There been somewhat of a boom in biblical films over the past few years but I generally avoid them. The primary reason is that I avoid new films in general but I also know that Hollywood hates Christianity.
The irony is that Hollywood is all about making money, and they know the Christian market is substantial, so they try to tap into it. Even so they can’t resist the urge to sucker-punch their audience.
Anyone remember “The Golden Compass?”
This was supposed to be a monster hit and it came out on the heels of the wildly-successful first Narnia movie. Family friendly! Fantastic beasts in a kid’s story.
Oh, and totally anti-religion. Strangely, Christians didn’t bring their kids to see it and the nascent franchise crashed and burned.
So when I saw “Risen” in the previews I was curious, but not enough to buy a ticket and go see it.
Last night I finally got around to watching it.
It’s excellent.
The reviews for it have been mixed, I assume because most critics hate the topic. For those who don’t know (or forgot about it), “Risen” tells the tale of the Crucifixion and Resurrection from the point of view of a Roman military officer (played by Joseph Fiennes).
This device allows the film to approach the subject skeptically, and (I think) show how people would really react if they saw these miracles happening. Let’s face it: If a guy was condemned to death, killed and then rose again, people would freak.
If you’re a pagan and you see the power of God, you might be driven to drink trying to figure out what just happened.
I don’t want to give too much away, (even though if you’ve read the Gospels you know the story), but the varying ways people dealt with the situation just rang true. Often we don’t see the miracle, just the aftermath, which I think is more powerful.
I would even go so far as to say this film is much better than Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.” It didn’t get the attention, but it should.
Though the comparison may seem odd, the last time I enjoyed a movie this thoroughly was “300.” The tone and look was perfect. I intend to watch it again this week with the kids. It’s that good.
Chateau Lloyd 
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