Merry Christmas, dear friends! We are now right in the middle of the Christmas season, which ends on the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6). So while it looks like I’m publishing this post a tad late, it’s not late at all!
One of our favorite (and easy) traditions during Christmas is to watch movies. It’s not something that we do often, so it’s truly a treat to gather together under cozy blankets and watch family movies while drinking hot chocolate. While there are a few good movies which capture the spirit of the season (It’s a Wonderful Life and The Sound of Music are musts), for a while there weren’t any movies which actually told the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Isn’t it strange and sad that among the myriad of so-called Christmas movies, hardly any of them mention the reason for the season?
This is why I’m so glad that we have The Nativity Story. My husband and I first watched the movie when it first came out in December 2006 (and I was pregnant with my first!), and it’s one of the few DVDs that we actually own.
What I love about the movie
There are so many aspects of the movie which I love. The production value is top notch (hard to come by in Christian films). The set designs are realistic. The score is downright angelic; the opening scene with the Latin rendition of “O come o come Emmanuel” sets the right mood from the start. I also love cousin Elizabeth’s (Shohreh Aghdashloo) steadfast, joy-filled faith and Herod’s (Ciarán Hinds) murderous lust for power. The movie did a great job illustrating the poverty and helplessness of the ordinary Jewish people at the time (down with the tax collectors!). The scene of the adoration of the Child Jesus by the lowly shepherds and the regal Magi is breathtakingly beautiful; every time I watch it I keenly feel the wonder and joy of the moment.
St. Joseph is the best
Best of all, and by far the most redeeming feature of the movie, is the beautiful portrayal of Joseph. I’m so glad of this, because St. Joseph is the meekest and humblest of saints – he doesn’t even utter a word in the Bible. And yet, what a man he must have been, that God chose him to take care of Mary and Jesus! Oscar Isaac’s portrayal of a young Joseph is right on, in my opinion. A righteous and virtuous man, he strives to do God’s will even when the reasons are not so clear. He accepts the angel’s message about Mary’s holy pregnancy and shows his incredible capacity for sacrifice in all his actions. He is no pushover; he protects Mary and the unborn Jesus with all the strength of a faithful man.
What I didn’t love so much
The movie is not perfect, of course. The most problematic character, in my opinion, is Mary. During the first half of the movie, she acts like a sulky teenager. When Joseph asks for her hand in marriage, she’s upset and leaves in a huff. I would have totally done that, had my parents sprung up a husband for me. But I’m not Virgin Mary, who was born without original sin. I understand how difficult it must be to accurately portray Mary, a perfect human being and the Mother of God. Although Mary’s countenance and attitude does improve as the movie progresses, this portrayal fell quite short of the mark.
I was also disappointed with the portrayal of the relationship between Mary and her saintly parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne. They often look exasperated with their daughter, and she seems resentful of their parenting decisions. Again, this improves as the plot develops.
I’m also not a fan of the portrayal of the Archangel Gabriel. Perhaps because he had way too much gel on his hair?
In conclusion…
Imperfections notwithstanding, The Nativity Story is a wonderful celebration of the birth of Jesus and a worthy witness to our faith. If you watch it, let me know your thoughts!
A warning: there are scenes of crucified men, as well as the scene of the murder of the Holy Innocents. While it’s not terribly graphic, it can be frightening to young children.
