The Nativity Story
Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, Ciaran Hinds; Directed by Catherine Hardwicke
As the Roman Empire seeks to milk more taxes from its people, murmurs of unrest and rebellion begin to spread throughout the cities. King Herod of Judea is getting particularly nervous over a prophecy that speaks of a new king coming to the empire, someone who will be greater than all the rest, bringing peace to the people and leading them to better lives. A king that will be, in fact, the very son of God. Meanwhile, miles away in the village of Nazareth, a young woman named Mary is visited by an angel. He tells her that God has chosen her to carry His Son, who will be the world's savior, and who she is to name Jesus. When Mary reveals this to her parents and new husband, the reception is less than favorable. Joseph is heartbroken to see his wife, whom he has not yet been with, is swelling with child. Her parents do not hesitate to remind her that women have been stoned to death for such things, but Mary holds firm to the truth, knowing she will need all the strength in the world to endure the trials that are ahead.
It is one of the greatest stories of all time, and one of the most frequently dramatized as well. This particular production does an excellent job of getting us really immersed in the culture and time. The cinematography doesn’t over-beautify the poor village or the suffering people. The traditions and practices of the time are presented here in such a way to add greater detail, depth, and understanding to the situations. When a farmer cannot afford to pay his taxes, Roman soldiers take his daughter away to pay off his debts. The people of this place and time were very simple, and had to work hard to earn even a little bit of money, but they were honorable and good to each other. Keisha Castle-Hughes (of Whale Rider fame) portrays Mary as an innocent youth who, once given the knowledge that she will bear the Son of God, makes a gradual inner transition into a model of strength, wisdom, and faith. What a heroine. (Whose deeds should not be made out to overshadow those of her sons’) Oscar Isaac portrays Joseph, and is the standout here among the cast. He wrestles violently with feelings of abandonment, betrayal, confusion, and anger, but never allows any such words to display these feelings. When he is finally made to understand what has happened to Mary, he willingly takes on the role of father, but cannot (and probably never does) get over the fear and feelings of inadequacy he has over having to raise the Son of God. At one point, he muses; "I wonder if I will even be able to teach him anything." It is simply an amazing and extraordinary ordeal to watch these two people go through, and change through.
While the pacing of the first half of the film is very slow, things do eventually pick up. Keisha Castle-Hughes is a fairly capable actress, but tended to lapse into stoicism, touting around the same look on her face for the first half hour of the movie, much like Elijah Wood did in The Lord of the Rings. These things notwithstanding, The Nativity Story is a first-rate film. It does not lack the emotional or visual punch that Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ does, but still manages to elicit great sympathy for the characters, and does provoke the heart to stir on several occasions. It is also interesting to see Joseph and Mary encounter many of the same situations that Jesus will down the road. When they travel through Jerusalem, they are appalled to see that it has been reduced to the likes of a strip mall, with people pushing goods and products practically into their faces. After many hard days of journeying through desert, with Joseph on foot and Mary on a donkey the entire way, Mary’s compassion and growing love prompts her to wash Joseph’s feet when she sees their cracked and bloodied state. It is an extraordinary true story (the majority of which can, in fact, be backed up historically) that satisfies, heartens, and shows us who real heroes are.
Grading:
Story = A
Originality = A
DVD Features = C (No behind-the-scenes feature! Saddening.)
Acting = B+
Enjoyability = A-
Visuals = A-
Overall = B+
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