I saw this movie last night with my bible study group. Son of God uses Saint John's gospel account of the life of Jesus Christ and his time on Earth.
The story begins with Saint John in exile on the island of Patmos. He proceeds to tell the story of Christ's life and ministry from his birth to his death and resurrection. We get a prologue, showing a short montage of the Old Testament up the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. This being based off of Saint John gospel, it is told from his point of view. We get a few of the miracles recorded in his account, not to mention some of Christ's most famous teaching moments (such as the lady busted in adultery). We also get the final week and death and resurrection, and the film ends with an abbreviated version of Saint John's vision of the Revelation.
That said, there are several really serious week spots in the film. Stylization aside, the first one that really grinds my gears is the presence of Mary Magdalene in the Apostles' boat on the sea of Galilee, not to mention the conspicuous absence of Susannah and Joanna, the other two women who accompanied Jesus during his ministry.
The other one that I couldn't stand was the violence. Granted we're talking about the Jews living under Roman rule, and the Romans were not very well know for being particularly gentle with other nations. But the violence very much excessive, particularly with the part leading up to the crucifixion. Yes, I know full well that crucifixion was an incredibly painful way to die, as the victims either died of asphyxiation, infection, exposure to the elements, animal predation, exsanguination, or whatever. And I am fully aware that the condemned victim would be flogged, beaten, and made to carry the cross to the execution site. But the makers of the film could have held back on the blood and guts. It was so intense that I ran out of the auditorium. When I came back in I had to cover my face with my fan until after the actual nailing sequence.
I also had a problem with the fact that they cast a sexy actor, Diogo Morgado by name, to play the role of Jesus. I do recall the prophet Isaiah saying that the coming Savior "had no beauty that we should be attracted to him". And Morgado plays Jesus a little too sweet. Christ roared the words "It is written that my House shall be house of prayer; and you have turned it into den of thieves!", with tremendous indignation. Morgado's performance was underwhelming in that scene, with the tables being turned over in slow motion, and Jesus denouncing the way the temple is being used in a quieter tone than the situation called for.
The movie does have a few good spots; most notably the scenery. The sets are very spectacular; all the locations are meant to look as they would have back in that era. The ordinary folks' homes are mud brick, the Roman officials have these splendid palaces with spacious interiors (the inside of Pilate's home being a case in point). They also expanded the role of Pilate's wife; she is named Claudia in this movie just as she is in the play The Three Temptations.
The twelve apostles and the Virgin Mary are also very well done. Mary was costumed as though she was a little more well off than she was (she was wearing the traditional blue clothes). The disciples get their various turns at commenting on the situation. Judas Iscariot was the best done villain in the whole piece from his initial doubts to his betrayal and then then to his remorse. I don't know if the movie showed his suicide because I was either out of the room or else hiding my face during the Road-To-The-Cross sequence.
It's not a bad movie, but it's not a good one either. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 5. It has amazing sets and great performances by the characters playing the disciples, they could taken fewer liberties with the story. Also, since the actor playing Jesus makes him too attractive and gentle, the authority component is lost. And then, seriously, the folks who made this one should really have left the idea of having La Maddalena in almost every scene Jesus is in on the shelf. It's true she was one of the women who traveled with him, but she wasn't at every place they went to, and it makes me really annoyed that they left out the other two women.
If you want to see it, that's fine, but it's not going to be on my list of Bible-based movies that I'd go to see.
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