Tag Archives: Biblical

#150: The Nativity Story (2006)

12 Tuesday Aug 2014

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The village of Nazareth, rural and poor,
Held no importance, except to those
Who called the town home, paying taxes galore
And planting each season and doing each chore
With hope for a Savior to banish their woes.
 
Young Mary was chosen to be Joseph’s wife,
And God chose her to bear His Son.
She knew that a scandal could threaten her life
And cause her and Joseph unwarranted strife,
But still she submitted that His will be done.
 
She journeyed to visit Elizabeth then,
Her cousin, pregnant by God’s will,
Who knew Mary’s Son was the Savior of men.
When Mary returned to her hometown again,
Her pregnancy made people tempted to kill.
 
But Joseph was warned by an angel mid-dream
That Mary held God’s favor yet.
Regardless of how Joseph’s actions may seem,
He did not dismiss her, as most men would deem,
And loved her and He Whom she soon would beget.
 
The word arrived then of a census widespread,
That forced returns to old hometowns.
Since far Bethlehem beckoned him, Joseph led
A donkey that bore Mary ever ahead,
Across rocky country and uneven grounds.
 
The journey was hard, testing both faith and heart,
And when they came, there was no room.
The most that the humble locale could impart
For God’s only Son was a stable apart,
Complete with a star that above it did loom.
 
The angel pronounced to the shepherds nearby
That born was the King of Kings,
And after they’d worshipped the lowly Most High,
Three Eastern Magi, who had studied the sky,
Arrived to give homage with rich offerings.
 
Though Herod the king feared the end of his reign
And killed the children there,
The angel warned Joseph, who fled his domain
With Mary and Jesus, as God did ordain
To answer His own people’s prayer.
____________________
 

In so many cases, there is a disconnect to Bible stories. Both when we read of great deeds of the past and when we see films like The Ten Commandments, the characters take on mythological qualities that cause us to forget that they were real people, dealing with everyday life just like us, whom God chose for extraordinary purposes. The Nativity Story brilliantly emphasizes the humanity and vulnerability of Mary and Joseph, making them more relatable and real than any Sunday school lesson could.

Keisha Castle-Hughes plays a sensitive and courageous Mary, though I wish she didn’t look so continually melancholy. Oscar Isaac is the best Joseph I’ve seen thus far, presenting Joseph as the good man mentioned in the Bible but demonstrating that being righteous does not come without temptation and doubt. Their relationship is cool at first but slowly grows as Mary recognizes what a loving and honorable man she has married. Ciaran Hinds once again proves his skill as a villain as the brooding King Herod, and Shaun Toub of Iron Man is believably frustrated as Mary’s misunderstanding father. Shohreh Aghdashloo plays the trusting Elizabeth, and it’s interesting that this well-known Muslim actress is playing a Jewish character in a Christian movie.

Though it is clearly a Christian film, it isn’t preachy and utilizes more of the show-don’t-tell method, such as when Herod’s soldiers overlook humble Joseph and his pregnant wife because they are looking for a man of power. The actors themselves were touched by the film as well: Oscar Isaac said in an interview that in the scene in which he begs God for a sign, he actually saw a remarkably beautiful sunrise and had to hide his own awe.

The filmmakers took some creative license, such as downplaying the angel’s proclamation to the shepherds (probably for budget reasons), but the actual nativity scene is the most moving depiction of Jesus’ birth I’ve seen on film. There’s also the familiar misconception that the Magi were present with the shepherds, but that’s a minor objection.

I first saw The Nativity Story in the theater, and it has since become another Christmas Day tradition, a wonderful way to recall the real reason for the season. It’s not the most exciting movie, but it brings a simple Bible story to life in a relatable and beautiful way.

Best line: (Joseph, as villagers are glaring at their departure) “They’re going to miss us.”

 
Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 6
Originality: 8
Watchability: 7
 
TOTAL: 47 out of 60
 

Next: #149 – Overboard

© 2014 S. G. Liput

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Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)

20 Sunday Apr 2014

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

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In Canaan, Jacob’s simply thrilled
To have his prayers at last fulfilled.
For barren Rachel’s borne a son,
A miracle to everyone.
 
As Joseph grows and sings in key,
He’s Jacob’s favorite, plain to see.
His ten half-brothers grow quite tired
Of the way he is admired.
 
He wears a coat of many hues
And flaunts his standing, in their views.
They’re also irked that it now seems
Their brother has prophetic dreams.
 
At last, they say they’ve had enough
And make a move that’s not a bluff.
They trap their brother in a cave
And sell him as a meager slave.
 
To Egypt, Joseph’s taken far
And sold again to Potiphar.
Through labor, he starts earning praise
And all his perseverance pays.
 
Now high within his master’s house,
He’s slandered by his master’s spouse
And thrown in jail in utter gloom,
A dark and rat-infested tomb.
 
He solves some fellow inmates’ dreams,
Interpreting their common themes.
He’s left alone for two years till
He comes to terms with his God’s will.
 
When Pharaoh has a dream as well,
He calls on Joseph from his cell.
His dream predicts some years of famine,
Spread from Egypt unto Ammon.
 
Pharaoh is indeed impressed,
And Joseph soon is heaven blessed.
As Pharaoh’s second-in-command,
He helps prepare the entire land.
 
When famine withers shoots and seeds,
All Egypt has the food it needs.
When Joseph’s brothers come for food,
He acts conspicuously rude.
 
He quickly locks up Simeon
Till they bring brother Benjamin.
They come back with his newest brother,
Born of Rachel, his dead mother.
 
A trick gets them at last to leak
Their crime, which they’ve been loath to speak.
Then Joseph says he’s their estranged
Half-brother, when he’s sure they’ve changed.
 
They beg forgiveness, which he gives,
And he is glad his father lives.
Then Jacob and his family
Move down to Egypt joyously.
___________________
 

Joseph: King of Dreams is a prequel to DreamWorks Animation’s The Prince of Egypt but skipped theaters and was released directly to video, the only animated DreamWorks film to do so. Though the story of Joseph had been done as a musical before with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s pretty good adaptation Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, this animated film is much closer to the spirit of the Biblical story, as the opening disclaimer tries to convey. Some creative license was taken, such as removing Leah from the picture to avoid the depiction of Jacob having two concurrent wives, but Joseph: King of Dreams is a wonderful introduction to the Biblical story for all young viewers.

The animation and music are all right but do not measure up to the masterpiece that DreamWorks pulled off with Prince of Egypt, and I bet the filmmakers knew that; hence, its direct-to-video status. Many of the songs are catchy while you hear them but aren’t as memorable as they try to be, but the best ones are the opener “Miracle Child” and “Better Than I,” a very Christian song beautifully recounting Joseph’s memories while in captivity (though, can a tree really grow that much in two years?). While the voice acting was never advertised much upon release, it does feature Ben Affleck as Joseph, Mark Hamill as Judah, and Richard Herd as Jacob, among various other known and obscure voice actors.

It’s always enjoyable to see a well-produced adaptation of a Bible story since so many are obviously low-budget affairs. At the same time, there’s a danger of departing too far from the source material in order to build characters or tension (a la the recent Noah); Joseph: King of Dreams is an admirable Biblical movie that remains faithful to the text, telling a timeless story for all ages and audiences.

Best line: (lyrics in the song speaking of God while Joseph is imprisoned) “You know better than I.”

 
Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 5
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 5
Originality: 5
Watchability: 7
 
TOTAL: 35 out of 60
 

Next: #260 – Galaxy Quest

© 2014 S. G. Liput