"The Gospel of John", released in 2014, follows the pattern set out by "The Visual Bible: The Gospel of John" which was released in 2003, where the biblical text is narrated over the various scenes which are being acted out. The 2003 movie used the Good News Translation (GNT) while this 2014 version uses the New International Version (NIV). The biblical text of the gospel according to John is read from front-to-back, word-for-word (according to the translation being used), which leave it being the most faithful to the text.
One of the most notable features of this one is that Jesus actually, for once, resembles a middle-eastern, first-century Palestinian Jew. He's not attractive, has a fairly rugged beard, and while we could argue that his hair is longer than it most likely would have been, it does not flow down past his shoulders looking luscious and well-maintained. His hair is rugged, rough, and greasy. His nose is fairly large, and his face is quite "manly." Throughout the movie, his composure is one of seriousness and frustration, especially towards the Jewish leaders of his day, which aligns quite well with John's description of Jesus.
The entire movie is narrated in English, but the characters speak in Aramaic. This makes the movie feel authentic and real. What I love the most about it is that you are visually brought into the scene, into the world and life of Jesus, while at the same time being fed audibly the full account of John's gospel as written and translated in the NIV.
I find that this movie, over all the other movies I have watched, does the best job at depicting Jesus. He's described as doing many things and experiencing many emotions in the gospels, but we see him frustrated and serious most of the time. Many of the other depictions leave us with an impression that Jesus was a happy-go-lucky, take it as I go, life-is-great kind of guy, where we see very little, if any of that, in the narratives.
While I do believe that this movie does a very fair job at depicting Jesus, there could be some inherent imbalances adopted in the mind of the viewer. The viewer could walk away thinking that Jesus is always frustrated and over-serious and that joy is non-existent in His being. This is simply not true, and this is where an accurate depiction of Jesus must be balanced with the rest of the biblical understanding of His person, work, and mission. We are told that joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Jesus tells us that He came to give us life and joy. Now, naturally, our understanding of "life" and "joy" are more informed by our culture than it is from the Bible, but nonetheless these characteristics are part of the Christian faith. I do not fault this movie for leaving us with that impression, as this is the overarching theme of Jesus' ministry, but we must now go from this understanding based on the film to a more holistic, biblical understanding based on the rest of the gospels and the fruit of Jesus' work in Acts and following. This movie, I believe, is a must for those who want an accurate depiction of Jesus' life and ministry, and is a great start for the unbeliever.
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