The movie is simply a rendering of the Luke and Matthew Gospel accounts of the events leading up to the birth of Christ. It's a familiar story, and the movie shows great reverence and faithfulness to the subject matter. Although told in a very genuine manner, the movie doesn't delve very deeply into any of the events being depicted.
The film takes a straightforward approach, hardly ever deviating from biblical scriptures. The sets and costumes are realistic, the time period represented well. The central characters, Mary and Joseph, are very real and human. Not too much is given in the scriptures about Joseph, and the movie is very kind to him, depicting him as a virtuous, loyal, and courageous man. The plight of the teenage Mary ventures a little beyond scripture as well: a girl suddenly betrothed to a man she barely knows, then confronted by an angel, and ultimately the pregnancy of the unmarried young woman. Mary's power of faith in the face of these events is well depicted.
Some problems exist. The efforts to make the Magi amiable are well intentioned, but they come off campy. The gizmos they use in their star gazing are comical and out of place in this film. Herod's character isn't developed well enough; he was a complex politician, and more insight into his actions would have been useful for the context of the story. Although Herod is generally believed to have been ruthless and barbaric in his efforts to maintain his sovereignty; the film goes overboard, making him a typical psycho stereotype. A few events at the end are compressed in their chronology, although that may be a plus, by showing all the visitors to the newborn Jesus simultaneously.
All in all, the movie gives a pretty much standard rendering of the Nativity, one that has been presented in many plays and other movies. Still, it's pleasant and sincere, and is worth one viewing during the Christmas season.
The film takes a straightforward approach, hardly ever deviating from biblical scriptures. The sets and costumes are realistic, the time period represented well. The central characters, Mary and Joseph, are very real and human. Not too much is given in the scriptures about Joseph, and the movie is very kind to him, depicting him as a virtuous, loyal, and courageous man. The plight of the teenage Mary ventures a little beyond scripture as well: a girl suddenly betrothed to a man she barely knows, then confronted by an angel, and ultimately the pregnancy of the unmarried young woman. Mary's power of faith in the face of these events is well depicted.
Some problems exist. The efforts to make the Magi amiable are well intentioned, but they come off campy. The gizmos they use in their star gazing are comical and out of place in this film. Herod's character isn't developed well enough; he was a complex politician, and more insight into his actions would have been useful for the context of the story. Although Herod is generally believed to have been ruthless and barbaric in his efforts to maintain his sovereignty; the film goes overboard, making him a typical psycho stereotype. A few events at the end are compressed in their chronology, although that may be a plus, by showing all the visitors to the newborn Jesus simultaneously.
All in all, the movie gives a pretty much standard rendering of the Nativity, one that has been presented in many plays and other movies. Still, it's pleasant and sincere, and is worth one viewing during the Christmas season.