Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
the power of The Word Vol. 1, 18 Feb 2004
This is a lovingly crafted production of The Gospel According to Matthew, and is a treasure to own for repeated viewing. Filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, it is visually beautiful, with marvelous detail in the costuming and set design; it has a cast of mostly unknown actors, anchored by Richard Kiley and Bruce Marchiano. Notable in the cast is Gerrit Schoonhoven, wonderful as Peter, and Marcel Van Heerden as John the Baptist.
Kiley is fabulous as an aging Matthew, who is dictating his gospel to two scribes, and with his resonant voice he narrates portions of the dramatization of Jesus' life.Bruce Marchiano is remarkable in the long and difficult part of Jesus. His portrayal is strong, warm and accessible. It is a Jesus who laughs and hugs people, and the first two tapes are largely in this upbeat mood, with it not getting dark and dramatic until the entering of Jerusalem on the third tape.
Marchiano is the only one in the cast with an American accent, which at first sounds odd, especially since his voice has an uncanny resemblance to Kevin Costner's, particularly when speaking with force and emotion (perhaps they both hail from the same area of the country), but this initial reaction is soon forgotten as one gets engrossed in the film.
Marchiano is an expressive actor, and so natural. It is a powerful performance, nuanced and full of insight, and will inspire the mind and feed the soul. Volume One covers Chapters 1:1-9:1.
Ch. 1, I love this section where the older Matthew (Kiley) is telling the genealogy of Jesus to an adorable little boy; Ch. 2, Jesus' birth, the wise men; Ch. 3, John the Baptist (Marcel Van Heerden), Jesus' baptism; Ch. 4, Jesus' 40 days in the desert, starts calling His disciples to Him; Ch. 5, The Beatitudes; Ch. 6, The Lord's Prayer; Ch. 7, Jesus talks about judgement of others, and Marchiano is hilarious in the "speck from your brother's eye" sermon, blending humor and wisdom so well; Ch. 8, Jesus heals the sick and casts out demons; Ch. 9, goes to Capernaum in a boat.
Taken from the New International Version, the language is contemporary and understandable to all, making it an excellent introduction to the Bible for children. Total time, 58 minutes.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
the power of The Word, Vol. 2, 15 Feb 2004
This is a lovingly crafted production of The Gospel According to Matthew, and is a treasure to own for repeated viewing. Filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, it is visually beautiful, with marvelous detail in the costuming and set design; it has a cast of mostly unknown actors, anchored by Richard Kiley and Bruce Marchiano. Notable in the cast is Gerrit Schoonhoven, wonderful as Peter, and Marcel Van Heerden as John the Baptist.
Kiley is fabulous as an aging Matthew, who is dictating his gospel to two scribes, and with his resonant voice he narrates portions of the dramatization of Jesus' life.Bruce Marchiano is remarkable in the long and difficult part of Jesus. His portrayal is strong, warm and accessible. It is a Jesus who laughs and hugs people, and the first two tapes are largely in this upbeat mood, with it not getting dark and dramatic until the entering of Jerusalem on the third tape.
Marchiano is the only one in the cast with an American accent, which at first sounds odd, especially since his voice has an uncanny resemblance to Kevin Costner's, particularly when speaking with force and emotion (perhaps they both hail from the same area of the country), but this initial reaction is soon forgotten as one gets engrossed in the film.
Marchiano is an expressive actor, and so natural. It is a powerful performance, nuanced and full of insight, and will inspire the mind and feed the soul. Volume Two covers Chapters 9:2-14:36.
Ch. 9, Jesus heals the sick and casts out demons; Ch.10, Jesus instructs His diciples; Ch. 11, Jesus speaks of John the Baptist, and the Day of Judgement; Ch. 12, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees; Ch. 13, the parable of the sower and the seeds; Ch. 14, King Herod beheads John the Baptist, Jesus walks on the water.
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