Psychology and Religion Movie Reviews

Once upon a time, 1979 to be exact, a film on the life of Jesus was released to theatres. Called, simply, "Jesus" it had been filmed on location in the Holy Land with input from hundreds of biblical scholars and with a script that very closely followed the Gospel of Luke. Today, this film holds the distinction of being the most viewed film of all time, having been translated into 758 languages with an estimated audience of over 4 billion and over 34 million video tapes, DVDs and VCDs of the film in circulation.

With that background, let's look at the "Jesus for Children" edition of the film. In one sense, this film departs from the premise of the original- to present an accurate portrayal of the story of Jesus as found in the Gospel of Luke with little embellishment. Instead of the straight scriptural story, this is the story of five children (Benjamin, Caleb, Sarah, Joel, Leah and Nathan) living in Jerusalem during the time of Jesus' ministry. They have been hearing strange stories about the man that some call a prophet and some call crazy, and they argue among themselves as to what is the truth. They follow Jesus from place to place, reporting on the miracles he is performing and the stories about him that people are telling.

All of the footage of the interactions between the children is new and footage from the original "Jesus" film is used in two ways- some stories are treated as flashbacks of happenings in Jesus' life (such as his baptism) with narration from the children, while in other cases footage of the children is woven into scenes from the original film. Combining footage filmed nearly 20 years apart is bound to be a challenge, but it is done masterfully and the additional shots of the young actors fit in perfectly- it doesn't appear out of place or forced.

I have enjoyed the original Jesus film through many viewings and it's still my favorite film portrayal of Jesus. My children have also sat through it more than once. However, the new version for children has many benefits. First of all, it's shorter- at 62 minutes, it's easier for the kids to digest. Another benefit is that the narration and interaction between the children go far in explaining situations and events that might otherwise be missed in the larger film (such as the conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders). Finally, the brutality of the scourging and crucifixion of Jesus are presented in a more kid-friendly manner.

It's a well-done addition to the "Jesus Film" legacy, effectively using the existing material in a manner that is entertaining, informative and engaging for both kids and adults. This isn't a "dumbed-down" story for the kiddies, but rather a sensitive retelling of Jesus' story that works hard to put it into a framework that children can understand and more easily relate to.

Highly recommended.

Incidently, the DVD version is region 0 and will play in any NTSC DVD player worldwide and includes both English and Spanish soundtracks. The video is also available in VHS here on Amazon, as is the original Jesus movie in VHS and DVD.

This film was a spirit filled adventure. It is the modern tale of Meshach, shadrach and Abednego told in an excellent fashion. It was entertaining while a great teaching tool ablout the bible for the whole family. I you liked "Left Behind" and "The Omega Code" you will love this film. This one has more of an urban edge to it and I like the fact that it showed white and black Christians working together. Also Great song!!!

I enjoyed these films. The acting is, for the most part, excellent. The "Acts" films are a blow-by-blow account from the NIV bible. They took little literary license, as it was very straight forward and, obviously, as accurate as the NIV is.

Now the "Healing Touch", which is part of the actual film titled "Jesus, the Christ", on the other hand is where they took the literary liberties, and done quite well. Again the acting is good and the story is pretty accurate.

Bruce Marchiano portrayed Jesus. Although he is, at times, refreshingly humorous as Christ, most of the time it was over the top.

I also own the Matthew series and the same holds true in those films as well. Again the "Matthew" films are a word for word account of the NIV. Of coarse Jesus is by and far the most used character in the Matthew films, which could cause you to loose some interest.

"Falling Fire" is the bonus film in the "Matthew" series and it too is a well-done film where literary license is taken. Only problem: Bruce Marchiano began to get on my nerves by the end of the three films. Again just a little over the top with the "happy guy".

Unlike "Jesus" played by Jeremy Sisto, where they struck a wonderfully believable balance of Jesus as a normal human being. The Jesus in The Living Bible Series was a difficult person to accept as Christ. He seemed a bit more like a comedian than a Savior.

Using the NIV text as the basis, these DVD's are a film recording of the gospel of Matthew. All the dialog, narration, everything is directly from the Bible.

The wonder of these videos, however, is the fact that they are able to make you think. While sticking so closely to the Bible and with well researched visuals, the producers, directors, and actors give their own interpretation of the story, which allows you to open your eyes to something new. The best example of this is Bruce Marchiano's portrayal of Jesus. Instead of the solemn, serious person you usually picture, here we see a person who enjoyed life, laughed, and had some fun in between dealing with the serious issues of life. When I first watched these videos, it made me look at my preconceived ideas of God very differently.

While expensive, these DVD's are worth checking out for a different perspective on a familiar tale.

just don't be in a sleepy mood:) Its basically reading directly from the Bible w/a little acting to go along with it.

I enjoyed these films. The acting is, for the most part, excellent. The "Matthew" films are a word for word account of the NIV bible. Of coarse Jesus is by and far the most used character in the Matthew films, which could cause you to loose some interest. Bruce Marchiano portrayed Jesus. Although he is, at times, refreshingly humorous as Christ, most of the time the humor was over the top.

"Falling Fire" is the bonus film in my version of the "Matthew" series and it too is a well-done film where some literary license is taken, and appropriately. Only problem: Bruce Marchiano began to get on my nerves by the end of the three films. Again just a little over the top with the "happy guy".

In "Jesus", played by Jeremy Sisto, they struck a wonderfully believable balance of a Jesus as a human being and the Christ. The Jesus in The Living Bible Series was a difficult person to accept as Christ. He seemed a bit more like a comedian than a Savior, just a bit too much humor.

The "Acts" films, which I also own, are a blow-by-blow account from the NIV bible as well. They took little literary license, as it was very straight forward and, obviously, as accurate as the NIV is.

Now the "Healing Touch", which is part of the actual film titled "Jesus, the Christ", on the other hand, is where they took the literary liberties and done quite well. Again the acting is good and the story is pretty accurate.

This portrayal of Jesus is the most awesome I've ever seen; truly inspiring...he's got a sense of humor, a sweet personality, and he's totally adorable! The fact that some screenwriter didn't take creative license with the Word is wonderful; you can actually read your Bible alongside. The actor's gift of acting makes this film the beautiful work of art that it is. We've used it in Bible study and I hope this representation is the one my kids think of when they think of Jesus. It's worth the price tag!

In The Power of Myth: The Hero's Adventure (Volume One), Bill Moyers, the show's host, interviews Joseph Campbell, the father of modern myth. The interview is set on George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch in Northern California. The reason for this seemingly random setting is one of the main themes in the movie, which is how George Lucas's Star Wars movies can relate to myths of old. The movie involves many various clips from the three original Star Wars movies (Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi) that depict certain aspects of myths being described in the interview. I think it is very interesting the way that the Star Wars movies are tied right into the interview and how the clips are shown along the way. Joseph Campbell does a very well job describing the myths he told about in the interview and telling how they relate to the Star Wars Clips. I believe this movie is a very complete portrayal of myths that can be a real learning experience for someone new to the world of mythology and even someone learned in the ways of myths. This movie is a bit slow at times, but a powerful movie nonetheless. I would recommend it to an older crowd, just because of the deep and intellectual level of the movie.

The class screening of this video was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Campbell offers extraordinary insight into the human condition through meticulous analysis of mythology from all over the world. I found it very interesting that George Lucas's films were inspired by mythology. One can delve into all sorts of modern films and find situational, character, and symbolic archetypes that occurred in ancient mythology. Joseph Campbell possesses one of the most zealously inquisitive minds on this planet, and he proves it in this video. This does not deserve to be called a simple "video". It was an experience which will never be reproduced by another film company as long as man roams the earth.
Campbell has many interesting philosophies. One of these ideas which he portrayed in the video was that human beings should listen to the inner-voice. In this sense, we can all be dissenters (or mavericks). Joseph Campbell was a maverick of sorts until his tragic death in 1987. We could learn a lot about the art of being a maverick from this brave, intelligent man. He devoted his entire life to studying mythology, with little regard to what others thought of this practice. Campbell states in the video that every society can be evaluated to an enormous degree simply by examining what kind of stories and myths were created in said society. Also, one can see how similar all societies in the world are. Many of Campbell's statements relate to Carl Jung's theory of the collective unconscious. Frequent occurrences in mythology throughout the world show that all people might have similar basic thought processes.
The only aspect of the video that was not up to par was the interviewing style. I and a number of the other viewers felt that it was weak and not hard-hitting enough. However, the overall video was a masterpiece. I was thoroughly impressed by this pristine work of art. Joseph Campbell was a God among ants, and his contributions to society shall be remembered forever more.

Joseph Campbell is a well-know scholar of the various mythologies which appear around the globe. "The Hero's Journey" is partly a story of his formative years and partly a history of the evolution within his ideas of myth and metaphor.

Mr. Campbell was born in 1904. The program begins in New Rochelle, New York, where he was raised as an Irish Catholic and helped to serve as an Alter Boy. Very early on in his life, he felt drawn to the study American Indian anthropology and mythology.

Towards Mr. Campbell's college years, however, the ideas of science and a meeting with theosophist Krishnamurti worked to extend his thinking beyond Catholicism, towards the East with studies of both Buddhism and Hinduism. In 1929, after the stock market crash, he moved to Woodstock, New York and read intensively for a period of five years, while remaining unemployed. After this reflective period, Sarah Lawrence College hired him as a teacher and he strived to make his ideas relevant to the minds of both male and female students.

In 1938, he married Gene Erdman, a former student who went on to become a noted dancer and choreographer in Martha Graham's avant-garde dance theater. It was around this time that his successful work, "Hero with a 1000 Faces", was published.

Mr. Campbell feels that the inspiration and intuition experienced within our interior life are perhaps the most reliable guides to interpreting this world, and that to "Follow Your Bliss" is a central strategy in the personal quest for meaning in life. He was thoroughly steeped in the perennial writing of the world religions and mythologies by the time he came to this simple yet profound conclusion.

For fans of the PBS series "The Power of Myth", this biography will help provide a fascinating glimpse at how such a talented mind was shaped by an interesting life's journey.

This is a great film! I watched it several times. I urge everyone to watch it. Although I did not like the producers' inclusion of Jeremiah's supposed "female" friend....Above all, it was great! When you are through, check yourself and reflect on your life. Jeremiah was not a weeping prophet for nothing. The Lord spoke through him and warned the people. Do not become complacent and forget about it. Instead, open your Bible and read the whole book of Jeremiah. Learn a thing or two from it! "God created people to be upright, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path." (Ecclesiastes 7:29 NLT) God bless you all!

It was a very good video. In the beginning was tough to follow, but got very exciting in the end.

Patrick Dempsey gives an outstanding performance in playing Jeremiah.

The entire story is biblically accurate and unlike most Bible stories told by Hollywood, does not try to make this a human interest story, but instead tells the story of what happens to nations who do not obey God's word.

You get the feeling of truly being in Pre Christian Jerusalem, and of the failings of the nation of Judah.

A must see for all who want to learn more about the Holy Bible. I highly recommend this DVD

This series consists of three videotapes that cover three aspects of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Each tape is a lecture given by Robert A. F. Thurman at the Tibet House in New York. Excepting the occasional shot of the audience, each video is 70 minutes of his lecturing.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. Thurman is an entertaining speaker and does a great job in explaining some of the mystical aspects and philosophy. He is very good at relating to the audience. After viewing them, I do feel that I have a better grasp of main tenets.

This does not appear to be scripted. For instance, in tape two, he mentions that he will discuss the Four Noble Truths, the three wheels, and the three vehicles. He goes in depth on the truths and the first two wheels, but then seems to realize that he is running out of time so rushes through the last four. There is still good information, but I wished that these last ideas had the same kind of detailed explanation.

I would recommend this to anyone wanting to understand more about Buddhism.

Robert Thurman, the renowned professor of Indo-Tibetan studies from Columbia presents popular lectures on the basic concepts of "The Three Jewels" of Buddhism - The Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Thurman's style of teaching is light, sometimes humorous and entertaining enough to capture interest in the before mentioned topics. The video quality and sound are adequate - the lectures were recorded at Tibet House, New York, and the set of tapes provides a good introduction to Buddhist thought - great for the inquiring newcomer and a nice refresher for those who have studied this philosophy.

This was essential to learing the real thoughts regarding buddism. Books I had read in the past were difficult to comprehend the actual meaning of the teachings of the buddah. Thurman is a great teacher and makes it easy and enjoyable to learn about this way of life. Also makes reading other books on the subject much easier.

Overall these are very accurate. I would like to point out, that many biblical scholars believe that Solomon did in fact marry the queen of Sheba. This is based on the history of the nation of Sheba (aka Ethiopia) and although the Bible dosen't explicitly say that they were married, there is nothing in Scripture that would contradict it. In fact the people of the Ethiopian nation were followers of the Jewish faith, that is why the Ethiopian enuch in Acts is reading from the Old Testament. According to the history of that country Solomon and the queen had a son and he sent priests and Levites to train him in the faith. This isn't somthing that the films makers made up.

Esther and Jeremiah are also very accurate, but I thought that Genesis was a little slow. It is mainly narative. After the story of the Creation it could have been acted out.

Three out of these four DVDs are excellent! This is probably the nicest series of Bible stories available. The photography is beautiful, as well as the costumes, props and sets; the acting of the main characters is superb, likeable and believable; and the scripts usually stay very close to the actual Bible verses.

Genesis is the only stinker in this set. It is nothing like the other 3. The Genesis DVD has nice photography, but it does NOT act out the Bible scenes like the other three movies do! Genesis just narrates a reading of the book of Genesis, while showing contemporary desert people going about their daily lives.

If you are undecided about buying the whole set, then I would suggest buying at least one of these separately. "Jeremiah" is my favorite, and it really captures the attitude of a humble prophet being persecuted by the wayward Israelites. "Esther" is probably the most accurately told of these three good movies. It is a pretty clear storytelling, where the other movies sometimes change the order of events (but still portray the overall message accurately). "Solomon" covers the biggest chunk of Scripture, retelling many scenes of the life of Solomon and what Solomon wrote in the Bible.

I would rate the Genesis movie with 1 star, for being so misleading as to its content. But the other 3 films, Esther, Solomon, and Jeremiah are all 5 star movies! Even with the useless Genesis, the price of this DVD set is still a bit cheaper to buy the three good movies here, at one price, than to buy them one at a time.

If you love these Biblical characters & the Bible, you'll really enjoy these two movies.
I am now also purchasing them for friends, because I love them much. I haven't seen the other two, in the set, but buying the set for a friend as a gift.
The movies are a keepsake item & worth their value. I'm collecting the others outside this set, as well, & hope they continue to make more in the future.

Overall these are very accurate. I would like to point out, that many biblical scholars believe that Solomon did in fact marry the queen of Sheba. This is based on the history of the nation of Sheba (aka Ethiopia) and although the Bible dosen't explicitly say that they were married, there is nothing in Scripture that would contradict it. In fact the people of the Ethiopian nation were followers of the Jewish faith, that is why the Ethiopian enuch in Acts is reading from the Old Testament. According to the history of that country Solomon and the queen had a son and he sent priests and Levites to train him in the faith. This isn't somthing that the films makers made up.

Esther and Jeremiah are also very accurate, but I thought that Genesis was a little slow. It is mainly narative. After the story of the Creation it could have been acted out.

Three out of these four DVDs are excellent! This is probably the nicest series of Bible stories available. The photography is beautiful, as well as the costumes, props and sets; the acting of the main characters is superb, likeable and believable; and the scripts usually stay very close to the actual Bible verses.

Genesis is the only stinker in this set. It is nothing like the other 3. The Genesis DVD has nice photography, but it does NOT act out the Bible scenes like the other three movies do! Genesis just narrates a reading of the book of Genesis, while showing contemporary desert people going about their daily lives.

If you are undecided about buying the whole set, then I would suggest buying at least one of these separately. "Jeremiah" is my favorite, and it really captures the attitude of a humble prophet being persecuted by the wayward Israelites. "Esther" is probably the most accurately told of these three good movies. It is a pretty clear storytelling, where the other movies sometimes change the order of events (but still portray the overall message accurately). "Solomon" covers the biggest chunk of Scripture, retelling many scenes of the life of Solomon and what Solomon wrote in the Bible.

I would rate the Genesis movie with 1 star, for being so misleading as to its content. But the other 3 films, Esther, Solomon, and Jeremiah are all 5 star movies! Even with the useless Genesis, the price of this DVD set is still a bit cheaper to buy the three good movies here, at one price, than to buy them one at a time.

If you love these Biblical characters & the Bible, you'll really enjoy these two movies.
I am now also purchasing them for friends, because I love them much. I haven't seen the other two, in the set, but buying the set for a friend as a gift.
The movies are a keepsake item & worth their value. I'm collecting the others outside this set, as well, & hope they continue to make more in the future.