| The Miracle Maker |
| 2000, BBC, Icon. Directed by Stanislav Sokolov and Derek W. Hayes. Voicies of Ralph Fiennes, Michael Byant, Julie Christie, Rebecca Callard, Richard E. Grant, William Hurt, Miranda Richardson, and Ian Holm. Animated. Made for TV. Not rated, depictions of the passion of Our Lord and other scary moments. |
| Grade: A+ |
| Review by Anthony |
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| Seeing as how we are still in Easter season (at the time of this writing), I thought it not entirely fruitless to write a review for a recent made-for-TV movie about the story of Jesus Christ. The Miracle Maker, a claymation retelling of the life of Our Lord, was first aired on ABC on the Easter of 2000 and has since been annually repeated and released on video and DVD. The movie-makers deliver an enjoyable and original rendition of the Easter story that avoids all the mistakes that many of these productions are often prone to and remains respectfully true to the biblical narrative. Such recent attempts at portraying the life of Christ are frequently marred by the movie-makers' taking odd, pointless, and inaccurate liberties (such as making Mary the sister of Lazurus falling in love with Jesus or something weird like that). Jesus is also often shown as....well, not very Jesus-ish. In one version, he's ranting and raving that he's the Messiah like a madman. In another, he does strange things like demanding God the Father to raise St. Joseph from the dead. But this movie steers clear of all those annoying departures and presents a more realistic Jesus. Another point that such recent productions seem to struggle with is the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She can be portrayed as a head-strong feminist type, as a clueless and non-understanding type, or maybe just as a slightly out-there type. Mary in The Miracle Maker still may not be the perfect Mary (actually I have my doubts as to whether any movie can produce such a Mary), but she is at least closer than most attempts. A tender scene which flashes back to the Nativity and the finding in the temple shows a special kind of affection between Mary and her Son that is lacking in many other productions (even good ones). It would have been nicer if the movie showed Mary at the carrying of the cross and the crucifixion, but I suppose one can't ask for everything. The claymation in this movie is much improved from the claymation of yester-year. It doesn't come across as cheesy but is realistic and visually impressive. Still-drawn animated flashbacks, parables, and other events also add an interesting touch. One of the best recent attempts at portraying the life of Our Lord, The Miracle Maker presents the story of Jesus in a unique and creative way. The story is handled respectfully and presented brilliantly. It's a great Easter movie that can be enjoyed throughout the year. Postscript: One final note on the depiction of the Last Supper: Jesus raises the bread high in a manner that is reminiscent of the Mass, and a few of the Apostles express surprise at the words, "This is My Body" (effectively communicating that they are taking Jesus's words literally). |