The Apocalypse

Not the worst movie. Not the greatest movie ever. A good movie. It has a an okay story line. It has great acting. This is a good movie. 10 out of 10 is overrating it. But still will say it is 6 out of 10.

RELEASED TO TV IN 2000 and directed by Raffaele Mertes, "The Apocalypse" chronicles events during the reign of Roman Emperor Domitian (Bruce Payne) circa 90 AD when the elderly apostle John (Richard Harris) is imprisoned on the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea (off the coast of modern day Turkey). John experiences strange visions, as detailed in the book of Revelation. Christian Kohlund plays a formidable Roman commander ordered to kill Christians in Asia Minor while Vittoria Belvedere plays a devout believer in love with a duplicitous man who is sent to the penal colony on Patmos as a Roman spy (Benjamin Sadler).

Any film that attempts to tackle the biblical book of Revelation is ambitious, to say the least, and "The Apocalypse" should be respected for this, particularly since it's a surprisingly quality period movie, which doesn't forget to be entertaining while conveying worthy mind/spirit food. Being made in 1999 and limited by a TV budget, I was expecting lousy sets, costuming, locations and, especially, bad CGI effects. But, thankfully, the movie delivers in all these areas. The F/X hold up surprisingly well, all things considered, and they helped me better visualize John's visions in Revelation, which heretofore I had only 'seen' in my mind. Speaking of which, to appreciate this movie it helps to be a little familiar with the book of Revelation, otherwise you might be lost, especially since the movie's plot is a tad convoluted.

Interestingly, in one of his apocalyptic visions John sees the twin towers of the World Trade Center burning, which of course came to pass in real life a mere year after the film's initial release!

THE MOVIE RUNS 96 minutes and was shot (at least in part) in Morocco (I can't find any other info on the locations). WRITER: Francesco Contaldo.

GRADE: B

Richard Harris's moving performance is the centerpiece of this film, in which members of the early church, struggling for faith and reassurance in the face of violent persecution, are searching for John the Beloved, last of the living apostles, who is "hiding in plain sight" on the prison island of Patmos. However, don't ignore some very good performances by several of the others. The visions of John are depicted judiciously, considering the CGI available in 2000 and the budget (that is, they don't scream "made-for-TV"); the montages do not try to show every detail but give a general idea of the visions. To watch this is a good adjunct to reading Revelation, to remind one that these fantastic visions came to a real person in a very chaotic time.

Without the addition to Richard Harris to the movie, the movie would never have been made. With that, San Giovanni would still be trying to sell his script to a religious market. Still, without Harris, the movie is very good. The production value and story are worthy of a straight to video release. One of Richard Harris' last movies, you can tell it was since he dies at the end of the movie. Gladiator, Caesar, and about 5 other films all have Richard Harris dying during the movie. The same goes for his role as John the Apostle. A brilliant performance like much of his work, Harris carries the film as he speaks of his visions in Revelations. Not too much is said of Titus in 90 AD. This is the story of John and his journey in the last years of his life.

Evocative rendition of John's visions that doesn't shove a particular interpretation down your throat ala "Left Behind." More likely to provoke worship than to scratch your theological itches. Which is why I liked it.