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

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.