The Gospel of John

“The Gospel of John”
Rated PG-13 (for violence involving the crucifixion)

Moral Rating: Excellent
Moviemaking Quality: êêêêê
Primary Audience: Adults and older children
Genre: Biblical drama
Length: 2 hours 59 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13

FILM CREDITS
Starring: Christopher Plummer, Henry Ian Cusick | Directed by: Philip Saville | Produced by: Garth H. Drabinsky | Written by: John Goldsmith | Distributor: Visual Bible International
Producer's Synopsis: "An ambitious motion picture that has been adapted for the screen on a word for word basis from the American Bible Society's Good News Bible. The story of Jesus' life as recounted by His disciple John, this three-hour epic feature film draws its audience into antiquity by way of meticulous recreation, including an original musical score complete with instrumental sounds of the time. This ambitious motion picture follows the Gospel precisely, neither adding to the story from other Gospels, nor omitting complex passages."

One Word: Wow! The life of Jesus is portrayed deeply through this drama that allows you to meditate on Jesus’ profound and exact Words. This amazing movie raises the bar for religious movies. Bring a friend alongside to watch the complete word-for-word rendition of The Gospel of John!
Henry Ian Cusick, starring as Jesus, performs the best depiction of Jesus Christ on screen. He sets the new standards with his intensely human-divine portrayal of Jesus. In this movie, Jesus strongly knows who He is, He knows where and who He comes from, and He knows who His Father is, and He knows where He's going. Although there is not much action in the movie, every word spoken through the lips of Cusick as Jesus is fascinating and intriguing. The authenticity of the costumes, sets, and scenes would capture your interest and have you looking over every single detail. The quality of the camera work is as “comtemporary” as the most recent Blockbuster hits.

As each gospel is geared towards a specific group of people, the gospel of John is said to be the most “spiritual.” Every single word, and incident put into the exact order with no words added has been captured by this film, and even the moments that may seem to be awkward for a filmmaking was depicted beautifully.
The characters seem very real and alive. The one thing that is done poorly is the portrayal of Jesus’ pain, wounds, scars, and blood during the time of crucifixion. The landscaping and close ups of the movie are done well.
This is a movie well worth it because you can get the deeper sense of what it was like in the time of Jesus. The three hours pass away in a whim because of the captivating performances. You’ll want to get up and applause at the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ compassion and love is touching and heart-melting. Listening to His words live in the performances of a passionate cast, we can come to know God’s heart deeper.

Violence: Mild | Profanity: None |
Year of Release -- 2003

Comments from other critics
"...profound and intimate look at Jesus. I came out of the screening appreciating Christ, his teachings and his radical personality on a whole new level..."
--Holly McClure, Crosswalk
"...This is the greatest story ever told -- told in the greatest way imaginable... Bravo!"
--Ted Baehr, MovieGuide
"...The Gospel of John is the Scripture coming to life. I just loved soaking in the Word of God. This film allows that experience - you see it, hear it, feel it, and go through the emotions. Take your friends and family to see The Gospel of John."
--Ted Haggard, National Association of Evangelicals
"...Highly Recommendable! A must-see film for every Christian..."
--Michael Little, Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN)