The Book of Ruth: Journey of Faith

It's cleaner to watch than 95% of what's out there these days... but. for the purpose of the film, I think they stray pretty far. They kept a few key scenes from the Biblical story, but then overlay the whole thing with a very Western, modern worldview. If it has been a story told and re-set in modern days, it would work. But they made it out to be a dating story, when the whole center of the story was Ruth's faith in God, changing from the faith of the Moabites, to faith in God. It is entirely possible they loved each other, but they made it far too modernized. Love may have played a part, but not the modern gooey feeling or dependence on feeling for decisions. They were faithful to the laws of God. And, um, guys, there was not a temple... David built it, three generations later...) nor was it a public scandal, except for the strict fact that Ruth was from Moab. It was, however, great fun to see Carmen acting.

I'm giving this film a 3 out of 10 because of the effort which I believe must have been put forth in making this production. In a word, the film is awful. A noble attempt, but flawed and failed. It could have been worse--the costumes could have been blatantly incorrect and the acting could have been a little worse, and the dialogue perhaps even more fake. But not much worse. The main actors each have a moment or two were they finally seem to shine as actually being into the part (the actor who played Boaz was, in my opinion, the most believable in the film), but most of the time they trudge along plainly reciting their lines, seeming to only go through the motions. The plot is very plain and the acting is dry. The most basic and boring scenes are hopelessly drawn out. The dialogue seems very contrived and often downright cheesy. Perhaps if the characters seemed to actually be feeling the emotions and if they had the experience, feelings, and action to back it up, they could convey these lines believably. But they cannot. The film absolutely lacks emotion and interest. It's only redeeming factor might be the character of Boaz, whose performance (and delivery) does add a slight bit of humor among the shoot-me-now lines. Eleese Lester (playing Naomi) is also notable for having perfectly portrayed the oh-so-kind and sweet, sacrificial motherly love of her character; she actually reminds me very much of someone I know; but still we never really see the deep source of her kind spirit, and we never really connect with the inner life of her character. The voice-overs of her thoughts, perhaps meant to correct this deficit, only seem cheap and laughable. Besides this, all of the characters (and even the dialogue and plot, at times) seem very Americanized. It looks like a bunch of modern Americans trying to play the parts and act like these people from the stories they've heard, and trying to do the things that they've been told. Not good.

Besides that, the audio quality is quite poor throughout the film, particularly during the outdoor scenes. If they couldn't get quality audio to begin with, then they should have at least gone back and dubbed the dialogue in a studio afterwards; even if it had then been slightly unsynchronized, it almost certainly would have been more bearable than the final results the audience is forced to sit through. The film's photography manages to be mostly decent, except for a few sunspots (lens flare). While there can certainly be artistic purpose for sunspots, they don't do any favors here (and probably not in any other period film) as they only draw attention to fact that there is a camera there, and thus modern technology. The only appropriate place for sunspots in a film like this might be in a scenic sweep of the landscape, but as Ruth begins her journey they are very prominent and nearly covering her face as she speaks. Aside from that, the costuming seems just a little off to me, not quite authentic, but perhaps I'm wrong..

The film was certainly a noble dream by those involved, but its realization has not done it justice; this dream has not survived the journey to the waking world--at least, not without being significantly butchered.

As previously stated, there is much room for improvement, mostly with the sound in my opinion. The background noise (Wind, crowds etc) made dialogue hard to hear. However I am pleased somebody made a movie about Ruth's love for her mother-in- law. The gentleness of this movie makes it good viewing for kids and adults alike. The colours were bright and cheery, something not common in many Old Testament movies. I think someday someone will make a replica and it will be fantastic, just like "One Night With The King" - the book of Esther, and some of the other 'Bible Series' movies with 'big name' actors in the lead role. 10 lines is a lot to cover for a short review!

I found that the Book of Ruth Journey of Faith was written with great integrity holding true to the Biblical account of Ruth. I loved how the incorporated David! I can not speak of the acting or budget but I believe that the story held true and because of that it will have a great impact to those who watch it. There are other films out there about Ruth that do not hold true to the story. It might be hard to watch through some of the cheesy acting but that seems to be true of most Christian films to date. I believe that will change with time. But I'd recommend this film over any other film about Ruth because of how it stays true to the story. The through line they wrote with David gave it a wonderful perspective of the whole story. So, if you love the story of Ruth as I do I believe you will like this film.

This movie was clearly made very cheaply, but it's clear it was made very earnestly.

The dialog sounds too modern. The costumes range from plausible to absurd. (Boaz wearing a deep purple tunic looks like a Las Vegas lounge singer, as another reviewer noted). Modern hairstyles and make-up among most of the main cast. The acting is mostly soap-opera level, and occasionally comically bad. Dan Haggarty brought some much needed dignity, although his part was disappointingly small.

But the setting seems pretty spot-on, and the story itself, adapted straight from the Biblical book is fine. Ahistorical in some ways, but I find it hard to dislike, despite these flaws.