture, must get two thumbs up.

Anna Dembowski is a sophomore journalism major and assistant campus news editor for Cedars. She likes nearly anything that is the color purple and enjoys spelling the word “agathokakological.”

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Trivia This movie is made of episodes of the mini-series The Bible (2013) .
Goofs When Jesus is in the Synagogue Friday night, the cantor is chanting the contemporary Friday night prayer, "Lecha Dodi." This prayer was composed in the 16th century by Rabbi Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz, some 1500 years after Jesus's time.

Peter : What are we going to do, then?

Jesus : We are going to change the world...

Crazy credits During the end credits, clips from the movie and the television series "The Bible" are shown.
Connections Edited from The Bible: Hope (2013)
Soundtracks Mary, Did You Know? Written by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene Performed by CeeLo Green Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp./Warner Music UK Ltd. By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV licensing

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Details: 2014, USA, 138 mins

Direction: Christopher Spencer

Genre: Drama

Summary: Biopic of Jesus from birth to resurrection.

With: Diogo Morgado

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February 28, 2014 // Uncategorized

Movie review: 'son of god'.

By John Mulderig

Diogo Morgado stars in a scene from the movie “Son of God.” The upcoming movie should be seen as “a love story,” according to two of its executive producers, the husband-and-wife team of Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. (CNS photo/Fox)

NEW YORK (CNS) — As the first wide-release film in nearly 50 years to focus on the life of Jesus as a whole, “Son of God” (Fox) represents an epochal event for believing moviegoers.

Though not the most powerful mass media treatment of its subject — that accolade continues to belong to Franco Zeffirelli’s 1977 television miniseries “Jesus of Nazareth” — director Christopher Spencer’s reverent but uneven screen version of the Gospel story ranks as a worthy revival of the Hollywood biblical epic.

The screenwriters, led by Nic Young, find an efficient entree into their narrative by entrusting it to an aged St. John the Evangelist (Sebastian Knapp) during his exile on the island of Patmos. This is theologically helpful because the opening lines of the Beloved Disciple’s Gospel, as recited here, describe the Incarnation, a mystery without which all that follows could easily be misconstrued.

Early scenes leading up to and including the Nativity will remind at least some viewers that “Son of God” is an outgrowth of last year’s highly successful miniseries on the History cable channel series, “The Bible.” The new footage that follows is at its best in its portrayal of the events that culminated in the crucifixion of Jesus (Diogo Morgado).

Thus Judas (Joe Wredden), Caiaphas the high priest (Adrian Schiller) and Pontius Pilate (Greg Hicks) are all assigned believable motives, while Morgado succeeds in blending messianic vision with very human pain in a thoroughly compelling way — one that accords, moreover, with the scriptural account.

Catholic viewers will also appreciate the unqualified acknowledgement of St. Peter (Darwin Shaw) as the leader of the Apostles as well as scenes highlighting Mary’s (Roma Downey) closeness to her son. And, though the portrayal of the Last Supper seems somewhat noncommittal as to the meaning of the Eucharist, a rough-and-ready celebration of the sacrament is shown to be the chosen moment for the Lord’s first post-Resurrection appearance to the Twelve.

As for the ministry and preaching that precede the Passion — during which Jesus draws the disapproving attention of Simon the Pharisee (Paul Marc Davis) — there are moments that range from the moving to the awkward.

Morgado brings the requisite gravity to bear in announcing that the passage from the Prophet Isaiah he has just read aloud in Nazareth’s synagogue has now been fulfilled. But the story of Lazarus’ death and revivification is truncated — and drained of much of its impact — by the absence of any hint of Jesus’ previous friendship with him and with his mourning sisters.

Despite such shortcomings, as produced by Downey, Mark Burnett and Richard Bedser, Spencer’s picture offers some solid catechesis and an easy introduction to the Lord’s earthly biography. That’s all the more valuable given the erosion in religious literacy our society has experienced since the appearance of “Son of God’s” most recent — yet far distant — predecessor, George Stevens’ 1965 Gospel drama “The Greatest Story Ever Told.”

In that context, and despite its unflinching treatment of the Redeemer’s sufferings, “Son of God” is probably acceptable for older teens.

The film contains strong gory violence. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic News Service.

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The Son of God

What does the title Son of God mean?

Is Jesus Christ a man, or is he God? Answer

If Jesus is God, how could he die? If Jesus died on the cross, then how can he be alive today? Answer

Was Jesus Christ God, manifest in human form? Answer

Is Jesus Christ really God? Answer

If Jesus was the Son of God, why did He call Himself the Son of Man? Answer

TRINITY —How can one God be three persons? Answer

JESUS’ CHARACTER —Is Christ’s character consistent with his high claims? Answer

Could Christ have sinned? Answer

Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

ARCHAEOLOGY—Have any burial sites been found for the people involved in Christ’s life and death? Answer

crucifixion

How do we know the Bible is true? Answer

How can the Bible be infallible if it was written by fallible humans? Answer

How did Jesus Christ die? Answer

Jesus Christ: His Identity, Life, Death andResurrection

MIRACLES —Has science disproved the miracles associated with Jesus Christ? Answer

Miracles , including list of biblical miracles

What is so NEW about the New Testament?

Why was Christ’s New Covenant viewed as a threat by some Jews?

Herod Antipas

Judas / suicide

Mary, mother of Jesus

Mary Magdelene

Pontius Pilate

Simon Peter

Satan (edited out of the film)

about Roman Catholicism

Is sola Scriptura a biblical or a man-made concept? (Traditions vs. Scripture alone)

QUIZ—Catholicism and Protestantism. Do you think like a Protestant or a Catholic?

Christ and the Bible as interpreted by New Age Roman Catholic producers

Provided below are THREE SEPARATE REVIEWS, in an effort to cover all issues.

Review of OVERALL VIEWING EXPERIENCE —by Raphael Vera

Review of BIBLICAL ACCURACY —by Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell, Answers in Genesis

Review of HISTORICAL, BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL ACCCURACY —by Justin Peters, Th.M.

The worldview of the producers

OVERALL VIEWING EXPERIENCE

Reviewed by: Raphael Vera CONTRIBUTOR

“I am John , and I was one of his [Jesus’] followers. After what I had seen, how could I not be?” And so begins the account of Jesus Christ “The Son of God.” From his miraculously foretold coming centuries earlier to his birth in an obscure village , not among the rich and powerful, but among the poor, he was both God and one of us at the same time.

John narrates a montage of scenes depicting the world since God’s creation and his reaching out to us through the forefathers of faith , including Noah , Abraham and Moses before showing us Jesus , played reverently and with a very human charm by Diogo Morgado, as he begins his ministry. After he calls his first disciple Peter (Darwin Shaw), it is mentioned briefly that he selected the rest of the twelve almost as though Peter was the only one that mattered, making it clear that this disciple will be ‘center stage’ for the rest of the film.

The religious elite, perceiving Jesus to be a threat to their authority over the people, begin to challenge him at every turn, while a nonplussed Jesus continues to do all that the prophets of old foretold that the savior , the Messiah would one day come to do:

“The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor ” ( Matthew 11:5 ).

While the language is clean throughout, and there is no overt sexual imagery, aside from a brief flashback to Adam and Eve , and this only from the shoulders up (nudity implied), the strongest visuals were in the violence category. Roman soldiers are seen beating the populace and killing with swords (mostly bloodless) and only once did you see, in silhouette form, a sword enter and leave a man, accompanied by blood splattering.

Pontius Pilate , sparing gladiator style, appears to have killed his opponent, Peter is seen slicing the ear off a man assisting in the arrest of Jesus, and a man hangs himself. A lamb’s throat is slit for a Passover sacrifice , and blood is shown. A child is crushed by an overturned cart, and there is, of course, the beatings, torture and crucifixion of our Lord Jesus. Jesus is beaten by fists, slapped, spat upon, whipped, forced to wear a crown made of thorns and finally nailed, through his hands and feet, to the very cross he carried for us, his very creation. Parents should definitely exercise caution with regards to small children.

What works and what doesn’t?

The last third of the movie, focusing on Jesus’ death and resurrection , is the most riveting and moving part of the movie. The rest of the film is less so, and I think this is for several very evident reasons.

First, many of scenes are done vignette style, no more than a few minutes in length. The miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead could not have been more than 3 minutes in length before it faded to black, a technique used often and usually without fanfare or John’s narration, which was sorely missed at times.

Second, for a movie largely on the ministry of Jesus Christ it surprisingly featured only a few of the many miracles he actually performed, and those that were contained (i.e., feeding of the 5,000, resurrection of Lazarus , walking on water, healing of the ear Peter cut off) were often too brief to be fully appreciated.

Third, an inordinate amount of artistic license is used throughout the production such as the misattribution of lines from one person to the next. This is especially hard to rationalize when things Jesus clearly said are instead delivered by a disciple or on another occasion a clandestine supporter of Jesus, the Pharisee Nicodemus (Simon Kunz), is seen verbally accosting Jesus in public when actually others had done the challenging. Then there are also many instances of misquotes, such as when the film has Jesus saying, “I am the way and the truth and the love” when it actually is “…and the LIFE” ( John 14:6 ). There are no interpretations of the Bible that can account for these errors.

Lastly, there is non-biblical dialog that both average believers and Biblical scholars would be hard pressed to believe—Jesus saying John the Baptist was the “greatest teacher” he ever knew, Nicodemus calling Jesus “clever” in a condescending way, a fellow disciple asking Peter where he was after the arrest, since he was supposed to be the “rock” or, to mention just one more, when John closes the film by saying that “…with Peter as our leader” they went out to the whole world.

Perhaps these issues are mainly the concern of Christians who are intimately familiar with the Scriptures , but I can’t help but think that anyone being exposed to the Gospels for the first time through this film may get confused by such inconsistencies once they dive into the true, and proven infallible WORD of God , and there was no need for this.

A case can be made that “The Son of God,” especially during the final act, at the very least makes us mindful for a little while of worthier things ( Philippians 4:8 ), but, unfortunately, the film feels out of place in a theater and is better suited to the small screen.

Its fast and loose treatment of the source material may work well with those unfamiliar with the Gospel , but seasoned Christians may feel uncomfortable with both its numerous inaccuracies and factual errors , and come away asking themselves why the producers felt they needed to “improve” on the truth . I know I did.

Violence: Heavy / Profanity: None / Sex/Nudity: Minor

Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett do not embrace the worldview of Bible-believing, born-again followers of Christ, but rather New Age Roman Catholicism:

NEW AGE BELIEFS —Roma Downey “graduated from the University of Santa Monica [a private school founded by New Age author Roger Delano Hinkins, aka John-Roger Hinkins ] with a Master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology ” [Source: Patricia Harty, “ What Are You Like? Roma Downey ,” Irish America (October/November 2013)]. The school is part of the MSIA (Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness) (see: Christian Research Institute statement about MSIA). Downey enthusiastically endorsed the school president’s (H. Ronald Hulnick) New Age book Loyalty To Your Soul: The Heart of Spiritual Psychology .
PSYCHIC MEDIUM (see: familiar spirit )—Downey appeared on psychic medium John Edward’s “ Crossing Over ” TV séance show to allegedly talk to her dead mother through Edward (first broadcast April 9, 2002). Downey also collaborated with Edward on his book Practical Praying: Using the Rosary to Enhance Your Life accompanied by a CD featuring Roma Downey explaining and demonstrating her style of rosary prayer— Google search results ).
ROMAN CATHOLICISM —Roma Downey: “We’re members of Our Lady of Malibu… I began my lifelong devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. …I have a wonderful loving relationship with Mary as part of my daily prayer routine. …” [Source: Peggy Bowes, “ Angels, Smiles, and Saints: An Interview With Roma Downey ,” Catholic Lane (November 3, 2011)]

REVIEW OF BIBLICAL ACCURACY

Reviewed by: Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell ANSWERS IN GENESIS , a Team Member of ChristianAnswers.Net

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God , and the Word was God. He was in the beginning” ( John 1:1–2 ). These words open John’s Gospel . By opening the feature film “Son of God” also with these words, 1 filmmakers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey declare their intent to portray the life of the eternally existent Son of God , Jesus Christ .

Fully God, the Son of God became fully man. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” ( John 1:14 ), the Apostle John goes on to tell us in the film. The opening scenes rightly review the truth that the Son of God was busy in the affairs of man throughout the Old Testament. By coming into the world as a human being, Jesus Christ became the ultimate way in which God the Father communicated His love to mankind ( John 3:16 ; Hebrews 1:1–2 ).

Sadly, however, after this powerful beginning, the film fails to ever make it clear just why Jesus came and why He died .

Bible “Stories”

Gentle Jesus meek and mild Here’s a Bible story for your little child.

Here I make a play on the Charles Wesley hymn , which connects the character of Jesus to His identity as the Lamb of God, who according to John 1:29 takes away the sin of the world, and to His transforming grace . This movie shows us the meek and mild Jesus, but fails to make the connection to sin , repentance , and salvation .

To many people, the word “story” implies “fairy tale,” but the Bible is not a book of fairy tales, and its historical accounts should never be presented as such. Bible “stories”—by which we mean literary adaptations of biblical history —are fine insofar as they portray the people and events described in the Bible as real and historical; this film does that. The best Bible “stories” do not alter biblical facts; unfortunately, this one does present some facts inaccurately, though not much more than most such films. But Bible “stories” fall short when they selectively leave out the parts of the biblical history that carry the Bible’s theological message, the essential truths and teachings—most unfortunately, that describes this rather Pollyanna-version of the life of Christ.

Each family has to decide how much dramatic license it is willing to tolerate in a “Bible movie.” Historical inaccuracies, though few, range from the minor to the major. One significant error involves cinematic Peter’s immediate insight as to the nature of Christ’s Resurrection as not only a “disappearing body” but a Resurrection to a life that would make Him ever-present with His followers. The real Peter and John , finding the tomb empty ( John 20:3–10 ), believed the body was gone, but remained somewhat confused ( John 20:9 ) until Jesus later surprised them by appearing to them in a locked room. The cinematic Peter, however, instantly knows that the empty tomb means Jesus is not merely gone but instead exclaims, “He’s back!” Then rushing to the helm of apostolic leadership—rather than awaiting personal encounters with the risen Lord as the Bible records—cinematic Peter, by administering the Lord’s supper (“This is My body… this is My blood”) to his fellow disciples, almost magically conjures Jesus’ first appearance to them.

Historically accurate aspects of “Son of God” include its portrayal of the fact that the Jewish people of the time wanted a political-military messianic figure. Most failed to understand the sort of Messiah God had sent them. This historical misunderstanding shows itself clearly after the feeding of the 5,000 when, having eaten the miraculously provided meal, the crowd clamored to make Him king ( John 6:15 ). But while the failure of both the people and the Jewish leaders to be satisfied with God’s Messiah is depicted, the fact that Jesus Christ came to save people from theirs sins —sins that otherwise would doom every one of us to hell for eternity —is missing as much in the film as in the miniseries that aired last year.

Gaps in the Gospel

Largely cobbled together from The Bible miniseries that showed in six parts on the History Channel last year, “Son of God,” as a full-length feature film focusing just on the Earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, had the opportunity to make the message of the gospel clearer, but really added nothing that would do so. Thus Son of God ’s main weakness is not so much the dramatic license it takes with the actual history; the film’s weakness is in what is missing—the gospel .

If the producers only wished to film a good story, that would have been okay. After all, the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ really make a wonderful narrative, made all the more wonderful because it is true. But the producers have declared their wish that the movie and the miniseries would reach many people with the Word of God . Films can do that, and—while I hope this one does—I fear that Biblically illiterate viewers will see nothing in the movie to help them understand how Jesus’ death should benefit them . Though grossing well at the box office, it remains nothing more than a fairly incomplete depiction of Christ as a happy, smiling, wandering miracle worker that made some downtrodden people feel good about themselves.

By comparison, the 1979 “Jesus” film set out to film a life of Christ strictly from the Gospel of Luke . That film retained the gospel message and included a narration at the end to make sure viewers understood what the death and Resurrection of Jesus had to do with their eternal destiny. As a result, the “ Jesus ” film, distributed through the Jesus Film Project, continues today to be a valuable tool in the hands of missionaries around the world.

“Son of God”, by contrast, left me wondering if I would have had a clue why the Son of God bothered to get born into this world or why He died on the Cross if I had not already learned from the Bible that I am a sinner and been saved by repenting and trusting in the grace made available to me because Jesus carried my sin and guilt to the Cross ( 2 Corinthians 5:21 ).

As with The Bible miniseries , there are some gaps in the gospel message of “Son of God”. We hear that Jesus is “ the way , the truth , and the life,” but we don’t learn that “no one comes to the Father except through Me” ( John 14:6 ). Jesus announces at the Last Supper , “This is My body … This is My blood ,” and He commands them to repeat these actions in remembrance of Him ( 1 Corinthians 11:25–26 ). However, the filmed dialog leaves out the reason His blood was about to be shed: “This is My blood of the new covenant , which is shed for many for the remission of sins ” ( Matthew 26:28 , emphasis added). Thus the fact that Jesus Christ’s shed blood provides the only way ( Acts 4:12 ; John 14:6 ; 1 Timothy 2:5–6 ) to satisfy justice , atone for sin , and reconcile us to God ( Romans 5:8–11 ; 2 Corinthians 5:18 ) will not be clear to movie-goers who are not already familiar with the gospel . Instead of going to the Bible, a Bible-believing friend, or Bible-teaching church to find out the whole truth, they may simply just wonder why this sort of Jesus is such a big deal and why the film claims He has changed the world.

Power to Change Lives

Truly, I cannot find fault with a movie for simply leaving out some of the things that Jesus did, but I find great fault with this film because its omissions distort the central purpose of Christ in coming into the world . The Bible itself records only a selection of teaching and events, as John 21:25 clearly states, “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” But the teachings, miracles , and events recorded in each Gospel account in the Bible present a complete picture of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior , full of both grace and truth ( John 1:14 ) about how sinful each person is and how much in need of redemption . The Apostle John , under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit , also writes in his Gospel, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples , which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ , the Son of God , and that believing you may have life in His name” ( John 20:30–31 ). But the Gospel accounts in the Bible nevertheless do present a balanced account of Jesus’s life, teachings, and post-Resurrection appearances.

But we must surely find fault when a film about the Son of God fails to drive home His mission of coming to seek and save the lost ( Luke 19:9–10 ), calling them to repent and believe in the gospel ( Mark 1:14–15 ). Those who see this film with their unbelieving friends need to be prepared to use the Bible to fill in the gaps in the anemic representation of the gospel and correct the many errors if they wish to use the film to make an eternal difference.

The opening narration begins, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. He was there in Paradise with Adam and Eve . He was there with Noah in the great Flood …” and goes on to note the presence of the Son of God with Abraham , Moses , and David . The opening narration connects the Old Testament to the Incarnation of Jesus, saying, “In the struggle for the Promised Land He was always by our side. He was the Light shining in the darkness . Then He came into the world. ‘A star shall come out of Jacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel ’ [quoting from the prophecy in Numbers 24:17 ]. ‘The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us’ [from John 1:14 ].”

REVIEW OF HISTORICAL, BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL ACCURACY

Reviewed by: Justin Peters, Th.M. JUSTIN PETERS MINISTRIES

This review will pertain to matters of historical and theological biblical accuracy. I have seen the movie once and did my best to take notes on as much as I possibly could. What follows is not—by a long shot—a comprehensive list of the problems with “Son of God” but does hit some of the more egregious ones.

Peter, let’s change the world!

The problems with the movie began with the very first scene. The opening scene is that of Jesus calling Peter as his disciple . The biblical account records Jesus calling both Peter and Andrew his brother at the Sea of Galilee followed shortly thereafter with James and John ( Matthew 4:18-22 ).

In the movie, it is only Peter who is called. This is the first of what, I believe, are many nods to the Roman Catholic Church and its heretical theology.

The Jesus character, played by Diogo Morgado, waded out into the water toward Peter in his boat and Peter pulled him in. Jesus said, “Just give me an hour and I will give you a whole new life” to which Peter replied, “Who says I want one?” Jesus said “I’m giving you the chance to change your life.” “What are we going to do?” asked Peter. Jesus answered, “Change the world.”

Firstly, none of these statements is in Scripture . The statement Jesus actually did make, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” ( Matt. 4:19 ) was left out entirely. Notice, too, the horizontal nature of the statements from the Jesus character in the film: “I’m giving you the chance to change your life” and “change the world.” This reflects the entire tone of the film. It is horizontally rather than vertically oriented. Rather than focusing on the Person and work of Jesus reconciling sinful man to the righteous and holy God, the movie is focused on meeting people’s and society’s “felt” needs. This is not surprising given that the men chosen by Burnett and Downey to be the film’s theological advisers are the seeker-sensitive Rick Warren and Word-Faith preachers Joel Osteen and T.D. Jakes, the latter of whom is anti-Trinitarian.

In an interview Burnett and Downey did with Oprah Winfrey , the latter refers to the main character, Diogo Morgado, as “hot Jesus,” in reference to what some, apparently, believe to be his good looks. As I watched the movie, I was struck by how warm and fuzzy the Jesus character was. Almost touchy-feely. He struck me as, well, a hippie. And so rather than referring to him as Jesus, which I am most uncomfortable doing, I will heretofore refer to him as Hippie Jesus.

Tax Collector and his Blessed Life Now

The ordering of events in this movie is the chronological equivalent of a game of Pickup Sticks. The events of nearly every scene were either out of order or spliced together with portions of completely separate events . The account of Matthew , the tax collector, being called ( Matt. 9:9-13 ) is just one such example. In the film, Hippie Jesus calls Matthew to be his disciple . As the scene closed, Hippie Jesus paraphrases the real Jesus’ statement from a totally separate event recorded in Luke 18:9-14 , specifically, that of the Pharisee and the tax collector.

The Bible records the unnamed tax collector (erroneously identified as Matthew in the film) as humbling himself, acknowledging his sin , and crying to God for mercy . Jesus said of this man that he “went to his house justified ” ( Luke 18:14 ). Hippie Jesus said of Matthew, “God blessed the tax collector, not the Pharisee.” Not only is this a mangling and juxtaposition of biblical events, notice the horizontal bent. The takeaway from the scene in the movie is not that the tax collector went away justified before a holy God as the real Jesus clearly stated, but that he was simply “blessed.”

Mary, Mary Bold and Daring

Mary Magdalene was prominently featured in the film. She is depicted as being in the boat with the other disciples as Hippie Jesus calls Peter to walk on the water. She rebukes and corrects the other male disciples (So much for the Apostle Paul’s Holy Spirit inspired directive of 1 Timothy 2:12 ). She is at the crucifixion scene and is the only one brave enough to defend (Hippie) Jesus. She is also the first at the scene at the empty tomb. Seemingly, her faith is stronger, and she is bolder than anyone else—even the “first Pope” Peter! (Tongue solidly in cheek here. Roman Catholics, of course, believe Peter to be the first Pope .)

Lazarus—I’m Coming!

The scene of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead was really odd. Rather than standing outside of the tomb and calling Lazarus to come forth, our cinematic hero walks into the tomb with Lazarus, stands behind him, and kisses him on the head (which, to be honest, I found to be more than a bit creepy). Lazarus then opens his eyes, stands up, and hugs his sister, Martha . The triumphant trio proceed to walk out to greet the cheering crowd.

Nicodemus, pay your taxes.

The account of Jesus being questioned by the Pharisees and Herodians as to whether or not Jews should pay taxes to Caesar is recorded by all three synoptic gospels . Jesus responded by calling them hypocrites ( Matthew 22:18 ). In the movie, it is Nicodemas who asks Jesus the question. Nicodemas ? Really?

Omniscient? Not so much.

One of the oddities of this film is that on several occasions Hippie Jesus was surprised. He seemed to have premonitions throughout the film of future events. During his triumphal entry into Jerusalem , Hippie Jesus had a sudden and startling premonition of his coming crucifixion. It was as if up until that moment he had no idea what lay ahead of him. Nevermind that Matthew 20:17-19 records Jesus prophesying His own death specifically by crucifixion before His triumphal entry into Jerusalem recorded in the next chapter. Jesus repeatedly prophesied His own death. See Matthew 26:1‐2 ; Mark 8:31‐33 ; 9:30‐32 ; Luke 9:22‐27 ; 18:31‐34 . He alluded to it in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 and several times in John’s gospel between chapters 13‐17 .

Hippie Jesus had another premonition, this one interrupting the Last Supper . The meal which up to this point had been joyful and seemingly carefree was suddenly interrupted when he had a vision of Judas betraying him into the hands of the Romans. Judas then did so, but did so reluctantly and only after Hippie Jesus talked him into it. His final premonition came just before His arrest. Peter assured Hippie Jesus that he would not fall away. Greatly relieved, Hippie Jesus enthusiastically embraced him in gratitude. His relief was short-lived, however, as during the embrace he had a premonition of his upcoming denial.

The portrayal of Christ being startled by these premonitions is not only adding to Scripture what is not there, but it also strongly insinuates that He was not omniscient . This is an attack on the Second Person of the Triune God . As the God-Man , Jesus retained all attributes of His deity even though He was incarnate . All of God’s attributes are essential to His nature. One of these attributes is His omniscience. To portray Jesus as lacking omniscience is to detract from the biblical doctrine of His deity. Jesus affirmed His omniscience in John 16:30-31 . Some take Jesus’ statement in Matthew 24:36 as an indication that while incarnate He did not possess omniscience. Caution should be taken here, however, as such a position would contradict Jesus’ affirmation of His omniscience in John 16:30‐31 . A full treatment of this statement is far beyond the scope of this work, but suffice it to say that rather than Jesus not possessing omniscience, He, on occasion, voluntarily emptied Himself of His divine prerogative simply to exercise some of His attributes.

Destruction of the Temple—a Bedtime Story

One of the more bizarre scenes in the movie is its portrayal of Jesus pronouncement of judgment on the Temple and its accompanying corrupt religion. In Mark 13:1-2 , Jesus walked out of the Temple and prophesied that “Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.” This prophecy was literally and dramatically fulfilled in AD 70 when the Romans laid waste to Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple.

In the movie, Hippie Jesus is indeed walking out of the Temple, but as he makes this pronouncement of judgment he stoops down to a smiling 4 or 5 year old little girl and playfully pokes her in her tummy. The juxtaposition of such a playful and lighthearted demeanor with what was in reality a very grave and serious pronouncement of coming judgment was truly surreal.

The Crucifixion—Robert Schuller Style

In the movie, Hippie Jesus is carrying his cross on the way to Golgatha. As he progresses, his mother, Mary , falls down beside him in anguish. Hippie Jesus says to her, “Don’t be afraid. Everything is possible with God.”

Not only is this event foreign to the biblical record, it greatly diminishes the meaning of the cross. Absent from the film is any mention of the heinousness and gravity of sin . Any consequences of sin are portrayed as merely horizontal with no eternal perspective. Hippie Jesus’ words to Mary in this scene instantly reminded me of Robert Schuller’s theology of Possibility Thinking. Schuller holds that the Gospel is not about receiving the imputed righteousness of Christ through repentance and faith but rather about enhancing one’s self-esteem.

Only Way to the Father? Let’s Just Not Bother.

One of the distinguishing doctrines of biblical Christianity is that there is one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus ( 1 Tim. 2:5 ) and that there is salvation in no one else (Acts 4:12). This bedrock and non-negotiable truth is conspicuously absent from “The Son of God” movie.

After the resurrection, but before their knowledge of it, Peter is portrayed as leading communion for the other disciples. As Peter is breaking bread and saying, “This is my body which is broken for you,” (nope, this isn’t in the Bible either—just in case you were wondering) Hippie Jesus appears behind him and says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Period. Period! He conveniently and oh-so pluralistically left out the true Jesus’ immediately following words, “No man comes to the Father but by Me” ( John 14:6 ).

There could be no legitimate reason for leaving out such a clear statement of the exclusivity of Christ other than this exclusivity is one of the chief complaints against biblical Christianity. The world says that it is not “loving” to make such exclusive claims to Truth when the biblical reality is that the most loving thing we can do is to tell people the Truth. If Mark Burnett and Roma Downey love Jesus and people as they claim, then why did they not love them enough to tell them this? Why did they not love, for example, Hindus enough to tell them that Jesus is not just another god to add to their many, but the only God through Whom they can be saved from eternal wrath? It’s not like Mark and Roma did not know the next line. They knew it. They just chose not to include it.

If you truly want to show people love, tell them the truth. If you want to show someone hatred, see that they are in error, know the truth, but say nothing about it.

Other Concerns

The above list is far, far from a comprehensive list of the biblical and theological errors of this film. The account of the woman caught in adultery , the feeding of the 5000, Jesus reading from Isaiah 61 , His instruction to “Turn the other cheek,” His statement regarding John the Baptist , the (partial) quotation of John 3:16 , etc., etc. were all riddled with errors. There was literally not a single scene in the entire production that was without glaring issues. Some will say that there is nothing wrong with taking artistic license in making a movie. I would agree with that—depending upon the subject matter.

The Psalmist, David , says of God, “You have exalted above all things Your Name and Your Word” ( 138:2 , ESV). God has exalted His Name and His Word not above some things or many things—above all things. It is simply not possible to overstate how seriously He takes them. If someone wants to make a modern rendition of say, John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath or Herman Melville’s Moby Dick or any other work of secular literature, hey, I’m good with that. Knock yourself out.

But that is not the case here. The subject matter here is God’s full revelation of Himself to us, the God-Man Jesus Christ. The Alpha and Omega . The only Creator and Savior . Dear ones, we are not at liberty to take artistic (and theological) license with such things . They are too sacred. Too holy.

Let’s suppose, for the sake of argument, that this movie had been produced not by New Age Roman Catholics, but rather by Bible-believing Christians and that the man playing the role of Jesus was the very best actor with the very best of intentions. Let’s further suppose that we were to go see this movie in the theater and have Jesus Christ Himself walk in and occupy the seat next to us. I cannot imagine a scenario in which after the closing credits rolled and the lights came back on that the real Jesus would say, “You know, that guy got it right. He did real justice to Me, truly understands what I experienced, and accurately portrayed Me to a watching world.” Can you?

It’s a Small World After All

Even if you’ve never been to Disney World, chances are you know the theme song to one of the park’s most well known and beloved attractions, “It’s A Small World.” Chances are that simply by reading the above heading you have the song playing in your mind right now. It is one of those songs that, once stuck in your head, is notoriously and irritatingly hard to get out. Media is powerful.

One of the great dangers of this film is that for those who go into it thinking that they are about to view an accurate portrayal of the Son of God (this is, after all, how many evangelical celebrities have described it), for many of them, what they see becomes their picture of Christ. For them Hippie Jesus is how they picture the real Jesus. This is tragic and has, potentially, eternal consequences.

I tell people often in my preaching and teaching that it is not enough to believe in Jesus. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in Jesus. Mormons believe in Jesus. Even Muslims believe in Jesus. The problem, though, is that they do not believe in the right Jesus. We must believe in the right Jesus. We must believe in the Jesus of the Bible. We must trust in the finished work of the real Jesus on the cross and repent from sins in order to have the righteous wrath of God removed from and the righteousness of the risen Christ imputed to our accounts. The Son of God film creates in our minds a different Jesus than the Jesus of the Bible. It creates an image of a false god in our minds and, therefore, is perilously close to—if not outright—violating the second commandment ( Exodus 20:4-6 ). If we trust in a different Jesus then we are trusting in a different gospel and a different gospel does not save ( Gal 1:6-9 ).

Concluding Thoughts

Mark Burnett and Roma Downey claim that they desired to make a movie honoring the Son of God, but, by distorting His character, taking Him out of context, and omitting His claims of exclusivity, they have not honored Him at all ; they have denied Him. Let’s keep in mind, though, that Burnett and Downey are New Age Roman Catholics and, as such, are not regenerate. Their minds have been blinded by the god of this age ( 2 Cor. 4:4 ). They cannot see what they cannot see. God must reveal the Truth to them. Let us pray for their genuine conversion.

What is more troubling to me than the movie itself is that evangelical leaders who claim to believe in the authority and sufficiency of Scripture have so heartily endorsed it. That Word-Faith preachers such as T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen, and Paula White endorse it should be no surprise. Though it certainly does not surprise me that Rick Warren endorsed it, he at least claims to be a preacher of the true Gospel. Rick Warren went so far as to say of the film, “Skip church and go see it. It is that important.”

About halfway through the film I began to wonder what my reaction would be if this had been a movie about my wife. I began to wonder what my reaction would be if Kathy was the main character, and she was misrepresented and her words distorted. I would not have stood for it. I would not have just remained silent. Why, then, would I remain silent given that it was not my wife but my Savior being disparaged on the silver screen for the consumption of the undiscerning masses? And so, I did not.

When the movie came to its merciful end and the lights came on, I stood up and turned to face the crowd (I was sitting at the front and so everyone was behind me). I said, “Ladies and gentlemen, may I please have your attention?” Every head in the theater turned and people stared at me. I went on to explain to them that they just saw a movie in which Jesus was grossly misrepresented and His teachings twisted beyond recognition. I said, “Please do not think that you just saw the Jesus of the Bible in this movie, because you did not. What you just saw was a different Jesus with a different gospel. ” I went on to present the true Gospel to them. I talked about sin , the wrath of God and the absolute necessity for genuine repentance . I said that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. I ended by saying, “Please do not think you will find the true Jesus in this movie or any other movie. If you want to know the true Jesus, please, please go home and read your Bibles. There and only there will you find Him.”

I guess I spoke for 3-4 minutes or so. I noticed that as I spoke the vast majority of people looked like deer in headlights just watching me in stunned silence. A few, though, were nodding their heads in agreement. For just a few, it seemed that what I was saying was resonating with their hearts and minds.

I relate this to you not to lift myself up as some courageous Christian. Not at all. I only did what I was supposed to do. My conscience was so violated by this film that for me to do anything less would have been sin. I did it because it was right thing to do. James 4:17 states,

“Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Any decent husband would have defended his wife and so why would we not likewise defend our Savior?

This movie, like its theatrical predecessor of a decade ago, is being billed as one of the greatest evangelistic tools of all time. Dear friends, I would submit to you that it is the Word of God empowered by God’s Holy Spirit that is the greatest evangelistic tool of all time. Movies such as this undoubtedly move us and tug on our heart strings, but they are the theological equivalent of a sugar rush . They give us a brief emotional high but then leave us to come crashing back down.

Recall the account in Luke 16 of the rich man languishing in the place of torment begging Father Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers back on Earth not to come to this place. Abraham responded, “They have Moses and the prophets . Let them hear them.” The rich man retorted, “No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, then they will believe!” Abraham said, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.” In other words, if the rich man’s brothers will not respond to the written authoritative Word of God, they will not respond even if someone were to come to them from the dead.

This movie is, in my estimation, a reflection of the pitiful state to which we as professing believers have slid. We seem to yearn for Hollywood to somehow validate our theology and values. It’s as if we are saying to the world, “See, Jesus really is cool, and we really aren’t kooks! See how popular these films are?” We are like the kid on the playground who nobody wants on his team but desperately desires to be included. Pitiful. Why do we need validation from a lost world and depraved culture that is warring against God? We are the redeemed of the Most High God empowered by His Holy Spirit. Why is it that we seem to get so excited and worked up over a theologically and biblically inept Hollywood production when we have the Alpha and Omega as our Head?

There is an inherent power in the word of God—the Bible —that is found nowhere else. Not in movies, not in passion plays, not in skits, and certainly not in church services which pander to the supposed “felt needs” of the lost. We have traded in the big guns of Scripture for the spitballs of visual entertainment. The Apostle Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” ( Rom. 1:16 ). If you truly want to see the power of God unleashed, take the Gospel as it is read in and preached from the Bible out to a lost world and trust the Holy Spirit to convict of sin , righteousness , and judgment . Trust Him to bring life to the spiritually dead. That, dear ones, is the power of God.

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers .

Non-viewer comments

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

ABBREVIATIONS
BIOGRAPHIES
CALCULATORS
CONVERSIONS
DEFINITIONS

3 In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God. And the Word was God. He was with God... In the beginning. He was there, in paradise, with Adam and Eve. He was there with Noah... in the great ood. He was there with Abraham when he was chosen. Abraham, I will make you a father of many nations. He was there when Moses led our people out' of Egypt'. I will be with you. Charge! Lord! God is with us! In the struggle for the promised land- He was always by our side. Jerusalem, our new home. He was the light... shining in the darkness- Then he came into the world. A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel. The Word became esh- Look. There. And made his dwelling among us. Our son. Lady, I believe your son... is the promised king of his people. What is his name? Jesus. His name is Jesus. l am John, and! was one of his followers. After what I saw, how could / not be ? Jewish land. Jewish people. Our Jewish nation... under Roman rule. In the name of Rome, taxes are owed. Time to pay up! - Get in line! - You can't do this. - Mind your tongue! - Put it here. All of it! Get out of the way. Get back. Occupied and oppressed. Bring those women back! Those who spoke out- Were crushed. We craved a savior. A messiah. But instead, we got a new Roman governor. Pantius Pilate. Ho! - What's going on? - What are you doing? - I can't lift it. It's too heavy. - You're in the way! Let me help. We need to be quick. I know! Prefect. What's the delay this time? It's a broken cart, sir. Well, what are you waiting for? Get it off the road. Let's get it moved! Will it be much longer? Very soon, my love. Come on. Move! Move! - The governor needs to pass. - I'm doing what I can. Pilate won't wait. Wait. I can fix it. Move it! No, my son! Father! MY Son! Clear! Come on. - Do you need help? - I'm not looking for any help. And, besides, there's nothing to help with. Hey. You can't just climb into my boat. Yeah, you're right. Give me a helping hand. Oh- What do you think you're doing? We're going fishing. There are no fish out there this time of day. In fact, there are no fish out here any time of day. Peter, just give me an hour, and I will give you a whole new life. Who says I want one? I'm telling you- There's no fish out there. There's fish! How did this happen? What did you do? I'm giving you the chance to change your life. Peter, come with me. Give up catching fish, and I will make you a fisher of men. What are we gonna do? Change the world. When Jesus spoke to me, I followed. Others joined us. Soon our numbers grew, and all who heard him... felt his power. No, no, it's my turn! ...put the Lord your God to the test. You should untiringly... keep the Commandments of the Lord your God... and his statutes, which he has commanded you. You shall do what is right and what is good... in sight of the Lord. Look! Can you see him? Over there. So the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes. It's Jesus! No. God makes the law. This way, John. Keep everyone moving. Oh, Jesus. How shall we picture the kingdom of God? It is like a mustard seed... which a man took and sowed in his field. The smallest seed in the world. Yet, when planted- it grows up- Rabbi. He's paralyzed. Your sins are forgiven, my son. Did you hear that? He has forgiven his sins. I thought only God could do that. Isn't that blasphemy? He knows. It is blasphemy. Is that your wish, my friend? Well, answer me. Tell me which is easier- to say his sins are forgiven, or say... get up and walk? Wait. The Son of man has authority to forgive sin. Friends! What is this about? Not even Moses himself would have thought he could forgive sin. You heard what our teacher said. On what authority does he think he can do this? On his authority. That is blasphemy. Only God can forgive sin. And your friend... could be stoned for a false claim like this. This is just the beginning. Let's go! Greetings, prefect. Welcome to Judaea. I hope your time here will be prosperous... and peaceful. I intend to make sure it is. From Caesar. Disorder will not be tolerated. Next. All taxes must be paid in full! - I'm not doing it. - It's all I have. Get it out of here. Take it away. No! They're all Jews. Our own people working for Rome. Makes me sick. Collaborators. Let's move on. They're stinking vermin. You should keep your distance from them. Two men... went to the temple to pray. One a Pharisee, and the other one... a tax collector. The Pharisee prayed, God, I thank you that I'm not like other men- thieves, adulterers... or this tax collector. But the tax collector... didn't even look up to heaven. He said, - God, have mercy on me. - Have mercy on me. I'm a sinner. God blessed the tax collector, not the Pharisee. Anyone who praises himself will be humbled. And anyone who humbles himself will be praised. Matthew, come. See! Now he even calls the sinners to follow him! One has to wonder of the sins committed by his other followers. Come. Come along. Tax collectors. There's not a thread of good in any of them. Thomas, Jesus has not come for the good, but for the sinners. He gives people a second chance. We should too. Rate this script: 5.0 / 1 vote

Richard Bedser

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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The End Time

Search this blog, pointing you to my wordpress blog at the-end-time.org, why i am not going to see the "son of god" movie.

I agree. There is no image, carved, chiseled, or in motion picture format, that can ever give a worthy glimpse of the true glory and majesty of God. April

Elizabeth, The list of endorsees for this movie looks like a who's who list of the embodiment of everything that's wrong in the visible church today. We'll be passing on this movie too. So sick of this refuse. -Carolyn

I won't be watching it either. Tim Challies always provides very thoughtful blog posts.

Good points, Elizabeth & Carolyn! Oh my -- with most of the world heading down the BROAD road... I think I'll pass on anything that society as a whole gets excited about! Plus, the slew of false teachers promoting it.... not to mention the NEW AGERS behind it (Roma Downey & husband) Elizabeth, okay if I post a link to someone who wrote a (what I considered) WONDERFUL essay about this? BTW: "ouch" ~ as I passed this around to my email list of (I think) mostly Christians -- only to receive a b-b-brrr bone chilling COLD response!! Told the Lord I was going to follow Him even if it costs me every friend I have.... and it may just have! :( May I be like the apostles who were excited to have suffered shame for His name's sake! Most people I know -- yep, even "Christians" (some real/some fake) ~ will go to this movie & gobble up popcorn while watching it.... Often times, the easier route is to stay away from controversial issues -- esp. CHRISTIAN ones! Yet there are times I feel inspired that we must take a stand. We are either gathering with Jesus or scattering with satan; can't have it both ways. http://thelasthiker.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/the-son-of-god-movie-is-not-what-we-think-do-you-know-the-voice-of-your-master/ While this site is new to me and so I cannot (yet) concur with every article (TOTALLY do not agree with the rapture being pre-wrath..... it is and always has been and WILL BE pre-tribulational rapture!!) , yet I'm *going on record* that I tee-totally agree with THIS particular article!! YES..... even including "names" of false teachers!! Unfortunately, these are but a FEW of the false teachers available today. I think you will totally agree with & like this essay, Elizabeth! The ultimate question we should ask ourselves: Do we KNOW the voice of our Master???

Hi Reva, Thanks so much for your thoughts, your contribution of the link, and your caveats. That's what discernment is all about! I read it through and I was horrified to learn of Roma Downey's necromancy on live TV in talking through a medium to her dead mother.. Horrified.

I agree completely. I turned off the mini-series and banned it from my house when I saw what Roma Downey did to the story of Lot in Sodom (ninja angels?!?) so I have absolutely no desire to see what fiction she can create with the Gospel in her second shot at it.

And they will make merchandise of you... yes? (2 Peter 2:3, though I typically read NAS, like Elizabeth has said, this verse in the KJV says it best) Reva, I read the article you posted. Great find, and thanks for the caveats too. Pray for those who are rejecting your warnings, some may yet come around. I read on another Christian forum a fellow believer (a woman) who was totally for the Bible miniseries, but now sees that it is false, and rejects that series and also this new movie. 2 Tim 2:24-25 Take heart, brothers and sisters, it seems we're in good company here. :) It always encourages my heart to see believers with sound discernment rejecting these deceptions. 2 Cor 6:14-18 Maranatha! -Carolyn

For these same reasons I didn't see The Passion of the Christ. I don't need Hollywood to tell me about my Lord.

If you are losing every single friend you have due to your religious beliefs and convictions, then you are doing something wrong. Elizabeth, I find that while your preaching is interesting and thought-provoking, you very, very rarely use the words of Jesus Christ in your preaching of scripture. I am curious as to why that is.

ANonymous, I do not understand what you mean by saying I "very, very rarely use the words of Jesus Christ in your preaching of scripture." Can you explain?

I have never met Elizabeth in person, but I consider her a friend and sister in Christ. I also have lost some friendships but have gained something far more precious. As the words of Jesus say: 34 “Do not think that I came to [a]bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household." Matthew 10:34-36 Jane

Stated, "If you are losing every single friend you have due to your religious beliefs and convictions, then you are doing something wrong." Not so. " Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead." (I Peter 4:1-4) Those who willingly suffer for the cause of Christ resist sin and follow God's will. They unite themselves with Christ and share His cross in obedience. Obeying God when it means suffering, ridicule, or rejection will strengthen the believer morally and spiritually, and he will receive from God a greater grace (I Peter 4:14). Mario

Here's a good review of the movie, and why it is really worthless - a different Jesus and abuse of the Bible. http://m.blogs.christianpost.com/abandoned-to-christ/movie-review-son-of-god-is-most-certainly-not-the-son-of-god-20297/

Hi Glenn, Thanks so much. I really like the author, Sunny Shell. I follow her blog and on twitter. She has some great insights. Thanks again for the link

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Religious Studies Homework

Sample Essay on Son of God

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Son of God The movie, Son of God, produced by husband and wife Mark Burnett and Roma Downey shows the life of Jesus Christ. This religious movie is meant to show the audience the reason for the coming of the Son of God, Jesus Christ as believed by the Christian religion. However, it important to find out whether what is portrayed in the movie is in line with what is recorded in the Holy Bible, especially in the gospels of Mathew, Mark, John, and Luke. A review of the movie shows with respect to the bible gospels show various differences and omissions that are worth noting. This paper takes a critical look at various aspects of Jesus’ life and mission during his earthly days as seen in the Son of God verses in the gospels (Mitchell, 2014). Some of the omissions and differences do not help in achieving the goals intended for the movie. The movie starts well with the passages from John the disciple, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning” (John 1:1–2). This statement shows that the movie acknowledges the fact that God and Jesus existed before the existence of the world and things therein. The beginning narration in the movie proceeds “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), showing that Jesus Christ existed in the eternal and only became flesh for a reason (s). This also indicates that Jesus, as the Son of God came into being for specific purposes; however, as the movie proceeds, the audience fails to connect the real mission that Jesus Christ came for. In fact, the beginning of the same movie only gives a narration of how the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, but fails to give the audience the reason for his coming to dwell among us (O’Malley, February 28, 2014). There should have been an indication of why he came to dwell among, a serious omission (Mitchell, 2014). On this note, it is important to note that the best way to fully direct the audience towards the correct meaning of the coming of Christ could have been to mention the reason for his coming. For instance, the gospel of John chapter 1, verse 29 Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world by His transforming grace. Son of God is a film that shows the whole life history and ministry of Jesus Christ in the world. It stood a chance of bringing the correct perspective that brings into life the real mission He had in the world, something that the movie fails to achieve. Movies that have been done on the life of Jesus Christ have always dwelt on the specific events like arrest, death, burial, and resurrection, meaning that the Son of God had the opportunity to show the audience the whole story and the mission on earth (Smith, Feb 26, 2014). The storyline of the movie have no problem; however, the main message brought out in the gospels is conspicuously missing. Normally, Jesus life history provides an excellent narrative that makes a movie very colorful and worth watching, but it does not mean that the purpose is achieved (O’Malley, February 28, 2014). Did the producers intend the movie to reach many people with the Word of God? If this were the case, then it would fail on this mission because an audience with no prior knowledge on the life of Jesus Christ would fail to understand why he would die for man. The movie could have shown what the gospels indicate that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was necessary for the salvation and future hope for man. As one watches the movie, Jesus comes out as a smiling man who walks on the streets and town, easily doing miracles to the benefit of the people whom He met (Smith, Feb 26, 2014). This is not the case in the gospels as none of the writers depicts a smiling Jesus who makes people feel good about them. This movie does not follow any particular accounts of the gospels as recorded in the bible, a reason for the lack of the specific purpose and mission of Jesus in the world. A person with the knowledge of the gospel according to Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John may fail to give a march with what happens in the Son of God movie. The strict adoption of the gospels could have helped in giving viewers the correct perspective on the mission of coming to the world, at least for the audience with no prior knowledge of the life of Jesus Christ. For instance, adoption of Luke to make the movie could have helped the viewer in understanding the reason for the suffering, crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to man. The main message driven by Luke is for people to discover the need for accepting that Jesus Christ took all the sin of man to the cross. Watching the Son of God without prior knowledge of whom Jesus Christ from the Bible does not help in understanding that man needs to repent and fully in the redeeming feature, that Jesus brings from His death and resurrection. Gaps are also evident between the movie and recordings in the gospels. As much as the movie does well in showing the audience that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, it fails to show that no one goes to the Father (God) except through Him (John 14:6). Another omission is evident in the fact that the reason for the remission of Jesus’ blood is not mentioned. The movie does well when Jesus says at the Last Supper that the actions should be done as often as possible for remembrance; however, it leaves out the gospel phrase that “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Therefore, moviegoers who are not familiar with the gospel will not understand the fact that Jesus has to shed blood and die for the remission of sin. The gospels are clear with the message that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin; something that the Son of God movie fails to bring out (Smith, Feb 26, 2014). Watching the film alone may not help in the main mission that directors had of spreading the Word of God to as many people as possible in the world. There is need to have the gospel background in order to have the correct perspective that Christianity believe. There may be no problem with the omissions in any movie like the Son of God; however, the problem arises from the fact that the central mission and purpose for the coming of Jesus Christ in the world is left out. The inability to have the correct analysis of the coming of Jesus Christ in terms of the events and purpose for coming into the world is a problem because the gospel itself does not give all the events that may have taken place during the times of Jesus. Nevertheless, we are able to have a clear understanding of reason for the coming of Jesus Christ. According to the gospel of John, “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25). The recorded events, teachings, and miracles recorded in each Gospel account in the Bible give a complete picture of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior, full of both grace and truth and how every human being is a sinner who needs redemption to achieve eternity (O’Malley, February 28, 2014). Therefore, it is clear that the narration in the gospels do not give a reflection of every miracle and teachings that Jesus gave, but the readers have the ability to get the picture of why Jesus had to come in the form of flesh to do miracle and teach before being killed and later resurrect (Smith, Feb 26, 2014). Omission of the core purpose for the coming of Jesus Christ makes the movie unable to show the audience why death and resurrection of Jesus was so important to humankind (Mitchell, 2014). It seems that the movie mostly concentrate on the political aspects of the Roman occupiers in the Jewish land, as seen in the depiction of Pilate and his wife enjoying the comfort of their palace eating fruits, something that misses in the gospels. In conclusion, the Son of God movie is good in many ways; however, it fails to show the purpose for the coming of the Son of God into the world as stated in the gospels.

References Holy Bible. New King James Version. Mitchell, E. (2014). Movie Review: Son of God. Answers in Genesis. O’Malley, S. (February 28, 2014). Son of God Movie Review & Film Summary. Roger Ebert.htm. Smith, K. (Feb 26, 2014). Critic Reviews: Son of God. New York Post. Retrieved April 11, 2015 from http://www.metacritic.com/movie/son-of-god

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City of God: Film Literary Analysis, Essay Example

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Films often are created to have a deeper analysis then the superficial background and acting that is presented. There are times when directors want to convey a deeper message with their movies, such as in the Passion of the Christ,Gone with the Wind , Cider House Rules , and thousands of other powerful stories that has a deeper message to them. Such a movie that has deeper connotations is the Brazilian crime drama, City of God . The movie City of God represents a deep ideological debate that transplants over to the social and cultural issues that are prevalent in American society. With their use of simple camera tricks and lighting they were able to highlight the raw and authentic nature of life in the City of God.

City of God starts off with the protagonist, Rocket being caught in the crossfires of the antagonist, Lil Ze, the police, and rival gang members. Unlike most movies, City of God started with the one of the last scenes of the movies in order to provide the protagonist to treat the reader to an interesting backstory. City of God is crime thriller based on telling the story of the life of Rocket living in the favela, and Lil Ze who rose to power, that murdered, and did what he wanted. The other characters show have their place in the stories as examples of daily life, the drama, the fear, crime, and the sadness of never getting out of their situation. While the movie does a bit of over exaggeration in order to make a point to show how the glorification of sex and violence in movies is prevalent the real story of the movie took place in Rio de Janerio during the 1960’s and 80’s. The movie’s theme shows the effects of poverty as the images of favelas showed how time and the government had forgotten about the people who lived in the ghettos. The movie’s use of realism and grittiness of the scenes depicted, shed light on the realities of over 500 shanty town favelas located throughout Brazil. The title of City of God, was a representation of an actual favela, Cidade de Deus, where drugs and organized crime grew exponentially that aided to the social stratification and criminal behavior of the people in the favelas.

The antagonist Lil Ze was a feared sociopath drug lord of a notorious gang that terrorized the streets of Brazil in 70s and 80s. All the main characters in the story except for the protagonist, Rocket and Lil Zewere developed poorly. Rocket was able to act as the story’s narrator, where the viewers were able to get a since of his voice, his emotions, and his experience. Lil Ze who was once friends with Rocket, was develop through the film from a troubled kid but also grew to be ruthless, masochistic, rapist, and murderer. The three most important scenes of the film are the beginning, where Lil Ze was killed by the “Runts” bent on revenge for the death of their friend by Lil Ze, and Rocket was walking away with the photos. which was really the end, where Rocket being the journalist was caught between Lil Ze trying to obtain glory and the police. The second scene was when Lil Ze’s confidant, Benny, and only conscious was shot trying to stop an altercation. The last important scene was the end of the movie, was Rocket and his friend walking past the “Runts” who are talking about taking over the city, the cycle never ends. As the music echoed in the movie, and the soundtrack correlated with the scenes, it provided a raw context to the action scenes.

The cinematography of the movie is shot through a shaky camera that showed the city in a natural light where at night the scenes were highlighted with a blue tint that seemed to show the grittiness of each murder, each crime, and during the day it was a tinted hue to highlight the dirtiness of the favela. Although the camera was mostly on Rocket, other scenes were view by second-person perspective. During intense scenes the camera was shaky and shot to show people the action. Something that is repeated is the Rocket and the gang chasing a chicken, this chicken leads them into the middle of a standoff situation, which symbols everything is in chaos. City of God uses its simple imagery, and real backdrop to create an authentic story, which characters hired from real favelas in Brazil, to show the raw emotions and situations that happen in their daily lives. The use of the blue and yellow tint to switch from day to night is a camera trick to highlight the cold black night, and grittiness of the lives they were living.

The City of God was a simple movie that depicted amateur actors that lived in the favelas and ghettos of Brazil. The movie used simple cinematography and soundtrack to provide substance to each scene. The movie provided hard themes on the celebration of violence, social issues that stem from racial discrimination, poverty, and lack of women’s rights provides a powerful display that is represented in this real life story set in Brazil.

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IMAGES

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Son of God movie review & film summary (2014)

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COMMENTS

Son of God movie review & film summary (2014)
Unlike Gibson's film, which focused on Jesus' arrest, torture, and death, "Son of God" takes us through Jesus' life from its humble beginnings in the barn, to the gathering of his followers, his march to Jerusalem, and all of the miracles he performed along the way. It's a Greatest Hits montage. Watch Jesus multiply the loaves and fishes and ...
Son of God (film)
Son of God is a 2014 American epic biblical film directed by Christopher Spencer, and produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey.The film retells the life of Jesus and is an adaptation of the ten-hour miniseries The Bible, which aired in March 2013 on the History channel, and immediately following the movie begins another TV series called A.D. The Bible Continues.
Reflection Paper On Son Of God
Reflection Paper On Son Of God. Decent Essays. 1020 Words. 5 Pages. Open Document. The most impactful and visual image is when someone is nailed on to the cross. Yes, here I am talking about the story of Jesus Christ facing the crucifixion. In the movie, Son of God, the crucifixion of Jesus is powerfully illustrated.
Reflections on Son of God, the movie
The Son of God narrative lacks coherence and clumsily advances like a checklist of "the Messiah's greatest hits," as a Washington Post critic put it. Scenes are underdeveloped, but contain enough information to serve as prompts for those familiar with the Gospel accounts. Consider Peter's initial encounter with Jesus.
Reflections on the Movie "Son of God"
The movie ties the Mass immediately to Christ so that we get the idea that the Mass is not a simple ritual that developed over a number of years by a hierarchical religion, but is in fact a divine meal instituted by Christ that has been celebrated in perpetuity since the Last Supper. This scene reminds us of the sanctity and importance of the ...
'Son of God' movie review: Undoubtedly sincere, but also simplistic
And there's a lot of blood in "Son of God," as well as swordplay, especially at the hands of sadistic Roman soldiers. There's a lot of crying too, especially from Downey herself, who plays Jesus's ...
Son of God (2014)
Synopsis. John, the last surviving disciple of Christ, is living in exile as he tells his story. Jesus was born to a virgin, and three visiting wise men declare Him the future King. Thirty years later, an adult Jesus Christ (Diogo Morgado) travels to Galilee and begins recruiting followers, from James, to his brother John, to Peter the ...
Son of God (2014)
Son of God is a beautiful movie, and a fabulous way to spend a rainy afternoon! The illustrative messages in Mark Burnett's artfully done movie are many. Yes, it educates us on the beginnings of Christianity and shows us what faith in God can look like, but it also provides a scaffold for human beings wanting to lead a purposeful life and calls ...
Cedars
The disciple John tells the story of Jesus in the February 28-released film, "Son of God." The film was adapted from History Channel's recent miniseries, "The Bible." The film begins with an aged John (Sebastian Knapp) speaking the first few words of his gospel, "In the beginning was the Word… ." His narration takes the audience ...
Son of God (2014)
Son of God: Directed by Christopher Spencer. With Diogo Morgado, Greg Hicks, Adrian Schiller, Darwin Shaw. The life story of Jesus is told from his humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection.
Son of God
'This is now a movie about Jesus, the son of God, and the devil gets no more screen time,' says producer of The Son Of God. ... review â Mark Cousins's 'spine-tingling' visual essay. More film ...
Movie review: 'Son of God'
In that context, and despite its unflinching treatment of the Redeemer's sufferings, "Son of God" is probably acceptable for older teens. The film contains strong gory violence. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned.
Sample Essay on Son of God
This religious movie is meant to show the audience the reason for the coming of the Son of God, Jesus Christ as believed by the Christian religion. However, it important to find out whether what is portrayed in the movie is in line with what is recorded in the Holy Bible, especially in the gospels of Mathew, Mark, John, and Luke.
The Son of God (2014)
"Son of God", by contrast, left me wondering if I would have had a clue why the Son of God bothered to get born into this world or why He died on the Cross if I had not already learned from the Bible that I am a sinner and been saved by repenting and trusting in the grace made available to me because Jesus carried my sin and guilt to the ...
Hollywood Gospel Essay
Son of God movie relation to the New Testament In Mark Burnett and Roma Downey's biblical dramatic film called "Son of God," it depicts the story of Jesus's life from his birth to his travel to Galilee, His miracles, the journey to Jerusalem until his crucifixion and his resurrection. It can be seen that this film shows the specific parts of his life, for example, his birth to traveling to ...
'Son of God' Movie: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
2. The Husband & Wife Team Who Created 'The Bible' Are Behind the Movie. (From left, Diogo Morgado, Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. Getty) Reality TV show producer Mark Burnett of Survivor ...
Son Of God Movie Analysis
The "Son of God" is a well done, dramatic film, depicting the historical Jesus, as well as his divinity. The film portrays Jesus through many accounts that occurred in the synoptic gospels and the book of John. I was surprised to see how closely the film followed scripture and tried to show who Jesus was, even Jesus as the "troublemaker.".
Passion Of The Christ Essay
Reflection Paper On Son Of God. The most affected and visual image is when someone receives crucifixion on to the cross. Yes, here I am talking about the story of Jesus Christ facing the crucifixion. In the dramatic movie, Son of God, the spectator watches the crucifixion of Jesus.
Son of God Movie Script
Son of God. Synopsis: The life story of Jesus is told from his humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection. Genre: Biography, Drama, History. Director (s): Christopher Spencer. Actors: Diogo Morgado, Greg Hicks, Adrian Schiller, Darwin Shaw. Production: 20th Century Fox. 2 wins & 1 nomination. In the beginning was ...
Why I am NOT going to see the "Son of God" movie
Pointing you to my Wordpress blog at the-end-time.org on July 08, 2020
Synopsis
Filmed in Turkey and the UK, Jesus, Son of God? sets out on a journey to discover when, where and how this vital Christian belief originated. Running time: 33 minutes. Producer: Roger Malstead. Director: Ronald Clements. Featuring: Professor Larry Hurtado, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, Dr Krish Kandiah and Martin Goldsmith.
Sample Essay on Son of God
In conclusion, the Son of God movie is good in many ways; however, it fails to show the purpose for the coming of the Son of God into the world as stated in the gospels. References Holy Bible. New King James Version. Mitchell, E. (2014). Movie Review: Son of God. Answers in Genesis. O'Malley, S. (February 28, 2014).
City of God: Film Literary Analysis, Essay Example
The movie City of God represents a deep ideological debate that transplants over to the social and cultural issues that are prevalent in American society. With their use of simple camera tricks and lighting they were able to highlight the raw and authentic nature of life in the City of God. City of God starts off with the protagonist, Rocket ...