Movie Review
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Jesus Film: A Natural Portrayal of the Divine
directed by Peter Sykes and John Krish, Warner Bros. 1979
TIA desk
First, let it be clearly stated and we do not recommend The Jesus Film (1979) for many reasons. No actor on screen can adequately portray Our Lord, who is both God and Man, and no film - not even The Passion of The Christ - has come anywhere close to giving Our Lord the dignity that is His due. The Jesus Film, although presenting a more honorable Jesus than Jesus Christ Superstar, likewise does not leave the viewer with the conviction that Jesus is God.
The characters of the 1979 film are sentimental and weak without the nobility, grandeur and sanctity that would have emanated from the great love that Our Lord inspired in His Virgin Mother, St. Joseph and His Apostles.
Throughout the film a sense that everything is natural and vulgar pervades; even the angels look like ordinary men. Jesus, Mary and Joseph are presented as simply ordinary “good people,” although Jesus has an impressive voice that attracts the multitudes. Very few miracles are shown, but rather the emphasis of the film seems to be on Our Lord’s social doctrine. What is notably absent is any Catholic doctrine such as the Holy Eucharist, the role of Peter at visible Head of the Church that Christ established and the Apostles being Princes of the Church.
Jesus with his motley apostles, all natural & low rather than supernatural & divine
What follows is a portion of the speech that actually denies that Jesus is truly the Son of God and makes no mention of Jesus being God - a heresy that it seems many Protestants have adopted in addition to their countless other errors:
“The Holy Scriptures declared that the Holy One to be born would be the Son of God. This means that Jesus was to be called the Son of God in a spiritual sense. We see this in how he lived his life. He healed people from disease, forgave their sins, turned them back to God, and promised them a place in God’s eternal kingdom. He offered himself as a sacrifice for sin in their place, and then rose again conquering death. …
Mary Magdalen seems a low-level belly-dancer, not of a noble family
“Now, those who follow Jesus not only have their sins forgiven, but are saved from God’s eternal judgment. They are assured of Paradise and will live with him forever. It is this life and freedom from the guilt and power of sin that Jesus offers each person today. This does not mean following religion, but choosing to have faith in Jesus....
“This means turning to God and trusting Jesus to come into our lives, to forgive our sins, and to make us what he wants us to be. It is not enough to intellectually agree with his claims nor to have an emotional experience. We receive him by grace through faith as an act of the will. When people are ready to become followers of Jesus the Messiah, they may speak to him in a simple prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I need you, Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I confess and repent of my sins. I open the door of my life and receive you as my savior and lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be as I become one of your followers. Amen.”
Thus, Catholics who watch this film are indoctrinated with the Protestant heresy that faith alone saves and others that may lead the viewer to doubt the Catholic Faith. It is a poison that should not be tasted.
Much more could be said against the film, but as it shares many of the same errors as The Nativity Story, Mary of Nazareth, and The Chosen, we suggest you read those reviews to help you analyze the other many errors in The Jesus Film.
Trying to appear sublime,
the actor often takes on an occult look
Posted January 24, 2025
______________________
______________________
 |
 |
 |