The fisherman of Galilee
The Fisherman of Galilee is a 1959 American film . It deals with the life of the Jesus disciple Simon Peter . The film is based on the novel The Big Fisherman by Lloyd C. Douglas .
action
The young Arab prince Deran, son of King Zendi, desires Princess Fara, daughter of Herod Antipas , but the law provides that only pure- blooded Arabs can marry into the royal line. Instead, Fara has a relationship with Prince Voldi. She learns from Deran that Herod Antipas had cast her Arab mother out in favor of Herodias . As her mother Arnon reports, Aretas' father Aretas and Herod had entered into an alliance against Rome; therefore Arnon was married to Herod's son, Herod Antipas. Herod expelled Arnon when he became the Tetrarch of Galilee. Shortly after the truth is revealed, Arnon dies.
To take revenge on Herod Antipas, Fara, disguised as a man, goes to Galilee and wants to kill him. Prince Voldi follows her to get her back. On his journey, he rescues the Roman Pro-Chancellor Menicus from Caesarea, who is attacked by three robbers. Out of gratitude, Menicus helps Prince Voldi with the search and advises him to contact Magistrate David Ben-Zadok.
On her journey, Fara is robbed by thieves. John the Baptist tends her wounds and feeds her. A little later she meets the fishermen Simon Petrus and Johannes . Simon Peter does not take John seriously, who is impressed by his encounter with a new preacher from Nazareth. Simon Peter drives away John and his brother James ; Fara becomes his new assistant. Simon Petrus brings her to Hannah, who quickly realizes that Fara is a woman.
Meanwhile, Herod Antipas is concerned about the unrest among the people following new prophets like John the Baptist and the Nazarene. Herodias advises him to look for friends in Rome so that he becomes governor of Judea instead of Pontius Pilate . A little later he survived an assassination attempt.
Thanks to her knowledge of Greek, Fara gets a job in Herod Antipas' palace and translates ancient prophecies there; she also met David Ben-Zadok and found a place with him. In the meantime, Menicus has arrested Prince Voldi so that, as an Arab, he cannot carry out attacks on high Roman figures; at the same time he promises to inform him that his agents will look for an Arab youth. Fara witnesses when Herod Antipas has John the Baptist arrested when he accuses him and Herodias of a vicious life. She finds a way to contact him and offers to help him escape. However, he refuses and asks them to hear and believe Jesus the Nazarene.
Fara cannot endure Jesus' words of forgiveness and charity for long; Simon Peter, on the other hand, is visibly touched when Jesus heals a blind baby and lets John and James work with them again. Soon Jesus made Simon Peter, Andrew , John and James his disciples.
In the meantime, Pontius Pilate orders Prince Voldi to be sent back to Deran. He has since become king after Zendi's death and suffers from paralysis. However, Prince Voldi resists the order and continues his search. After Fara narrowly missed an opportunity to kill Herod Antipas, she remembers the words of Jesus and her encounter with John the Baptist. She decides to warn the Baptist that Herodias asked for him to be killed, but can no longer prevent his execution.
Simon Petrus saves Prince Voldi from being arrested by the Roman soldiers and brings him to Fara. Their joy of reunion is clouded when Menicus reappears and takes Prince Voldi with him and brings him to Deran. Simon Peter and Fara are called to the dying Hannah and are relieved when Jesus appears and brings her back to life.
Fara goes to Herod Antipas and reveals himself to be his daughter. When Fara tries again to kill him, she remembers the words of Jesus and feels liberated. Since Herod Antipas caused a popular uprising by executing John the Baptist, he will be tried under Pontius Pilate.
Deran demands Fara to be his wife; only then will he release Prince Voldi. When he learns of the healing powers of Simon Peter and Jesus, however, he promises to forego Fara if he is healed and to release Prince Voldi. When he tries to find Fara and Voldi despite his healing, he collapses dead; Voldi becomes his successor. In order not to endanger Voldi's rule through her origins, she does not stay by his side, but sets out to spread Jesus' teaching with Simon Peter.
Awards
At the Academy Awards in 1960 , the film was nominated for an Oscar in the categories Best Camera , Best Production Design and Best Costume Design .
Reviews
"Sprawling folk film adaptation of folk legends, based on a novel from the 19th century that was concerned with the reconciliation of Jews and Arabs."
Web links
- The fisherman of Galilee in the Internet Movie Database (English)