The Gospel of John (2003)

Wonderful Movie

To me, this movie is perfection.

Strong and Moving!

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

This presentation of the life of Jesus was very touching.It was refreshing to Jesus portrayed as one who had a sense of humor. As if He truly enjoyed interacting with people, especially his disciples. I have always suspected he saw some humor in their reactions. He knew everything that would transpire and to see their reactions had to be a bit amusing to him.Really people, think about it. Doesn't the platypus prove that God has a sense of humor? If He didn't He would have sent a second flood to wipe out ALL mankind.As one who attended many different churches while growing up I feel I have a broad spectrum of religion and a high level of acceptance for the wide variety of biblical teachings. I came to this movie with open mind and of course already knew the majority of what I would see. But the humanistic portrayal was to me, a blessing. That is the character of Jesus I have always imagined. I know he had said he was a man of constant sorrow, but even we mere mortals can be really, truly in a deep funk and see or hear something that lifts our spirits. (Been there done that). Surely Jesus was the same. Think of his joy at the wedding in Canaan.I simply cannot imagine that Jesus, the active agent of creation, could walk through this beautiful world he created and maintain a sour disposition the entire span of his life. He is a God who loves life, look at all He created.I very much liked the way the reactions of the Jewish authorities was portrayed. I have always suspected they had a selfish motive for wanting Jesus done away with. It wasn't all legalistic and ritual. The blasphemy claim was probably true to their thinking since they DIDN'T believe he was the son of God. But also, the leaders feared they would lose their influence over the people and be removed from their high places in society.As I watched the scene with the feeding of the multitude, I found myself wondering how many of those thousands went home and told friends and neighbors what they had seen. Surely they too were disciples of a sort and helped spread the gospel.From reading I have done the Gospel spread incredibly fast over the middle east and even Europe. Considering there was NO mass transportation that is truly an accomplishment.I have read reviews by others who like one Jesus movie but not another. I have learned something from every movie about him that I have seen. One needn't agree 100% with all in order to see some good in it. Each one has shown a slightly different aspect of Jesus, another window into what He must have really been like.What did Jesus look like? My oh my, I can't believe the discussion over that. With all the migration and intermarriage prior to Jesus' birth I rather doubt it is possible to be certain to any degree as to what skin tone he had. And to me it matters not one bit what color He was. What He did for mankind goes beyond skin tone. I suspect his face had a kindliness about it. Not homely, but not incredibly handsome either. After all it was His character that was supposed to appeal to mankind. It was not a beauty contest. Had He been too handsome people would have been attracted to Him for the wrong reason. We know that children loved to be near Him so it is not likely he was homely. No, I am sure He resembled a kindly big brother or a loving uncle.The Jesus I have come to know is a warm, loving God who truly grows anxious to end the strife on earth and draw His believers near once again.I feel this movie did an excellent job of depicting what life back then was like and what Jesus lived through. And all He was willing to suffer for the right to claim us and keep us from the clutches of Satan. It was educational to get a good glimpse of the clothing, footwear and the utensils they used.

My husband and I don't usually go for these types of movies and I can honestly say that I can rarely sit through an entire one but my brother in law recommended it to us and insisted that we borrow his copy to watch it. Well by night's end he forgot to give us the DVD to take home & we didn't remind him, LOL. About a week later a small package arrived that neither of us ordered, to our surprise inside was a copy of The Gospel of John purchased for us as a gift by my brother in law. Well neither of us wanted to be an ingrate so we sat down to just to check out a bit of the movie so we could at least say we saw it. Well were we glad we did. Mostly because Henry Ian Cusick's portrayal of Jesus Christ was absolutely outstanding and kept us watching. He had all the peace and calming effect that I can only imagine of Jesus radiating from him. I felt so at peace watching this man portray Jesus Christ that I just had to comment to my husband on what I was feeling and he agreed one hundred percent. Well needless to say we watched the entire movie and enjoyed it a great deal. Although all the actors did great jobs in their rolls I would recommend this movie on the basis of Mr. Cusick's performance alone. I must say too that I was thrilled to see Mr. Cusick appear on Lost which is also a fantastic TV show that only improved with the addition of Mr. Cusick to the cast. I hope everyone will enjoy the movie as much as we did and don't forget to check out Lost.

I have watched this movie several times, often following the script word by word from the Book of John. Both Christ's humanity and his deity are included in the portrayal. The film is compelling, revealing the power of Christ's teachings and the struggles he endures to convey his message to not only his disciples, but also to the religious leaders and common people of the day. The story is fuller because the historical context of the time and the impact of politics on the events leading to the crucifixion are included. The dialogue between Christ and his disciples, the religious leaders and those he heals is brought to life. The scene where He drives the money changers from the temple shows a side of his character that is often down played. I would recommend this film above any other version of the life of Christ. I would strongly encourage those who are interested in a more meaningful rendition of the book of John to take time out to view the film.

I am 41 years old and ever since I was a kid I have envisioned Jesus a certain way. The way he looked, the way he talked. When I first saw this movie I was blown away. This is my Jesus!!!! Strong, powerful and real!!!! Wow!!!! I have watched this DVD over and over again and all I can say is WOW!!!! The actors in this movie are unbelievable. St. John and St Thomas will leave you in tears. If you have read the Gospel of John you should read it again before watching this movie. This movie, The Gospel of John, is word for word on the written Gospel of John. The movie will pump you up and all you will be able to talk about is this movie. If you know unbelievers you will be able to double you efforts to convert them and bring them into your church. This movie has given me so much inspiration, it is all I can talk about. Get the DVD so you can watch it over and over again....God Bless......