Keeping Christ in Christmas 5: NATIVITY Films
Welcome to another movie day on Daily Dose of Art! To continue with our feature on Keeping Christ in Christmas, I bring you two recent film portrayals of The Nativity.
The Nativity (2010)
from BBC
from BBC
The Nativity
Images & Description from BBC
A brand new adaptation of the greatest story ever told – the birth of Jesus Christ…
Mary counts her blessings when her parents arrange to marry her to a local carpenter, Joseph. He has a good heart, but when she falls mysteriously pregnant, he can’t accept her explanation. He must, however, set aside his anger, to save her life – by allowing her to travel with him to a faraway town… Bethlehem.
The tyranny of Herod, search of the Magi, and the Earthly troubles of the lowly shepherds are all explored in this visually stunning film. It renders beautifully a classic tale and reveals that behind the traditional, there is a universal and very human story. A story of two people: a young, scared girl with a momentous role in history and the kind man who loves her. This unique take on the story of the Nativity explores the troubled times of turn–of–the–millennium Judea, bringing legend to vibrant life.
The Nativity Story (2006)
from New Line Cinema
The Nativity Story is a 2006 drama film based on the nativity of Jesus starring Keisha Castle-Hughes and Shohreh Aghdashloo. Filming began on May 1, 2006, in Matera, Italy, and in Morocco. New Line Cinema released it on December 1, 2006, in the United States and one week later on December 8 in the European Union. The film made history as being the first film ever to stage its world premiere in Vatican City.
Plot Summary
The plot begins with the portrayal of the Massacre of the Innocents. The remainder of the movie portrays the annunciation (conception) and nativity (birth) of Jesus Christ to explain why King Herod (Ciarán Hinds) ordered the murder.
Teenage Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes), betrothed to marry Joseph of Judea (Oscar Isaac), is spoken to by God and told that she is to deliver His child and call him Jesus. Mary then goes to stay with her cousin Elizabeth (Shohreh Aghdashloo) for the harvest, when she witnesses the birth of John the Baptist to Elizabeth, who is past child bearing age, and her husband Zachariah (Stanley Townsend). Mary returns from the visit pregnant, to the shock of Joseph and her parents. Mary is accused of fornication, for which, if she is found guilty, she could be stoned to death in a public execution. At first Joseph does not believe Mary’s explanation that she was visited by an angel, and that she has not broken her vow of chastity. He resolves to quietly divorce her, but before he acts on this plan, he is visited by the very same angel. Joseph then believes Mary, and promises to stay by her side. Read more…
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