9 ‘Can anything good come out of Southern California?’* (*hyperlink to John 1:46)
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Wickham Clayton
Abstract
This chapter reviews the critical reception of two films which depict fictional accounts of events in the life of Jesus by Christian reviewers and organisations. The Young Messiah (2016) has been positively received by Christian critics, even attaining the ‘Faith-Friendly’ seal of approval from The Dove Foundation, in spite of negative mainstream criticism. Last Days in the Desert (2015), despite having a major star attached, had a weaker distribution deal and was praised for cinematic quality by both mainstream and Christian critics, though more hesitantly recommended by Christian critics for having a somewhat uncertain relationship to institutionally approved faith. This exploration into faith-based reception will aid in the understanding of the relationship between the texts in this modern wave of biblical epics, and what Christians desire to see, stylistically and thematically, in clearly fictional explorations of their religion’s most sacred figures.
Abstract
This chapter reviews the critical reception of two films which depict fictional accounts of events in the life of Jesus by Christian reviewers and organisations. The Young Messiah (2016) has been positively received by Christian critics, even attaining the ‘Faith-Friendly’ seal of approval from The Dove Foundation, in spite of negative mainstream criticism. Last Days in the Desert (2015), despite having a major star attached, had a weaker distribution deal and was praised for cinematic quality by both mainstream and Christian critics, though more hesitantly recommended by Christian critics for having a somewhat uncertain relationship to institutionally approved faith. This exploration into faith-based reception will aid in the understanding of the relationship between the texts in this modern wave of biblical epics, and what Christians desire to see, stylistically and thematically, in clearly fictional explorations of their religion’s most sacred figures.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of figures ix
- List of contributors xi
- Preface by Adele Reinhartz xv
- Acknowledgements xix
- Introduction 1
- 1 Battles over the biblical epic 23
- 2 Depicting ‘biblical’ narratives 36
- 3 Special effects and CGI in the biblical epic fi lm 50
- 4 The phenomenon of biblical telenovelas in Brazil and Latin America 68
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Part II Modern narratives and contexts in adapting the Bible
- 5 Mythic cinema and the contemporary biblical epic 87
- 6 The Nativity reborn 102
- 7 Convince me 122
- 8 Controversy and the ‘Culture War’ 143
- 9 ‘Can anything good come out of Southern California?’* (*hyperlink to John 1:46) 161
- 10 Examining the digital religion paradigm 174
- 11 The devil and the Culture Wars 193
- 12 Ben-Her(?) 214
- 13 The biblical-trial film 230
- 14 ‘Squint against the grandeur’ 247
- Filmography 265
- Index 270
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of figures ix
- List of contributors xi
- Preface by Adele Reinhartz xv
- Acknowledgements xix
- Introduction 1
- 1 Battles over the biblical epic 23
- 2 Depicting ‘biblical’ narratives 36
- 3 Special effects and CGI in the biblical epic fi lm 50
- 4 The phenomenon of biblical telenovelas in Brazil and Latin America 68
-
Part II Modern narratives and contexts in adapting the Bible
- 5 Mythic cinema and the contemporary biblical epic 87
- 6 The Nativity reborn 102
- 7 Convince me 122
- 8 Controversy and the ‘Culture War’ 143
- 9 ‘Can anything good come out of Southern California?’* (*hyperlink to John 1:46) 161
- 10 Examining the digital religion paradigm 174
- 11 The devil and the Culture Wars 193
- 12 Ben-Her(?) 214
- 13 The biblical-trial film 230
- 14 ‘Squint against the grandeur’ 247
- Filmography 265
- Index 270
