In the bonus segment of the DVD version of "The Young Messiah," the screenwriter described how the goal of the script was "informed conjecture" about the life of young Jesus bar Joseph. In turn, the conjectural screenplay was based on the Anne Rice novel "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt." One of the strengths of the film is the choice of shooting sites, especially the town of Matera in Italy, which stood for Jerusalem. The roads, rivers, and mountain locales were also stunning.
But the heart of the film is the story of a year in the life of the young Jesus bar Joseph. The two main strands of the narrative are: 1) the action scenes in which the young messiah is pursued by the Roman centurions, seeking to kill the boy at the behest of King Herod; and 2) the drama of determining the precise moment when the kind parents will reveal to the boy that he is son of God.
The actors are uniformly earnest in their roles. The child actor playing Jesus is excellent, and the performers playing Mary and Joseph are also very convincing. Jane Lapotaire turns in a good character performance as Old Sarah. And Christian McKay as Cleopas, the uncle of Jesus, is a scene-stealer in his robust and slightly cynical character.
If there is a criticism to be aired about the film, it would be in the one-dimensional treatment of the story and the characters. There is a highly melodramatic rendition of a creepy devil, lurking in the background and taunting the boy Jesus at every turn. And the over-the-top interpretation of King Herod was cloying. Even Joseph and Mary were somewhat saccharine in their one-dimensional wholesomeness. At one point, Mary is praying and asks forgiveness for her sins that day. But there is nary a blemish on her spotless character evident in the entire year encompassed by this motion picture.
But the heart of the film is the story of a year in the life of the young Jesus bar Joseph. The two main strands of the narrative are: 1) the action scenes in which the young messiah is pursued by the Roman centurions, seeking to kill the boy at the behest of King Herod; and 2) the drama of determining the precise moment when the kind parents will reveal to the boy that he is son of God.
The actors are uniformly earnest in their roles. The child actor playing Jesus is excellent, and the performers playing Mary and Joseph are also very convincing. Jane Lapotaire turns in a good character performance as Old Sarah. And Christian McKay as Cleopas, the uncle of Jesus, is a scene-stealer in his robust and slightly cynical character.
If there is a criticism to be aired about the film, it would be in the one-dimensional treatment of the story and the characters. There is a highly melodramatic rendition of a creepy devil, lurking in the background and taunting the boy Jesus at every turn. And the over-the-top interpretation of King Herod was cloying. Even Joseph and Mary were somewhat saccharine in their one-dimensional wholesomeness. At one point, Mary is praying and asks forgiveness for her sins that day. But there is nary a blemish on her spotless character evident in the entire year encompassed by this motion picture.