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Summary: A post-modern, insightful, tongue in cheek, christ story
Review: It takes a creative mind to breathe new life into the Christ story, and this film accomplishes exactly that. The ironies and the charicatures are profound. It centers on a group of renegade actors who take the Jesus story apart and expose latent defects in the fable, and weaves these defects into the subplots happening in their own lives, affairs, and politics. The acting is excellent, and the messege is clear, whether you're a christian or not -- sometimes it is necessary to undergo great sacrifices for what you believe in...
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Summary: A very human Passion Play
Review: It's been quite a few years since I've seen this movie, but for some reason, I've recently started thinking about it and connecting all the dots. As much as I enjoyed it originally, I've developed a new appreciation of it. Other reviewers have described it well, so I'll just give an "Amen" to their praise. I now marvel at how subtly and ingeniously the film's makers made the characters surrounding the theater troupé mirror the characters surrounding the main people in the original Passion story. Could the people in the Gospels' account have been real flesh-and-blood people, and not just characters in a mythical morality tale? This film will convince you they could have been. All aspects of the production are excellent. Blutheau was superb as Daniel/Jesus. His motivations and actions are as inscrutible as those of the original Jesus. When Daniel died, nothing happened. Or did it? You decide. Just as you must decide concerning the original Jesus' death. A tantalizing and intrigueing movie.
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Summary: one of two great films about Jesus
Review: Jesus of montreal is a deceptively simple premise: an out of work actor is hired to resucitate an annual Passion play in a Monteral church. What happens from there is far from ordianry. It asks the question Is art Imitating life, or is life imitating art?As the players deepen their roles,unexpected turn occur.So often movies with religious themes are schlock,treaclely spouting pious slogans that are void of life. Jesus of Monmtreal avoids all of these pitfalls,and does so brilliantly.Lothar Bleauteu{also wonderful in Black Robe} hits every note perfectly in playing the lead. It brings in perfectly the idea of what faith actually means and asks once more the age old question first put forth in Palestine 2000 years agO:"who do you say that I am?"Absolutely superb,wry humor,dead on performances,crisp direction. Only Passolini's Gospel According to St Matthew stands with this.Brilliant!
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Summary: A cradle of love set sailing through the ocean of misery
Review: Jesus of Montreal is a multidimensional masterfully narrated story of an actor Daniel Coulombe whose great talent and dedication to art lead him to take his role of Jesus Christ as an alter ego, which gradually takes over his own personality. The spiritual transformation happens not only to him but also to the artistic crew of volunteering professionals recruited by him for the performance of a religious play. The play - originally written by a Catholic priest and a friend of Daniel - is altered by Daniel through a firsthand interpretation of the New Testament in the light of the recent historical evidence. The firsthand interpretation just as that of Jan Hus or St Francis invites censure of the Catholic Church. (After all, from the point of view of the institutionalized faith any personal faith is a heresy.) The play is banned and Daniel Coulombe with his disciples repeats the fate of Jesus in a modern and slightly comic setting. This gives a very strong flavor of irony to the film. Although all the issues touched are extremely sensitive, Denys Arcand's rendering of them is so anaesthetized that there is no pain associated with the relentlessly truthful depiction of the humanity and its faith. It is as if we are kept in a cradle of love set sailing through the ocean of misery.
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Summary: My favorite film
Review: Jesus of Montreal is an allegory in which a troupe of actors experience the life of Jesus of Nazareth as they strive to rework a passion play to make it more contemporary and "relevant." I first saw the film in 1990, and it touched me deeply, challenging me to reconsider my understanding of Christian faith. Great art strikes home, and no other film has given me such cause to ponder. It remains my favorite film.BEWARE, however, because as other reviewers have warned, the DVD edition Amazon sells provides no English subtitles for the French dialog. My copy arrived in the mail today, and I am returning it to Amazon unopened. I should have paid more attention to what the other reviewers wrote. It appears that an edition with English subtitles has been released in Europe and Australia, but it is in PALS format and not compatible with Region 1 (NTSC) DVD players. Such a disappointment, as my French is just not adequate to the task without some support from the subtitles.
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Summary: A modern movement of the Spirit
Review: Jesus of Montreal is an entertaining and challenging film. A group of 5 actors volunteer to act in a passion play sponsored by a Catholic church. One of the actors, re-writes the play at the recommendation of the parrish priest because the older version was dry, stiff, boring and had become unpopular. The young actor, Daniel Coulombe, breathes new life into the play, updating the themes and making the play a powerful experience for the audience. At this point a transformation occurs with the actor who plays Jesus becoming much more Christ-like while the other 4 actors become much more like the disciples of Christ. The forces of the conservative church begin to oppose them much like the Pharisees opposed Christ and his teaching. Speakers of truth upset the status quo. The language of the passion play is hypnotic and powerful. Daniel goes into the audience giving out bread and at one point says: "What good do you acrue by loving those who already love you?" At this point irony and dark humor begin to bloom, with Daniel receiving a crushing head blow when a member of the audience fights with a security guard who is trying to shut down the final performance of the play. I thought that the film was theologically sound and firmly based in Christianity. What could be more Christian than a film in which the word of God in the Bible transforms the hearts and actions of a group of actors as well as their audience? What could be more Christian than a film in which the Holy Spirit moves within a community of committed persons? I am sure fundamentalist Protestants and Roman Catholics may find some of the film offensive, yet the message of transcendence is clear and holds the entire drama together, even amidst the ironies and challenges of modern life. I highly recommend this film.
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Summary: Intelligent, Deftly Presented View of Jesus
Review: Jesus, it seems, can become a remote figure for many, as contemporary times fix him more and more as an "historical" figure. Who has not wondered what Jesus might be like were he living among us today? This movie gives some thought to that musing... a lot of thought. While Daniel, the director of the sagging Passion Play, is never directly alluded to as Jesus, he does take on much of the persona that we might imagine for the Son of Man. There are parallels suggested in his struggles with greedy corporate characters, his urging friends to be forgiving, his instinct for inclusiveness over rejection of others -- even his admiration for the innocence of children. However, these are not intentionally presented to necessarily lead viewers to conclude that Daniel is, in fact, Jesus returned. What they do, instead, is encourage the viewer to think of his or her own sense of what Jesus meant to humanity, and how these meanings might apply in the modern world. Perhaps you've seen the bumper stickers that say "What would Jesus do?" Here, we are urged to take the question with utmost seriousness, and entertain the possibility that many people, even self-proclaimed Christians, may ultimately not like the answer to this question. The film is very well acted, and offers a mixture of some subtle humor along with its most serious religious speculations. On the whole, however, the tone is more bittersweet and melancholy. I think it's because we are made to ponder how very far adrift both the doubters and the believers of Jesus have come from the original message. If you are very traditional in your beliefs, you may find this film offensive. If you feel comfortable with pushing your thoughts about Jesus to new and even disconcerting levels, then you will find this, as others have asserted -- "a gem." It is subtitled, but the story is so well developed that most viewers will hardly be distracted.
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Summary: Look at the technical notes -- this HAS english subtitles
Review: Just a quick note: several reviews here complain that this doesn't have English subtitles, but they are referring to a PREVIOUS DVD release of this film (probably intended for Canada). This latest version, still unreleased until November, DOES have English subtitles -- or does according to the technical notes. (Obviously I don't own it yet.)
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Summary: subtitles and dubbed in english to boot...
Review: like most who have reviewed the film itself, i found the story compelling and a welcome addition/alternative to mr. gibson's "passion." for those of you reading previous reviews, it's important that you know this newest release DOES CONTAIN ENGLISH SUBTITLES. what's more, this version is also DUBBED IN ENGLISH, though i found the dubbed translation to be more forced than the subtitles. i recommend you see the movie first in the original french language with english subtitles. my only caveat in this recommendation is noting that THERE IS NO WIDESCREEN VERSION available. you will, unfortunately, be limited to a "pan and scan" approach that doesn't allow you to appreciate the full expanse of the original. but don't let that stop you...the story will still be as powerful.
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Summary: A rare experience
Review: Most movies and television shows encourage passivity. They evoke responses of intellect, where we store trivia until we burst, or emotion, where we laugh or cry until we go to bed. This movie will make you both feel and think. It exposes novel thoughts on charged topics. It generates powerful emotions about challenging ideas. I enjoyed every moment of this movie. Every bit of the movie is precise and layered, allowing you to enjoy the tramsmitter as much as the transmission. Comedy and tragedy constantly plan off the other, and offer irony without cynicism. When better to inspect our understandings of belief and experience than when the cracks in our reality are painted so very red. See this movie as you would read a book of commentary, drink a rich wine, or touch a loved one. All these reward for the attention. And it's great fun to boot! Enjoy.
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