Son of God (Jesus film)

            Son of God is a two hour and fifteen minute film about the life of Jesus Christ. Although it holds its own as a single, cohesive film, it is really a compilation of episodes from the miniseries The Bible. Though it seemed a bit long to me and dragged on a bit in places, I enjoyed the movie overall. It effectively put Jesus’s story in a historical context and was a good reminder of the social and political atmosphere that Jesus lived in. I found the plotting of the Jewish priests, led by Caiaphas, particularly interesting. Not every detail was entirely accurate to the Bible, but I felt it seemed to capture the important parts of the story pretty well, pulling primarily from the book of John. I recognized much of the dialogue as direct quotes from the Bible.

I also found several technical aspects of the film interesting. For example, I noticed that the lighting, in several scenes, fell on Jesus at such an angle so as to seem like a heavenly aura or halo, making him seem angelic. Additionally, tilted horizon was used in a few scenes, such as when Jesus is being prepared to be crucified, adding tension. Altogether, I felt the film was successful in portraying Jesus’s primary message, which is one of love, forgiveness, and redemption, causing the film to fall into the overarching theme of love conquers all.

4/5