Peter and Paul

This is one of the best biblical movies I have seen. The fact it was made for TV makes it more remarkable, considering its' best competition was filmed for theatrical release.

As a Christian, I was a little wary of the approach Mr. Hopkins would give in his portrayal of one of the greatest men to have ever lived, the Apostle Paul. Hopkins gave a wonderful performance. His vision of Paul was entirely believable. Paul was supremely faithful, but wrestled with unforgiveness, illness, hardship, anger, etc. Mr. Hopkins' showcased the entire spectrum of Pauls' strenghts and weaknesses, without losing the strength of his immense faith in Christ.

I highly recommend this movie because it is well done, it is true to the Biblical accounts, and it is a moving account of the lives of Peter and Paul.

Without the contributions of Peter and Paul to the early Christian church it might very well have gone on to be an obscure offshoot of Judaism and Jesus might have died a lonely and forgotten death. This film, Peter and Paul, is based on their contributions in spreading the gospel.

Robert Foxworth is a rugged Peter, along the lines of Finlay Currie and Howard Keel previous portrayers of St. Peter, who also looks like a man who worked outdoors and with his hands. Anthony Hopkins is the scholarly Saul of Tarsus, rabbi who was charged with the apprehension and elimination of this Jewish sect worshiping a carpenter who allegedly rose from the dead.

To mark his change of mind about this group, Saul changed his name to Paul and his forcible conversion on the road to Damascus is shown here in detail. The bolt of lightning that knocked him off his ride and blinded him and his later restoration to sight changed him 180 degrees. He becomes their champion and their most eloquent spokesperson.

Paul before Peter took the commandment seriously about the new faith being universal. Others of the early Christians wanted to do the work of evangelizing strictly amongst the Jews. Peter was caught between a rock and a hard place on the issue.

Undaunted Paul goes out among all various and sundry folks spreading the word. His travels are recorded in the names of the various books of the New Testament, his letters of commission and instruction to the various churches he founded.

Whatever one's view of Christianity is, for better or worse Paul's probably the guy who did the most to spread it. That is indisputable. Anthony Hopkins combines the intellect with the personal magnetism that the man had to have in order to get as many folks as he did to listen and heed.

You will find some other good performances in Jose Ferrer as Rabbi Gamaliel teacher of Paul who thought that we ought to give the new followers of Jesus a hearing, Raymond Burr as Herod Aggripa, Jon Finch as a worldly St. Luke and John Rhys Davies and Herbert Lom as Paul's traveling companions Silas and Barnabas at different points of his life.

The direction is good, the script is literate without some of the banal lines associated with DeMille productions. Had this been done thirty years earlier, Peter and Paul would have had far more acclaim than it got. Still I think Christians will like it and nonbelievers will find it entertaining and factual in terms of the accounts in Scripture.

Say what you will hopkins greatest performance I 1st saw this movie when I got saved in1997 ave watched it many times since it follows the book of acts which is a historical book not a doctrinal book and the rise of the body of Christ and fall of Israel nevertheless it is an excellent movie for the lost and saved alike when I get to heaven and meet Paul I expect him to look like Anthony Hopkins he played such a convincing role definitely reccomend this movie

it is its great virtue. to present a story not only in convincing manner but in the grace of its nuances. story of a fight for faith, it is a remarkable portrait of the two apostles. for the science to explore vulnerabilities, searches and the need to serve the Truth. for the force of words and the trips in the heart of an empire. for the life of the first communities. for the courage to be more than a historical film. for the admirable portraits. and for the roots of the sacrifice. sure, nothing surprising. a great cast, smart script. and the images with the gift to be more than illustration of Christian first steps. a film of questions. useful for rediscover a battle who seems today almost a myth.

I first saw this on TV and was overwhelmed. It's a decent account of the story of Paul's journeys as he spread the Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ from his conversion on the "road to Damascus" to his final imprisonment in Rome. If you've read the Acts of the Apostles, or the epistles of Paul, you won't be surprised except by the continuity of this well-written script. You may also learn how Paul's background as both a Jew and a citizen of Rome facilitated his founding of many churches.

Anthony Hopkins was overwhelming as the Apostle "Paul". There were minor distractions, most notably Eddie Albert of "Green Acres" and Raymond Burr of "Perry Mason" hired (no doubt) for there (TV) "star power". Robert Foxworth is primarily known as a TV-star who has a long career in "made for TV movies" and guest and starring roles in many popular dramatic series.

Afterwards, as I read the writings of Paul in the New Testament, I can still hear Hopkins' voice in my head ... his articulation, phrasing, pauses,and conviction resulting in highly effectual communication. Yes, he was and is that good, even to today's role as the Norse God, Odin. His masterful style remains strong.

I bought this on VHS and loved it. Years later, I bought it on DVD. It remains unavailable online. Why? I don't know. Sir Anthony Hopkins is a major movie star. This protégé of Lawrence Olivier went on to star in many major movie productions such as "The Elephant Man", "A Bridge Too Far", and "Magic". Previous to 1981, he had done many fine and honored "made for TV movies", such as "The Bunker" (Adolph Hitler) and "The Lindberg Kidnapping" (Bruno Hauptmann).

You can still buy this on DVD from Amazon. Unfortunately, that remains our only source for viewing this breathtaking Christian drama. Someday, I hope to see it available on VUDU, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu or some other streaming outlet. Until then, I'm content to have a copy of the DVD.