Son of God

Big, daring movies with Russell Crowe's Noah, Brad Pitt's Pilate and Christian Bale's Exodus are all a part of Hollywood's year of the Bible. Risk is at the heart of great story--especially this, the "greatest story ever told."

Every Jesus film will have faithless critics that caricature the movie. Every Jesus film will have some of "the faithful" bickering over whatever artistic license filmmakers employ.

So, is Son of God worth the risk? Financially, Hollywood will likely say yes. The buzz for Son of God is big. Perhaps it will match viewership with The Bible miniseries that the movie is derived from.

But is the Son of God worth a trip to the cinema? It depends on perspective.

The dramatic introduction, as with the rest of the story, is narrated by John--Jesus' closest friend and disciple. Seeing everything from the garden to the promised land in a minute is dazzling. We have The Bible miniseries to thank for this.

Some blame the miniseries adaptation for disjointed early parts of the movie. I actually found it unified and quick-paced in the scripting…though not in the editing. Dramatic pauses between lines could have been cut throughout. However, the miracles, teachings and confrontations with pharisees, political revolutionaries and Roman forces are woven tightly. Nicodemus (and Matthew) gave dimension to the pharisees. Unfortunately the Barabbas, Malchus and Pilate characters lack depth.

Nearing the crucifixion, the tension ramps well. There was a poignant contrast of prayers by Roman rulers, the Jewish High Priest and Jesus. The whipping and journey to Golgotha was less intense than Gibson's Passion of the Christ. Still, I noticed several weeping in the theater.

After Jesus' last words, "Go into all the world and preach the good news..." Peter gives what I took as the point of this film, "My brothers…my sisters, we have work to do."

For people of faith, I believe we should work to extend grace toward filmmakers, understanding their humanity and forgiving whatever errors we perceive. Major motion pictures about faith stories will be blessings--not perfect miracles.

For filmmakers who are eying this type of production, I'd say there is much more work needed to create authentic stories that will resonate with this audience's sensibilities.

For this year of the Bible to be worth the risk, and go beyond 2014, filmmakers and the faith community alike will need to work out differences in artistry and theology to make successful films that will endure.

For me, the portrayal of Jesus by Diogo Morgado in this film is what makes it great. He was human and vulnerable and above all cared for and loved others far above his love of self.

When Morgado "beheld" anyone in the film, you get a sense that he really did care and there was always the chemistry that comes from a believing Christian actor. This is hard to fake.

Some Christians are down on the film and are questioning Burnett and Downey's sincerity and calling them new agers or worse.

Many Christians have been complaining (sometimes with good reason) about the "cheese factor" in what are called "Christian Films." This film is not perfect by any means, but it is a very good effort and it should be celebrated.

It is so easy to tear down and destroy good things when they don't exactly fit one's mold. Films are arguments and this argues a point of view seldom seen in Hollywood.

So, I am impressed and thankful for Burnett and Downey (whatever their motives) for their tireless and excellent effort.

You Christians out there who are bashing "Son of God" should be ashamed. It is well within the ballpark of traditional Christian art and expression!

I humbly suggest that you try making a film. You will find how very difficult it is and you too will get "shot at" by your own as you lift your head above the comfort of your foxhole.

Thankfully, the tragedy that happened to "End of the Spear" (2005, about missionaries who were killed as they literally save a tribe in Ecuador from extinction) will not happen to this film (EOTS was torpedoed by many due to the activism of the lead actor). What a waste for such a powerful film.

As the Christian community goes out to see (what is better termed as) Christian Worldview Films, then more money will be spent to satisfy what could and should become a "reliable audience." If that can happen then this type of film will continue to improve.

The Bible is very clear, with good or bad motives the important thing is the message and this film is certainly promoting a lively and needed discussion.

In the Bible, Paul wrote about motives of those sharing the Gospel in Philippians 1:15-18 (NIV) "It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached."

I saw this movie opening weekend. I really enjoyed it. A lot of the reviews I read, especially the more negative ones, seem rooted in the writer's resistance to anything pertaining to Christ more than a pure review of the film itself. Whether it be Son of God or The passion of the Christ there are those who will condemn it out of hand. But then Jesus had that effect in his day as well as now.

The movie itself was very interesting. It portrayed a version of how things may have played out without being too heavy handed or following any one religious approach. Having it as part of a series was not enough. It needed to be released as a single unit, a film that will keep intact the story of a historical figure who so impacted the work that the calendar is divided around his life.

Thank you Mark and Roma for simply telling the story without melodrama, over dependence on special effects or cinema tricks. Thank you for a film easy to follow, suited for everyone and true to the story of Christ.

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 on us to love and help each other.

Forgiveness, sharing, turning the other cheek, are some of life's lessons that we may tend to 'forget' about as we go along our busy, hectic, and sometimes difficult lives. The feeling that I can do better swept over me throughout this film.

Today, as Christians live in danger all around the world--in the Middle East, Turkey, Indonesia, Africa, London, Spain, the U.S. (Twin Towers, Pentagon, Pennsylvania field), and other countries, it strikes me that this is also a brave Hollywood movie. Brave because it's an American made, Christian movie put forth when references of 'God' are actually disappearing from American way of life--the family's plaque at Purdue University, the 'prayers' at Arlington, our President's version of the Gettysburg Address (to name a few). So, if you ask me, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey actually put together a beautiful, brave, Christian movie and I'd like to thank all who helped!

This movie was very enjoyable to watch, to experience how this could have happened from accounts written from John's memories and experiences. The problem with movies that are faith based, is that there will be people that will be negative about them for that reason alone. Or, if one goes to see this movie with preconceived notions that it is inaccurate and should be analyzed for errors, then you probably will not like anything about it because of your own attitude. However, if you go with the intention to watch a good movie and relax and take it all in, then you will be quite pleased. The actor who portrayed Jesus was excellent in making him to be so believably real, approachable, and charismatic. The man who played Pilot was my second most liked actor. He, too, was very believable as a Roman tribune with seething anger, annoyed with his assignment of keeping Jerusalem under control by thwarting any dissidents and rebel forces. Overall, I was pleased and inspired by this engaging film.