Adapted from New York Times bestseller Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, The Young Messiah is a peculiar departure from run-of-the-mill faith-based films.
Launched in conjunction with Easter, this fictional depiction attempts to most accurately dramatise Jesus’ childhood, particularly, the year when Jesus was seven. Since little has been recorded about Jesus as a child, power duo – director Cyrus Nowrasteh, and producer Chris Columbus – had only biblical scriptures to fall back on in order to best portray the the young self of the holiest being.
As the story goes, Joseph and Mary – Jesus’ parents – decide to return to their homeland in Israel after seven years of taking refuge in Egypt from the evil King Herod the First. Much of the journey is travelled in oscillation between fear and fearless faith as various encounters with ruthless Roman soldiers, eccentric King Herod the Second and the devil himself, almost end in the death of the young Messiah.
Recounting the years and sufferings of Jesus is done from a radical perspective in The Young Messiah. No doubt the approach is strong and the angle refreshing, but did it succeed in execution?
Well, you could think of the Young Messiah as a combination of watered-down brutality from the movie Passion of Christ, a strong theme of faith as with Facing the Giants, and obviously lackadaisical compared to the popular movie series Chronicles of Narnia.
In other words, it really depends on what you are looking to experience in faith-based films. Some look for spiritual enlightenment, and others for clarity. Some, the drama and action, while others, how relatable the characters are. What I can say for sure, is that The Young Messiah holds the potential for all the above, but to varying degrees.
Importantly, I realise the level of contextual knowledge going in might affect the depth of afterthought. With knowledge of the life and passing of Jesus, I was able to distinguish certain factual elements from the fictional which I found both a blessing and a curse, since the enlightenment was all in the annoying form of questions that ruthlessly challenged my beliefs. Perhaps entering with ignorance would have allowed better appreciation for the movie just for what it is.
Nonetheless, with or without contextual knowledge, it is a no brainer when it comes to the performance of Adam Greaves-Neal who plays the starring role. All except for the unnecessary British accent, Adam’s portrayal of young Jesus is riveting – seamlessly synthesising the innocence of a young boy and the intrigue of a powerful human. Perhaps this is best reflected in a line of Jesus, “I’m praying … and playing.”
Sadly, the same can’t be said for the rest of the cast. Joseph (played by Vincent Walsh) and Mary (Sara Lazzaro) fail to bring out that relatable instinctive protectiveness typical of parents. Instead, what comes across disproportionately stronger is the love towards God’s child, rather than a love for their own. On the other hand, the sinister fronts of the antagonists are much too exaggerated both in act and appearance – black eyeliner for the devil, really?
Overall, The Young Messiah is a thoughtful film for both the Christian and non-Christian community. It offers a fresh perspective splendid for new motivations and insight to an otherwise lesser, if not completely unknown story of the Son of God.
Catch The Young Messiah in theatres from 24 March onwards.
