Merry Christmas, everybody, and welcome to the final installment of my 25 Days of Christmas!
To conclude, I decided to take a look at the reason for the season (After all, very few of the specials I’ve looked at have so much as mentioned it, and considering I’m an aspiring minister, I’d say it’s an important consideration for me to make), by looking at ‘The Nativity Story.’ Made in 2006, it was directed by Catherine Hardwicke. It also made history as being the first film ever to have its world premiere screening be in the Vatican City.
It opens with the despotic King Herod (Ciaran Hinds) demanding the slaughter of all male babies to try and avert the prophecy of a new king arising from the lineage of David to free Israel. It then jumps back a year, to when Zechariah, future father of John the Baptist, is given the prophecy about what will come to pass, as written in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, told that his wife Elizabeth even in her age will produce a son who will help prepare the way for the Messiah. Back in Nazareth, we see young Mary (Keisha Castle- Hughes) and her people being oppressed by the Roman tax collectors, yet also see the good- natured man Joseph (Oscar Isaac) beginning to take a shine towards her. Though, when her parents arrange for her to wed the young carpenter, she is noticeably reluctant. In Persia, we are introduced to the three Magi, who have been closely studying the prophecies relating to the Messiah, and based on the position of three crucial stars, believe that His birth will be in less than one year.
Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel (Alexander Siddig), and told that she will bear a son conceived by the Holy Spirit. Going to visit her cousin Elizabeth further confirms this. After John is born, Mary returns to Nazareth, noticeably pregnant. Considering that she was unmarried at the time, this leads to suspicions of fornication, which could be punishable by stoning her to death. Joseph, being an honorable man, intends to put away Mary quietly without accusing her so she could at least keep her life, but the angel appears, assures him that Mary is telling the truth and was indeed impregnated by the Holy Spirit, and urges Joseph to marry her, so he did.
While this is happening, Herod grows ever more concerned about reports of this “King of the Jews,†so he uses the proposed census ordered by Caesar as a way to try and figure out who it may be (He has his soldiers and spies pay special attention to who enters Bethlehem for the census, to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious). So, Mary and Joseph begin the long trek to Bethlehem, while the Magi travel to the same city (Initially, one of them stays behind out of doubt/ fear, but he soon has a change of heart and catches up to the other two before too long), following the star that attracted their attention. The young couple rapidly grow closer along the course of their journey, and become prepared for what may happen. Finally, Mary and Joseph reach Bethlehem just as Mary begins to go into labor, but of course, due to the census, none of the inns have any room. At the last minute, one of them offers the couple the use of his stable. Christ is born, and shepherds and Magi alike arrive to see Him. The film ends as Joseph and his family, upon being warned by Gabriel of Herod’s intentions, flee to Egypt.
There are one or two problems I may have with ‘The Nativity Story.’ Some people do not like the fact that the scenes with the angel Gabriel seem quite rushed at times, and I agree. He’s usually only seen for a few seconds at a time, especially in the scene when he reassures Joseph to stay with Mary. Also, I suppose they could have done without the scene in the very beginning depicting the Massacre of the Innocent. Having that one scene and then immediately jumping back a year feels weird, plus in the very end of the film, when Herod learns the Magi will not be returning to let him know where to find the Messiah, he gives the command to start with the slaughter, I’d say that would have been enough.
All that aside, though, ‘The Nativity Story’ still makes for an excellent movie. It is a quite good portrayal of the events leading up to the birth of Christ. The characters are all excellently portrayed. Mary and especially Joseph are wonderful in this, the movie does an amazing job of fully showing what each of them are going through in all this. I find it a bit funny that in this movie you see younger versions of actually three major New Testament figures: Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, and Herod Antipas (Son of the Herod in this movie, who soon reveals himself to definitely be his father’s son). The angel Gabriel makes for an interesting case: On the one hand, he resembles a regular man from that place and time, but yet he also has a divine glow radiating forth from him.
‘The Nativity Story’ even manages to inject a good deal more humor than one would expect for a movie about the birth of Christ, yet not enough to make it too goofy or distract from the ultimately quite serious subject matter. It at times can be quite subtle (i.e. When Mary returns from visiting Elizabeth, before Joseph can go to greet her, his friend first briefly makes sure his hair and beard look alright). The Magi get in quite a few funny moments, and rapidly become very likable characters.
And, there you have ‘The Nativity story, a wonderful movie which makes for a great way to celebrate the birth of the King of Kings
That wraps up my 25 Days of Christmas review series. I may possibly do some more film reviews later on (i.e. new movies I see), but until then, merry Christmas and I’ll see you all at the movies!
