Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

Better Late Then Never

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

A fairly gritty account of the aftermath of Jesus' crucifixion- mixing politics ,religion ( Jews and Romans have an uneasy alliance against the new religion) and finding faith. It's realistic feeling as it's bloody,sweaty and sandy. The cast do it justice, Joseph Fiennes as the jaded Roman soldier bored of the politics, Peter Firth as ultimate politician Pilate and Cliff Curtis as a serene, dignified Jesus.

I liked this movie, even with some of its faults depicting a time in history. I specially like that they chose the Resurrection, because we already have many options about the Passion. And in fashion with all the crime scene investigation on TV here a Roman tribune investigates what happened to the body of Christ that the Romans expected to remain buried, but somehow the tomb was opened and empty. As a story for the screen it is entertaining and with convincing scenarios most of the time, as well as good acting. The research does show in uniforms, the tomb, houses and furniture of those times, and a few aspects of the Jewish Temple. The research is only half done about geographical locations in Galilee, which this production unfortunately depicts as a desert near an ocean; or about the contents of the Bible: details like who were the real witnesses, what the apostles really said, etc. but oh well, it's literary license and enjoyable as is.

Truth and fiction combined to make a powerful statement of faith

About half way in, this movie suddenly woke up for me. One of the soldiers who guarded the tomb of Jesus (or Yeshua) is found in a tavern -- and relates his experience at the tomb -- struggling to understand. I have no idea if such a scene appears in the Bible, but it got my attention. And from then on, the movie became -- for me -- a unique experience: causing me to experience key claims of Christianity as if they were real. The main character Clavius, a tribune, faces life-uprooting revelations regarding the nature of Jesus -- and the music/sound effects combine with superb acting to bring the viewer, totally, into the shock he experiences. And the conflict, moving through all strands of his life. Joseph Fiennes is always outstanding I suspect, as he is here as Clavius; as is Cliff Curtis, who portrays Christ; and Tom Felton, who portrays Lucius, an ambitious young officer under Clavius. And, as another reviewer says, "...someone please nominate that Roman guard in the tavern for an award."I may not be as shocked as Clavius -- I have been fighting battles internally about the nature of existence all my life -- but I did get a striking new look at what it would mean to see what he saw, up close and personal.