Wordiezett
So much average
KnotStronger
This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.
Lachlan Coulson
This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.
Hee Jae Yang
World Religions Movie Review by Brandi B.God has no place in politics—this is the theme of The Body.Antonio Banderas plays Father Matt Gutierrez, a priest sent by the Vatican to investigate the discovery of a tomb in Jerusalem, which may or may not contain the crucified remains of Christ. Gutierrez has been given instructions by the Vatican to declare that the remains are not those of Christ; but with all of the evidence suggesting otherwise, the priest must struggle with facing the fact that his religion may be founded on a lie, and that, perhaps, Jesus was never resurrected. Banderas's mission brings his faith into question, and the situation creates a political crisis between Palestinian and Israeli power groups and, of course, the findings could bring into question basic premises on which Christianity is built. All of these things were brought into the movie in great depth and were thoroughly expressed. It was great to see how politics and religion conflict when a subject as important as this one is brought up. I think it greatly portrayed the way the Church would react if findings like this were brought up. The movie included these important qualities as well as believable characters that were well-portrayed, aerial photography that gives one a better idea of the Jerusalem region, and a plot that is believable. An important thing you will learn from this is how the churches react and how they are willing to closely protect their beliefs no matter the situation. If you choose to watch this, I recommend that you stick it out to the end; you may not be riveted to the screen but, like me, you might learn a little about a fascinating subject. If you don't have a basic knowledge about Christianity, this movie will go right over your head. Perhaps that is one of the reasons this film gets a lower rating than I would have expected.
vchimpanzee
Palestinian shopkeeper Nasir Hamid was just trying to dig a basement.Jewish archaeologist Dr. Sharon Golban enters the cave and makes an amazing discovery. Diplomat Moshe Cohen calls Father Lavelle to investigate, and Lavelle comes out of the cave looking positively stunned.Only poor men were crucified. And in all of recorded history, only one crucified man has been buried in a rich man's tomb. The Vatican must get involved. Father Matt Gutierrez, formerly in military intelligence, is selected to do his own investigation.What if it really is Jesus? This could mean the end of Christianity. Meanwhile, Palestinians want to claim all of Jerusalem as their capital. The discovery only adds to the tension in the city. If this is a hoax, perhaps it is because someone wanted to start a war over the city.Antonio Banderas did a fine job of showing a man whose faith is tested. Some important questions about faith were raised, including Jewish attitudes toward disturbing the dead. Other than that, this film was nothing really special. I thought Olivia Williams (as Sharon), Derek Jacobi (as Lavelle) and John Shrapnel (as Cohen) all did a good job.There was some humor here. Sharon's crazy driving, for example. Violence was minor for the most part.It surely isn't "The Da Vinci Code" (which I have only heard about), but this is a film that can make people think.
dbdumonteil
This movie has a plus side and a minus side:-On the plus side,the fear a priest encounters when he discovers that bones found in a Jerusalem' s grave by an archaeologist might be Jesus 's ones.So if Jesus is a man,it's a whole religion which falls down;one should note that ,for that matter ,the Muslims' and the Jews ' religions stand in little danger of bringing this about.Antonio Banderas is very convincing,I do not know if the actor is a believer,but we do believe the character he portrays is.-On the minus side,when the movie becomes a thriller (complete with kidnapping,shootings and priest becoming a superhero),it peters out.One can admit the Jews want to keep the Vatican from getting the bones,but that part is not better than a Van Damme flick.Watch this movie anyway cause it asks disturbing questions.
Eric Pyle
I've seen the movie The Body a number of times now in the context of discussion groups. How important is it to the Christian faith that Jesus was actually raised from the dead and that his tomb was actually empty? How should faith investigate evidence to the contrary? Secular Science says "Truth, even at the expense of faith." The Politics of Religion prophecies Christianity will survive despite (or worse, because of) evidence to the contrary.As the plot unfolds, the death of the god Jesus becomes more and more a reality to skeptic (Sharon) and faithful (Gutierrez) alike. Together, the dual competing 'truth' seekers suffer between the hands of dual competing political-recognition seekers: Israeli and Palestinean authorities seek political recognition from the Roman Catholic church. Thus, the Catholic church takes on a form of Antichrist, who gains power as the truth and power of Jesus' resurrection becomes more and more doubtful. Satan strikes with a double-edged sword: one edge seeks to destroy the hope of Christ by the pursuit of truth with a secular heart, the other seeks to preserve "Christ" by participating in a game of ransom with the body for political security.Father Lavelle gives into the force of the former. Torn between his identity in the church as a priest, and his identity as a scientist to allow for the possibility that Christ was not raised, he finally yields to scientific evidence, loses all hope in Jesus, and takes his own life, Judas-like. Father Gutierrez, in comparison, resembles Peter, whose child-like faith seems strong up to the end, when his spirit, plagued by the evidence, turns to religious apathy and guilt, and his relationship with Sharon becomes questionably intimate.In the end, Father Gutierrez receives "good news": The truthfulness of Jesus resurrection itself receives resurrection. This first proclamation of gospel, however, is unsatisfying. The dialog is brief, mysterious, and begs for further explanation and confirmation. The viewer is left with the strong need for concrete and conclusive evidence.One major character is left unfilled by the movie's paid actors. In the end, viewers will realize that the movie has casted them for the role of Thomas: We are the ones shown the indisputable evidence that we really longed for. Yet such evidence does not come without an ironic final rebuke from Jesus himself: "Blessed are those who believe and yet have not seen."
