“He’ll be forgotten in a week.” – Pontius Pilate.
Swift shot: Last year, The History Channel released a ten episode miniseries titled The Bible. It was the most popular miniseries of the year and led to countless copies of the series sold on Blu-ray and DVD. The final five episodes depict the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. With Son of God, Twentieth Century Fox has given audiences a rare treat to witness the most dramatic story in theaters. If you didn’t see the series, now is your chance to see it, and if you did see the series at home, now is your chance to EXPERIENCE it as never before!
Whether or not you believe in Christ as The Messiah is irrelevant, Son of God doesn’t rely on that to tell a great politically-charged story. It relies on the strength of character, and on wonderful actors, to embody the savior, the villain, the disciples, the faithful and the tragically forlorn.
All of Jesus’ miracles, and most of his famous teachings, are depicted in Son of God, but somehow it didn’t come across as preachy. Credit to Portuguese actor, Diogo Morgado who truly was the lion and lamb and was brilliantly cast.
There are no spoilers, there are no twists, this is the tragic story of a man, or a God, or the one true God . . . all depending on your beliefs . . . that inspired a religion that did not fade away into obscurity. And, to me, the message of Christianity is of forgiveness and compassion for your fellow man. All of Jesus’ words served to remind me that we could all use a little more of that in our lives today.
While many have corrupted his message, there are few who still hold onto it and share it. Clearly, Roma Downey and her husband Mark Burnett felt compelled to make something special. With the help of tremendous performances, a Hans Zimmer score worthy of his name, and a very emotional crucifixion sequence where whether you believe in him or not, watching a mother lose her son with such vitriol will leave you wounded.
Now, perhaps someone will give me a lesson in theology. Why did Jesus utter, “Father, why hast thou forsaken me?” It’s something that has always bothered me . . .
