The Nativity Story - A Review
Can yet another retelling be any good?
A review of the movie The Nativity Story. Is it just another cliched retelling or is it something to pay money to see?
Recently released for the Advent season, The Nativity Story is a retelling of the miraculous story of the birth of Jesus. Although nearly everyone on the planet knows the outcome of the story, the filmmakers successfully weaved throughout the story elements that left the audience with a somewhat different take on what could have easily been another clichéd telling.
In the film, we meet Joseph and Mary not as the Saints we know, but as the people they were. The fact that they would be the parents of Christ notwithstanding, the film, through subtlety and bluntness, paints a picture of what life was truly like in those times.
We see how Herod, though wise, was blinded by utter greed and the desperate attempt to remain in power. We feel how terribly and unjustly the Roman soldiers carried out their orders. We see families torn apart, the gathering unrest, and the sheer effort it took just to exist.
What is possibly the best portrayal yet of Mary’s ordeal and her faith is seen in this film. We get a strong sense of the risk she took in saying yes to God. The risk of stoning was all too real, let alone shunning, etc. We see Joseph as a man not too caught up in his own pride when faced with the idea of an illegitimate child to spare Mary the worst of public ridicule.
Finally, we see not just the emotional, but the very real physical toll of the journey to Bethlehem. This arduous journey did not only inflict pain on the pregnant Mary, but also the selfless Joseph. The most endearing part of the film was how it showed these two people, virtual strangers at the time of their marriage and journey, reached out to each other through their faith in God to embrace all the doubts and fears they harbored. This film portrays a faithful humanity. It’s one to own and add to your collection of favorites.
