Desertman84 The Jesus Film,also known as Jesus, is a film about the life of Jesus that is based on the Gospel of St.Luke.It stars Brian Deacon in the title role. It starts with the annunciation when Mary receives the news from the Angel Gabriel that she is to bear a son whom she would call Jesus and it concludes with the resurrection of Jesus after he was nailed on the cross.The movie was said to be the most watched film of all-time and it has been translated into more than a thousand languages.Is it the best film made about the messiah?Obviously,not.It is monotonous,dry and boring.Add to that is the fact that it is low production values and most of the voices were obviously dubbed except that of the Deacon himself.The great thing I can say about it is the fact that the events depicted are truly accurate based from the scriptures.It was used as a film to teach about the messiah and to reach billions of people around the world.Inspite of the flaws that I have stated,it was just as good and effective in spreading the Good News and to impact many lives around the world.Watch this film not to watch a perfect movie but rather to learn the about our Savior and his teachings.With that attitude,one would never truly be disappointed.

gcd70 A very simple film that gives a literal account of the Gospel according to St. Luke. It tells the story of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, proclaimed by Christians the world over to be the only Son of the living God. A man who in his latter years preached to the non-believers, gave his life for the sin of man, and then rose on the third day - as He had foretold - to set mankind free from sin, should they chose to follow Him.Brian Deacon makes a convincing Christ (not an easy thing to do), however in its simplicity it may fail to challenge those who are unwilling to listen. These people may find the film dull. For the believer it is a wonderful reminder of God's promises, and for the searchers that listen with an open heart, perhaps "Jesus" will truly touch their lives.Thursday, July 23, 1992 - Video

John Ruffle From a motion picture perspective, the "Jesus" film is primitive and flawed for audiences who are familiar with cinematic convention. From a biblical story-telling perspective however, it is brilliant. I'm therefore rating it at just "5" - half-way between love and hate, as I shall explain in this review.That the producers achieved what they set out to do is indisputable: it's the most watched movie of all time. That the film is clear and truthful to the Gospel account of Luke is indisputable. That we need to consider the intended audience is also indisputable. Released just two years after Zeffirelli's magnificent masterpiece, "Jesus of Nazareth", this film comes across as is a lifeless clone... IF you've seen the Zeffirelli film, that is.But what if you haven't -- what if you couldn't; maybe because you live in the jungle some place away from TV sets and westernised living? Then some chaps come into your village, set up a sheet between trees, wait for dark and then display these "magic pictures". NOW which film is the most powerful? The tables are turned, and all of a sudden, the "Jesus" film comes out tops. The film is not sophisticated, but it's not meant to be. Its power is not due to the imagery, but due to the Word of God that it illustrates.Now, what about all the narration? It makes it sound like one of those old 16 mm "Fact and Faith" films that my maths teacher showed in school way back. Like an old newsreel. For a start, narration makes the translators' tasks much easier- it is, after all, the most translated film in history. However, during the climax, we actually loose the narrator altogether - a very unusual device, and I'm still not sure if it works that way or not. If I was cynical, I'd say the narrator went off for a coffee break, but I think they did it that way to help draw the audience, sitting spellbound on the hard earth, more into the story. The idea of any cinematic style has long left the screen, so it probably really doesn't matter, and on the primitive level, it certainly works.Again, desperately failing not to be cynical, I see this film as perhaps the Protestant answer to the Catholic "Jesus of Nazareth" that it desperately tries to copy in part, and which was released just two years earlier. It reflects the fundamentalist ethos that it's okay to "use" film for religious purposes, but it is not okay to be absorbed by it. Art can be tolerated so long as the message is loud and clear. I don't mean to be cruel or mean; I admire and respect the folks who made this. However, I guess I just fail to understand why the producers were not able to get a few more talented people to guide the project to completion. It is a prime example of blinkered movie vision. In the end, it doesn't really matter, however, because the purpose of the film is to help non-Christians encounter Christ himself in his resurrection power - not to have a great night out.As a side note, I have figured out a way to really enjoy this movie. Get something useful to do like washing the dishes or painting a wall. Then, put the movie on in the same room, and listen to the soundtrack as you work, and forget it even has moving pictures. The film makes excellent audio, and it has a wonderful added bonus: whenever you get really curious, all you need to do is take a peek at the screen, and low and behold, as if by magic, there's a moving picture of what you've just been listening to! A quite awesome way of listening to the Bible on tape. Because the visuals are almost entirely incidental, you can "listen" to the movie and not miss a thing!On this film, I'm really sitting on the fence. For achieving what it set out to do, which is basically tell the story of Jesus to primitive audiences, I'd rate it 10 out of 10. As a film, with any depth of artistic talent, I have to be honest and give it a 1 out of 10. So I have to settle for a 5 rating. Which is one higher that the 4 that I hated myself for originally giving it, before writing this review and finding a valid reason to mark it up at least one notch.

Enrique Sanchez I bought this for myself several weeks ago among other DVDs. I watched all the others immediately. But I waited until I was in the right frame of mind. Oh, what I missed all those days! There are those who will say this version is dry. But I say this version is full of truth and peace.The mood which pervades this wonderful film is so close to the Gospel as I have read it, and it is told with such a lovely pace of calm and reflection that it calls one into the telling with gentleness and not commercial flash and color. That is, if one is ready.We are all so "spoiled" by melodramatic presentations that we forget that the story of the life of Jesus was dramatic on its own merits without need for Hollywood's elaborations or expansions."Jesus" is a movie I recommend to everyone, yes, even those who have no faith or interest in the Christ, if not more so.Many blessings to this film, its creators and participants and the message it imparts with such grace, truth and peace.