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From: "stareagle" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Dronvor" <[log in to unmask]>; "MissWings" 
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Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 4:12 PM
Subject: [BlindWomen4Christ] Fwd: FYI- from the Albert Mohler blog--The 
Nativity Story -- In Season and On Message.htm



>
>"The Nativity Story" -- In Season and On Message
>
>
>
>Posted: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 3:53 am ET
>
>nativitystory2_01.jpgMy family and I attended a media screening for
><http://www.thenativitystory.com/>The Nativity Story last night. Here is
>my instant review -- the movie is in season and on message. In other
>words, the movie faithfully presents the main thrust of the Christmas
>story. That is no small achievement.
>
>The movie, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, takes some liberties with the
>biblical accounts found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Nevertheless,
>the invented scenes and dialogue do not distract from the biblical
>storyline. The screenplay by Mike Rich presents key truths such as the
>virgin conception and deity of Jesus with unambiguous clarity and artistic
>force.
>
>The gospel accounts are the starting point for any telling of the story,
>of course. At the same time, there is no comprehensive biblical narrative
>that fills in every detail. We are left with huge questions. Joseph is
>described in the New Testament merely as a "righteous man" who believed
>God and obeyed angelic visions. When Mary is found to be "with child,"
>Joseph decides the put her away privately, rather than to defend his own
>honor through a public accusation against his betrothed bride. Beyond
>these facts, we know little of Joseph the Carpenter. Yet, as a character
>in this movie, Joseph is almost as developed as the character of Mary.
>
>The movie presents invented dialogue and situations including a focus upon
>Mary's parents and family, the village of Nazareth, the emergence of
>Joseph, and Mary's relationship with her cousin Elizabeth, mother of John
>the Baptist.
>
>Invented scenes include an imagined version of the pilgrimage to Bethlehem
>(including a river crossing scene, complete with a threatening snake) and
>representations of the brutal oppression of the Jews by King Herod the
>Great -- a character who can hardly be imagined as more evil than he
>actually was. The film also attempts to convey the messianic hopes of the
>Jewish people, suffering under multiple levels of oppression.
>
>Mike Rich, the screenwriter who wrote the script, explained his decision
>to expand the story: "The only way to tell the story was to try and take
>that foundation in Matthew and Luke and expand upon it, while at the same
>time being very faithful to the spirit, tone, and content of those
>Gospels." The same is basically true of nativity plays presented in
>churches across America.
>
>The most extravagant display of that creativity involves the Magi. As
>presented in the movie, the Magi provide historical context, important
>dialogue, and a degree of comic relief. Yet, these men are presented in a
>believable manner, without farce. Of course, the Gospel of Matthew never
>specifies a number of the Magi (stipulating only the three gifts), much
>less their names. The movie simply assumes the tradition of three Magi
>named Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar -- a European tradition traceable
>only to the seventh century.
>
>In order to present the Magi in Bethlehem the night of Jesus' birth, the
>movie suggests that these wise men from the East had seen the astronomical
>event of the star in the making and had left for Bethlehem months before
>Christ's birth. In any event, the Magi provide some of the most important
>Christological material found in the film.
>
>When it comes to the virgin birth, the divinity, and the saving mission of
>the Christ Child, the movie never blinks. Cinematographers may find fault
>with the presentation of the angels and the voice of God, but I have the
>sense that where the director had to choose between accuracy and artistry,
>accuracy often won. For that decision Christians should be thankful.
>
>The film succeeds in presenting the humanity of the central characters and
>in building a sense of expectancy. There is little suspense in the movie,
>of course. We know the story.
>
>Christian parents will want to discuss the movie with their children.
>Which parts of the movie can be traced to which biblical texts? Were the
>other parts of the movie faithful to the main storyline? How much of what
>Christians think they know about the nativity story is actually in the
>Bible at all?
>
>Should the story of Jesus be reduced to film? That question is not as
>easily dismissed as some might think. Nevertheless, The Nativity Story is
>the first major Hollywood studio film in many years to deal with a
>biblical story. In fact, World magazine reviewer Steve Beard reports that
>The Nativity Story is the first such release from a major studio since Ben
>Hur and The Ten Commandments.
>
>So, Hollywood has produced a major film with a national release that
>straightforwardly presents the central themes and events of the biblical
>accounts of Christ's birth. We should not let that fact pass without
>notice. The movie opens across America on December 1.
>
>
>© All rights reserved, www.AlbertMohler.com
>


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