The Gospel of John

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Movie
German title The Gospel of John
Original title The Gospel of John
Country of production Canada , UK
original language English
Publishing year 2003
length 173-180 minutes
Age rating FSK 12/14
Rod
Director Philip Saville
script John Goldsmith
production Garth H. Drabinsky ,
Chris Chrisafis
music Jeff Danna
camera Miroslaw Baszak
cut Michel Arcand ,
Ron Wisman junior
occupation
synchronization

The two-part film Das Johannes Gospel (reference title Das Johannes Evangelium - Der Film ; original title The Gospel of John , alternatively The Visual Bible: The Gospel of John ) tells the life of Jesus of Nazareth , played by Henry Ian Cusick , from the perspective of his apostle Johannes (Scott Handy) and focuses on the Gospel of John written by him . Daniel Kash is cast as Simon Petrus , Richard Lintern as the elder . The 2003 Canadian - British film was directed by Philip Saville .

Preface

The film is preceded by the following lines: “The gospel of John was written two generations after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. At that time Jerusalem was under Roman rule. While crucifixion was a common form of punishment among the Romans, it was not sanctioned by Jewish law. Jesus and his disciples were Jews. The gospel reflects an unprecedented period of strife and enmity between the nascent church and the ruling priesthood of the Jewish people. This film is a true representation of that gospel. "

"In the beginning was the Word. The word was with God. And in everything it was equal to God. From the beginning it was with God. Everything was created by the word and without the word nothing came into being. In him was life and this life was the light for people. The light shines in the dark. But the darkness has closed in him. One appeared whom God had sent - his name was John. He should be a witness of the light and point it out to everyone so that they may know and accept it. He himself wasn't the light. It should only point to the light. The true light that has come into the world and now shines for all people is he who is the word. He, the word, has always been in the world. The world was created through him, but he did not know it. He came into his own creation, but his creatures, humans, rejected him. But he gave all who welcomed him and believed him the right to become children of God. They do not become that through natural birth or human will and making, but because God gives them a new life. He, the Word, became a man. A real person of flesh and blood. He lived among us and we saw his power and majesty, the divine majesty that the father gave him, his only son. All of God's love and faithfulness met us in him. Johannes appeared as a witness for him. "

action

Part 1: John, appearance of Jesus, speeches and first miracles

Johannes tries to swear his fellow human beings that someone has come into the world who is above all of them, because he was there before he was born. The leading men from Jerusalem then send priests and Levites to John to question him. John answers them that he is the voice of a caller in the desert and that one should prepare the way in which the Lord the Messiah will come. This is all happening in Bethany across the Jordan River . When John saw Jesus approaching the next day, he said to his companions: “Look there, the sacrificial lamb of God who bears the guilt of the whole world on his shoulders. I spoke of him when I said that someone would come after me who would be above me, because before I was born he was already there. I didn't know him before either. And I tell you, this is God's Son. "

Andrew , the brother of Simon Peter , is the first to follow Jesus, Simon Peter the second. When Jesus is about to leave for Galilee , he meets Philip , who also follows him, and then Nathanael and other men who join him. On the third day after their departure, a wedding is celebrated in Cana in Galilee . In addition to Jesus and his disciples, Mary , Jesus' mother, is also invited to the celebration. When the supply of wine runs out, Jesus goes to the stone jugs in the house, each of which holds about 100 liters, and instructs the servants to fill these jugs to the brim with water. When you fill the jugs with it, the water has become the best wine. So Jesus performed his first miracle in Cana and revealed his glory.

Then Jesus and his disciples, as well as his mother and brothers, go to Capernaum . As the Passover draws near, Jesus and his followers go to Jerusalem . When Jesus realizes that traders and money changers have settled in the temple area, he drives them all away, saying that they do not respect his father's house. Jesus is gaining more and more followers and his disciples have now baptized more people than John, so that the Pharisees become aware of God's Son. When Jesus, who stayed in Judea for a long time , goes back to Galilee, he has to go through Samaria . He also crosses the village of Shechem , where Jacob's well is located. Tired of the long walk, Jesus sits down on the edge of the well. When a young woman wants to draw water from the well, Jesus asks her to give him a drink of water. She is a Samaritan woman and he is a Jew, how could he ask something of her, replies the woman. Jesus explains his demeanor to the Samaritan woman hanging on his lips in amazement. The young woman spreads the conversation among her own kind, which leads to the Samaritans asking Jesus into their midst. He stays for two days and fills people with his spirit.

Jesus performs the second great miracle on a terminally ill boy from Cana, whose father begs him for help. He sends him away with the words: “Go, your son will live!” And so it happens. Soon there is a Jewish festival in Jerusalem. There at the Schaefer Gate there are always people with illnesses that give little hope of recovery: the blind, the paralyzed and people with dead limbs. Among them is a man who has been sick for 38 years. Jesus sees him lying there and realizes that the man has been suffering from his illness for a long time. He tells him to get up and take his mat. At the same time the man is healthy. Since Jesus healed on a Sabbath , people start persecuting him. But Jesus says to his persecutors: "My father is always at work and that is why I am."

More and more people are following Jesus because they have seen his miracles on the sick. Jesus and his disciples stop on a mountain above the lake. A huge crowd comes up to them. Simon Peter calls Jesus over and introduces him to a boy who has five loaves of bread and two fish with him. About 5000 hungry people are hoping for food. Two of Jesus' disciples distribute bread and fish, which have multiplied many times over, to the people who now have plenty to eat. From the initial five loaves of bread and two fish, twelve baskets with leftovers remain in the end.

In the evening Jesus' disciples get into a boat to cross the lake. After they have covered a distance of about three miles, they see Jesus come across the water towards their boat. Since many are unable to understand the words Jesus addressed to them, they turn away from him again. Jesus tells his twelve disciples that he chose them himself, but he knows that there is a traitor among them - he means Judas , the son of Simon Iscariot.

Part 2: Persecution, Crucifixion, Resurrection

Jesus stays away from Judea because the leading men there want his death. When the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles is approaching, Jesus means to his followers that he will not go there because his time has not yet come. When he did preach in different temples, he made enemies not only among the leading priests. However, an arrest of Jesus instigated by the Pharisees fails. Some time later, when Jesus was talking to the people on the Mount of Olives , a woman was brought to him who was accused of adultery, which was followed by death by stoning. Jesus replies: “Those of you who have never sinned should throw the first stone at them.” One by one the people then withdraw until Jesus is alone with the woman. When the Messiah sees a blind man a little later, he tells his disciples that this man is blind so that God's power can be seen in him. And as long as he is in the world, he is the light of the world. Then Jesus spreads a paste mixed with his spit on the blind man's eyes and tells him to wipe his eyes clean at the pond. When the man comes back from there, he can see.

Again and again Jesus divides the masses because they are unable to understand what he wants to say to them. Jesus performs another miracle on Lazarus , the brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany , whom he raises from the dead. The priests and Pharisees fear that the miracles that Jesus performs over and over again will lose their power and do not want to accept it. Kajaphas , one of them, who is the chief priest this year, takes the floor and implores the others that it is better to let one person die than that the whole people be destroyed. From that day on, the leading men are determined to kill Jesus. Six days before the Passover, Jesus comes back to Bethany at Lazarus' house, where the brothers and sisters give him a feast. Mary pours the finest nard oil over Jesus' feet and dries them with her hair, which the later traitor Judas finds incomprehensible. Jesus says he should leave Mary alone, there will always be poor people, but they won't have him with them much longer.

Jesus already knows at the Lord's Supper with his disciples that his hour is near to go. He washes the feet of his disciples and said, “You are all clean, all but one,” because he knows that Judas will betray him. When Simon Peter assured him that he was ready to die for Jesus, he replied: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Jesus prepares his disciples with meaningful words that he will soon no longer be among them was, but the day would come when they would see him again.

As Jesus and his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane resides those recited by Judas captors . Jesus thinks that his father intended this cup for him, so he should drink it too. He is arrested and taken away. Later he is presented to Pontius Pilate . When he asks the crowd which prisoner he should release for Passover, as is the custom, the crowd demands the release of the criminal Barabbas . Once again Pilate tries to change the people's opinion by imploring the people that there is no reason why Jesus should be condemned. This changes nothing. The crowd shouts: “Crucify him.” Another attempt also fails, since the priests and Pharisees absolutely want Jesus to be crucified. So Pilate releases him to be crucified. Adorned with a crown of thorns , Jesus has to carry his cross up to the hill of Golgotha . Next to him, two other men are nailed to the cross. Just before Jesus gives his life back into the hands of his Father, He says, “It is finished.” At the same moment his head sinks.

When, after a while, the disciples look for Jesus in the burial chamber, only the cloths in which the body was wrapped are left. Mary also looks into the cave and sees two white angels and shortly afterwards the risen Jesus himself. Soon afterwards Jesus returns to his disciples and blesses them. Thomas, one of them, wasn't there and doesn't believe what the men are telling him. After a week, Jesus comes again and speaks to the visibly moved Thomas. One morning when the disciples were returning home from the sea in their boat without a catch, Jesus stood on the shore without first recognizing him and advised them to cast their net into the water at a certain point. They catch a lot of fish there. Jesus reveals himself and asks Simon Peter three times if he loves him. There is much more that Jesus said and did, if everything were written down one by one, the world could not understand the books.

production

Production notes, filming, background

The film was produced by Gospel of John Ltd., Toronto Film Studios, Visual Bible International and Visual Bible, distributed by Buena Vista Home Video, Casscom Media and in Germany by Gerth Medien and Koch Media. The Gospel of John is the first in a series of Bible films sponsored by Visual Bible International or to be directed. The company's goal is to produce quality films that preserve biblical integrity.

Garth Drabinsky, who produced the film, is Jewish. A multi-faith advisory committee assisted the film team. After seeing the film, Rabbi Eugene Korn, director of interreligious affairs of the Anti-Defamation League , described the film as a responsibly told story, although it was difficult and in part offensive for a Jewish viewer, but that is the Gospel of John . This also results from the fact that John deals more than the other Gospels with the debates of Jesus with Jewish leaders. The Gospel of John shows that the Jewish leadership planned the death of Jesus and asked Pontius Pilate to crucify him.

For the two-part television series, which has never been seen on German-language television before, 75 leading actors and almost 2000 extras were hired. The film was not shot in Morocco , as is the case with most Bible adaptations , but in Spain and Canada . The indoor shots were taken in a studio in Ontario , Canada and the outdoor shots near Málaga , Spain. The music is also remarkable. The composer largely dispensed with modern instruments and mainly used instruments that were played in Judea at the time of Christ . Another novelty is the off- screen voice (in the original Christopher Plummer ), which narrates the events that can be seen at the same moment. As usual in feature films, the dialogues are spoken by the actors.

Film music

With regard to the film music, the distributor pointed out that a film that takes its audience back to antiquity through meticulous replication also includes an original musical score with instrumental sounds from the time. The original score was recorded by the Philharmonia Orchestra of London. Unless otherwise stated, Esther Lamandier sings:

  • Christan Aramaic Chants
  • Extract from Benédiction sacerdotaie from L'Esprit de Dieu et les Prophètes
  • Excerpt from Psalm 23 - Psalm of David
  • Excerpt from the High Song , Chapter VII.
  • Excerpt from Psalm 121 Music of the Bible Revealed , Vol. 3
  • Nivatismos from Secular Music of Greek Antiquity , Vol. 2

synchronization

publication

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2003 , before showing limited selections in the United States on September 26, 2003 and generally in US theaters on November 1, 2003. It was presented in Singapore on March 18, 2004. On May 9, 2004 it was screened at the Orlando Christian Film Festival in the USA. In May 2004 it was released in the Netherlands, in June 2004 in Chile, in October 2004 in Slovakia, in November 2004 in Sweden (DVD premiere) and in December 2004 in the Philippines (Manila). In 2005 it was published in the following countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Argentina. In 2007 it was broadcast on Finnish television and in December 2010 it premiered on DVD in Japan. It was also published in Brazil, Bulgaria, Hungary, Norway, Russia,

In Germany, the two-part film is available as a DVD version and as a Blu-ray. On November 4, 2005, Warner Home Video released it with a German soundtrack.

reception

criticism

Quite a few of the critics found the film lengthy and uninspired. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly complained that there was "hardly a breath of spirit, heart and passion" in the best Jesus films. Overall, the film is too true to its source and the Canadian production is rather cumbersome. Erik Lundegaard of the Seattle Times found the narrative "straightforward and unimaginative" and therefore barely memorable. The value of the film, however, lies in its particularity. David Sterritt of the Christian Science Monitor said: "Apart from a few scenes that are reminiscent of the devout beauty of a Renaissance painting, the film design and the representations are terribly stiff" and "certainly do not do justice to the told, timeless story".

Others, however, thought the film was impressive. Eric Harrison of the Houston Chronicle wrote that the film was "a tremendous experience" and that "the images in the film stick." Ruthe Stein of the San Francisco Chronicle found the film was “surprisingly robust” and had “a large cast.” Cusick portrayed the future martyr as cheerful and positively blessed. No attempt was made to glorify the people of the time. They would be shown with dirty faces, dirty fingernails and rudimentary clothing. The film also has controversial moments, as it also shows, for example, that Pontius Pilate refuses to crucify Jesus and blames the Jewish people who insist on it; a scene that some might interpret as anti-Semitic. The Austin Chronicle speaks of a quality film that preserves biblical integrity. The production values ​​of the film are also first class and it helps that the actors are largely unknown as film actors and that they gained their experience during a classical theater education. Henry Ian Cusick's Jesus appears believable as a person even when he works miracles.

On the Christian Answers page, there is talk of an ambitious film that follows the gospel exactly, neither completing it with stories from other gospels, nor omitting complex passages. This film sets the bar for religious films higher than high. Cusick alone, with his embodiment of Jesus Christ, managed the greatest film representation of all time. That alone is reason enough to watch this film. But the entire film is excellent, especially when you consider how strictly the filmmakers adhered to the literal reproduction of the Gospel of John. It is a great film that offers the audience the best version of the 'greatest story ever told'. Henry Ian Cusick's Jesus set new standards. He gave us a Jesus Christ who was the most intense human-divine characterization of Jesus that had ever been seen on the canvas.

Holly McClure of crosswalk.com pointed out that Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ , which appeared only a little later, tells a completely different story and that the focus is different than in this film. That's just the nice thing that there are many different ways of telling stories. Cusick portrays Jesus as an intelligent, masculine, charismatic soul who has a tender heart for women, compassion for the sick, the lame and the blind, and a righteous outrage when money changers have invaded the temple area. Let his bold authority be apt to challenge the pious religious authorities of his time. The screenwriter unfolds the story in easy-to-understand language in combination with Saville's passionate directing talent. The result is an entertaining, compelling, and inspiring film about Jesus that clearly explains why Jesus and his followers were in conflict with the religious leaders of their time.

On the dertröster.de page , people are enthusiastic about the film, which is reflected in the words: “A spectacular, well-staged, excellently played, literal version of the Gospel of John. She brings his gospel to life in incredible ways. Dramatic and overwhelming! The key to the strength of this film is its gripping, unadulterated empathy, a quality that is based on a strong attitude - in this case an indomitable loyalty to the selected text. A visually impressive work! The Gospel of John is poetic, moving - almost out of this world. "

The film service pointed out that the evangelist's text was "taken verbatim and spoken (in the English original by Christopher Plummer)", "which sometimes leads to duplication between the image and sound levels", "but largely supports the film material. ".

Biblical TV was of the opinion that Jesus' life and work had "particularly vividly" succeeded with this "verbatim and visually powerful film adapter". Director Philip Saville has "created a masterpiece". Henry Ian Cusick "convinces with his multi-faceted depiction of Jesus".

Awards

2004: MovieGuide Awards

  • awarded the Epiphany Prize in the category "Most Inspirational Film"

2004: Genie Awards

  • Nominated for the Genie Prize in the “Best Artistic Direction” and “Production Execution” categories: Don Taylor and Carolyn 'Cal' Loucks
  • Nominated for the Genie Prize in the “Best Performance in Costume Design” category: Debra Hanson

2004: Directors Guild of Canada

  • Nominated for the DGC Craft Award in the category “Outstanding performance in image processing for a feature film”: Michel Arcand , Ron Wisman junior

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Marjorie Baumgarten: The Gospel of John In: Austin Chronicle, October 24, 2003 (English). Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  2. ↑ The Gospel of John see page film.avclub.com (English)
  3. ↑ a b Eric Harrison: The Gospel of John In: Houston Chronicle , October 24, 2003 (English). Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  4. ↑ a b The Gospel of John see page christiananswer.net (English). Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  5. ^ A b Holly McClure: The Gospel of John Movie Review crosswalk.com (English). Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  6. ↑ The Gospel of John in the German synchronous index
  7. ↑ The Gospel of John The Film Fig. DVD case (in the picture: Henry Ian Cusick in his role as Jesus Christ)
  8. ↑ The Gospel of John see page videobuster.de (including the original trailer)
  9. ↑ Owen Gleiberman: The Gospel of John In: Entertainment Weekly , November 12, 2003 English. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  10. ↑ Erik Lundegaard: 'Gospel of John' is no 'Passion,' for better and worse
    In: The Seattle Times , April 2, 2004 (English). Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  11. ↑ David Sterritt: The Gospel of John (PG-13) In: The Christian Science Monitor , November 13, 2003 (English).
    Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  12. ↑ Ruthe Stein: Epic 'Gospel' a literal but robust Jesus story
    In: San Francisco Chronicle , February 13, 2004 (English). Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  13. ↑ The Gospel of John see page dertröster.de. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  14. ↑ The Gospel of John - The film see page filmdienst.de. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  15. ↑ The Life of Jesus (The Visual Bible: The Gospel of John) see page wunschliste.de. Retrieved May 29, 2019.