The Gospel of John (2003 film)

The Gospel of John is a 2003 epic film that recounts the life of Jesus according to the Gospel of John. The motion picture is a word-for-word adaptation of the American Bible Society's Good News Bible. This three-hour, epic, feature film follows John's Gospel precisely, without additions to the story from the other Gospels or omissions of the Gospel's complex passages.

Production
This film was created by a constituency of artists from Canada and the United Kingdom, along with academic and theological consultants from around the world. The cast was selected primarily from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and Soulpepper Theatre Company, as well as Britain's Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal National Theatre. The musical score, composed by Jeff Danna and created for the film, is partially based on the music of the Biblical period. The film was produced by Visual Bible International.

Cast
Christopher Plummer as The Narrator
Henry Ian Cusick as Jesus of Nazareth
Stuart Bunce as John
Daniel Kash as Simon Peter
Stephen Russell as Pontius Pilate
Alan Van Sprang as Judas Iscariot
Diana Berriman as Mary, mother of Jesus
Richard Lintern as Leading Pharisee
Scott Handy as John the Baptist
Lynsey Baxter as Mary Magdalene
Diego Matamoros as Nicodemus
Nancy Palk as Samaritan Woman
Elliot Levey as Nathanael
Andrew Pifko as Philip
Cedric Smith as Caiaphas
Tristan Gemmill as Andrew
Stuart Fox as Blind Man
David Meyer as Lame Man
Nicolas Van Burek as Young Levite
William Pappas as Elderly Levite

Directors and producers
The film was directed by Philip Saville and co-produced by Canadian producer Garth Drabinsky and British producer Chris Chrisafis.

Executive producers were Sandy Pearl, Joel B. Michaels, Myron Gottliel and Martin Katz

Other critical contributions
Also involved were screenwriter John Goldsmith, production designer Don Taylor, sound mixer David Lee, makeup artist Trefor Proud, costume designer Debra Hanson, and director of photography and film editors Miroslaw Baszak and Michel Arcand.

The filming production was shot in Toronto, Ontario, and Almeria, Andalucia, Spain.

Criticism
While the film is largely a faithful depiction of the Gospel of John, some have commented that the inclusion of Mary Magdalene at the Last Supper has no Biblical citation. However, according to the Gospels, she was one of the women who accompanied Jesus and the disciples to Jerusalem, was present at the Crucifixion and burial of Jesus, was the first to whom Jesus appeared at the Resurrection, and was with the disciples in the upperroom after the Resurrection.  Thus, like many modern movies about Jesus, the producers are faithfully attempting to help their audience see what the Gospel writers sometimes have not included.

See also
The Gospel of John, a 2014 word-for-word film adaptation
The Visual Bible: Matthew
The Visual Bible: Acts

References

External links
 
 
 Enthusiastic review by Andy Naselli
 Arts & Faith Top100 Spiritually Significant Films list
 The Blog on The Gospel of John Film

Category:2003 films
Category:Biographical films about Jesus
Category:British films
Category:Canadian films
Category:Cultural depictions of John the Baptist
Category:Cultural depictions of Judas Iscariot
Category:Cultural depictions of Pontius Pilate
Category:Films directed by Philip Saville
Category:Films scored by Jeff Danna
Category:Films set in Jerusalem
Category:Films shot in Almería
Category:Gospel of John
Category:Portrayals of the Virgin Mary in film
Category:Religious epic films