Just wondering if anyone managed to catch the film "Judas" that was broadcast on network TV last night (3/8/04) and, if so, what your reaction was to it, especially in terms of its accuracy (or lack thereof) vis a vis the Scriptures.

Maybe it's just me, but I found the scene portraying Our Lord and Judas engaged is a bit of playful wrestling just a bit over the top... :rolleyes:

Thoughts? Comments? Thumbs (as in "up" or "down")?

a pilgrim

I watched the movie, and found it to be a combination of a soap opera and a bad Sunday School play. A super-European looking Jesus, terrible acting, atrocious dialogue (with some choice phrases) and plain ole' cheesy effects made it almost comical. I actually found myself laughing more often than not. I think ABC shouldn't have wasted their money.

I was surprised to see at the end screens that said, if I remember right, "Paulist Productions" and Fatima something-or-other. Was this film made by Catholics?

Regarding Scriptural accuracy: sometimes the movie followed the Gospel accounts closely, and then other times it took a lot of liberty (as is expected by any movie). Judas is portrayed as a quasi-zealot who wants to be the real mover behind the Jesus movement, with Jesus as the eye-candy Messiah figure. When Jesus doesn't do what Judas wants, Judas gets back at Jesus. In the end, Judas kills himself as he watches Jesus die.

Chtec's Rating: Thumbs Down.

2 thumbs down, Judas chosen before Matthew ? Does lunch with Judas after the temple cleansing ?

Tim Matheson as Pilate ?

Gimme a break, 20 minutes was e-nuff.


james

I heard about it, didn't even bother to stop and view for a few minutes. I figured if the network channels were going to do it, it would follow the course for their programming. Which it is sad to say that it is a Paulist production.

I read an article in today's local paper that said "Judas" was actually filmed in (I believe) 2002 and that it was the first and only film made in what was intended to be a "Through The Eyes Of..." -type series, looking at the life of Our Lord as seen through the eyes of various of His contemporaries (Peter, John, Mary Magdeline, etc. were each slated to have "their" films as well).

The priest associated with Paulist Productions that was responsible for this film said that the entire thrust of this particular film was intended to show that God's forgiveness awaits even the most heinous of sinners, provided they are truly repentent. The final scene showed the Apostles cutting the dead body of Judas from the tree and praying over it because "that's what Our Lord would want us to do." The priest indicated that he would never have approved the release of this film if, for whatever reason, that final scene was edited out.

Obviously, and admittedly by Paulist, the release of this film, although produced before it, was timed to ride on the shirttails of the immense popularity of "The Passion"... which brings up my question...

...Jesus has been getting an awful lot of "press" as of late, what with films like "The Passion," "Judas," books like "The DaVinci Code," etc. - more so than I can remember at any other time during my 53 years. Is this a good thing? I mean, a lot of the content of these works is flat-out non-factual - still, it can and, I'm sure, does prompt folks to ask themselves, "Just who is this Jesus? Maybe I ought to find out more about him." Does the potential good outweigh the bad? Is this sudden surge in the popularity of "all things Jesus" possibly God Himself using the technology that He blessed us with to "introduce" His Son to the masses, thus prompting us to dig deeper on our own to discern the fact from fiction?

Thoughts?

By the way... so far today - three spam e-mails offering me my very own, officially licensed, "The Passion" Nail Pendant! Anybody else?

...something tells me that Our Lord is not the one who is collecting the royalties on these things!