Um Menino Chamado Jesus

This totally original "biblical" film (actually focusing on extra-biblical events) boasts an incredibly innovative screenplay, subtly and vividly directed with an excellent cast (including Matteo Bellina, Bekim Fehmiu and María del Carmen San Martín) in magnificent settings.

Most surprisingly of all: A Child Called Jesus is never didactic or overblown and totally credible, based on what we do know of that region from biblical archeology (as the Gospels are frequently problematic in this regard).

The challenge here is: How do you tell a story of Jesus (or any religious figure) as a boy without offending fundamentalists. Here they actually address a few of the biblical discrepancies that don't match up with other historical accounts (eg. the so-called Massacre of the Innocents which has never been corroborated by Palestinian history).

Ostensibly, the writers Vittorio Bonicelli, Franco Rossi and Francesco Scardamaglia must have consulted with rabbinical experts to get all the cultural details right. There is a verisimilitude here seldom seen in similar films.

This was actually made just BEFORE The Last Temptation of Christ and there's nothing presented here that would scare off "secular" or non-Christian viewers.

Best of all is the memorable score by the legendary Piero Piccioni. Looking forward to seeing the original Italian version with sub-titles, though they actually did an excellent job on the English-language version!

I am trying for years to get a copy of this film that has been dubbed in english! I saw it before with english voice overs and now I can only get the German version Help!!!!! It was shown on Canadian Broadcast television once and that is where I saw it and began the search about ten or 12 years ago!

This movie was shown on Canadian television several years ago and I saw most of it. Almost every movie about Jesus depicts him a stoic, serene, and God-like character with almost every line a quote from the Bible. There was much more to the human boy Jesus than any recorded history known. This movie shows what it would have been like to be Jesus, a human boy, in an accurately detailed setting. It is one of the most moving and spiritually uplifting religious movies I have ever seen. If you ever wondered what it may have been like for Jesus, in the undocumented years of His life, this film is a must see. Unfortunately, I have searched without success, for several years, to get, or even see, the English version of this masterpiece.

I'm a old man, but I saw this movie the first time on the occasion of Pope's death. During Wojtyla's agony the Italian TV-Rete 4 broadcasts no stop many proper movies, as "Un Bambino di Nome Gesù'", first and second part, and similar movies. Owing to this my experience, I am tempted to say that this film can be seen "once in a blue moon"! Nevertheless it's possible to find the DVD and Assistance Service trying Ibs Italia: search with Google on web pages, Italian language "Un Bambino di Nome Gesù" - Franco Rossi - Matteo Bellina. There are two enthusiastic user comments, as "the best movie I have ever seen", 5/5 or excellent. There are also some quotations of Sages, Astrologers or Magi near Herod's court, never felt before! Further details in a second time, if it's possible.

This is a very touching and moving film. The film is about the childhood life of Jesus from the time he fled to Egypt and his return to Nazareth.

The movie does not have many biblical passages to follow. What the movie does do is show how Joseph and Jesus may have interacted during Jesus childhood.

If you have ever enjoyed religious films you must try to find this and see it. The english version is titled "A Child Called Jesus"

I watched in on satellite a couple of years back, but can not find it in video stores anywhere.

Take care.