For a movie like "The Nativity Story", two vastly different audiences exist: Christians and non-Christians, or in movie-going terms, those who see it as an historical film and those who see it as another way to be entertained for two hours.
For the Christian audience, "Nativity Story" is a good though not great film, generally hitting the mark on the two key fronts of historical and narrative accuracy. With a full Hollywood budget behind it, the movie looks and feels wonderful, effectively and impressively recreating an authentic Israel from two millenia ago. Having toured much of the country a mere six months ago, I can vouch that the villages looked like they had been reconstructed straight from the ruins I saw, and I could practically pick out where I was standing in various shots of Jerusalem.
This veracity serves as a foundation for a generally adherent interpretation of the events that led up to Jesus' birth. Making a full-length movie out of a few chapters of Scripture means that most of the dialogue and many of the plot details have been manufactured or drawn from non-canonical resources. While I haven't done exhaustive research by any means, anyone who knows the story well will be able to pick out a few inaccuracies and liberties. Some of the changes, like moving the Magi's visit up a few years, were made for cinematic reasons and admittedly allow for a few quality moments. Some, such as the fact that (I think) Herod didn't know what he knew that soon, are fairly inconsequential. Others, such as the absence of a multitude of heavenly hosts, seem like missed opportunities that could have injected the film with needs like a sense of awe. It's not an entirely precise screen translation, but I found it faithful enough in its facts that the sureness of the spirit makes the errors disappointing rather than overly detracting to a Christian audience.
For non-believers, I'm not convinced that this is a riveting picture. If the spiritual significance of the story is stripped away, the narrative alone probably isn't enough to engross. Anybody who sees this is going to know at least a rough outline of the plot, which deprives the film of most of its dramatic power. Something like United 93 is able to work through such a shortcoming in part because (I feel borderline sacrilegious saying this) the superficial building blocks of the story provide a stronger pull. If you remove the religious aspects from this, there isn't a ton of interest piqued by a man and woman who are awkwardly engaged, then travel across the country, semi-pursued by a king who doesn't have a direct connection; that's an inescapable weakness of the film as it attempts to reach a broad audience.
For all viewers, "Nativity Story" accomplishes two things that such a movie should. First, it contextualizes and humanizes Mary and Joseph. Joseph in particular has several classic conundrums and facial expressions as he handles inexplicable circumstances like his future wife being pregnant. These accessible emotions are definitely present in the Biblical telling, but are made more evident on screen. Second, it captures the iconography of the events. If these monumental happenings are going to be put on film, memorable moments are mandated, and the movie comes through, even if a few cinematic conveniences are required to create such snapshots as a living creche. (Pssst...wise men...a little to the right so we can see Mary.) Since the birth of Jesus was probably the second most important event in human history, it seems that a filmic rendering of the story should be as grand as the most important event (Christ's death and resurrection) was two years ago. In that regard, "Nativity Story" comes up short, because while the movie is impressive, it doesn't have the epic or visceral feel of "Passion of the Christ". On the other hand, an understated approach matches the muted nature of the actual occurrences, and even though it ebbs the potency of the film, is more appropriate for the material and makes for an easy viewing experience for any Christian who isn't overly anal about historical tweaking.
Bottom Line: High production value and a relatively faithful retelling make this occasionally enlightening movie worth seeing for anyone interested in the story. 7 of 10. Higher for Christians; lower for others.
For the Christian audience, "Nativity Story" is a good though not great film, generally hitting the mark on the two key fronts of historical and narrative accuracy. With a full Hollywood budget behind it, the movie looks and feels wonderful, effectively and impressively recreating an authentic Israel from two millenia ago. Having toured much of the country a mere six months ago, I can vouch that the villages looked like they had been reconstructed straight from the ruins I saw, and I could practically pick out where I was standing in various shots of Jerusalem.
This veracity serves as a foundation for a generally adherent interpretation of the events that led up to Jesus' birth. Making a full-length movie out of a few chapters of Scripture means that most of the dialogue and many of the plot details have been manufactured or drawn from non-canonical resources. While I haven't done exhaustive research by any means, anyone who knows the story well will be able to pick out a few inaccuracies and liberties. Some of the changes, like moving the Magi's visit up a few years, were made for cinematic reasons and admittedly allow for a few quality moments. Some, such as the fact that (I think) Herod didn't know what he knew that soon, are fairly inconsequential. Others, such as the absence of a multitude of heavenly hosts, seem like missed opportunities that could have injected the film with needs like a sense of awe. It's not an entirely precise screen translation, but I found it faithful enough in its facts that the sureness of the spirit makes the errors disappointing rather than overly detracting to a Christian audience.
For non-believers, I'm not convinced that this is a riveting picture. If the spiritual significance of the story is stripped away, the narrative alone probably isn't enough to engross. Anybody who sees this is going to know at least a rough outline of the plot, which deprives the film of most of its dramatic power. Something like United 93 is able to work through such a shortcoming in part because (I feel borderline sacrilegious saying this) the superficial building blocks of the story provide a stronger pull. If you remove the religious aspects from this, there isn't a ton of interest piqued by a man and woman who are awkwardly engaged, then travel across the country, semi-pursued by a king who doesn't have a direct connection; that's an inescapable weakness of the film as it attempts to reach a broad audience.
For all viewers, "Nativity Story" accomplishes two things that such a movie should. First, it contextualizes and humanizes Mary and Joseph. Joseph in particular has several classic conundrums and facial expressions as he handles inexplicable circumstances like his future wife being pregnant. These accessible emotions are definitely present in the Biblical telling, but are made more evident on screen. Second, it captures the iconography of the events. If these monumental happenings are going to be put on film, memorable moments are mandated, and the movie comes through, even if a few cinematic conveniences are required to create such snapshots as a living creche. (Pssst...wise men...a little to the right so we can see Mary.) Since the birth of Jesus was probably the second most important event in human history, it seems that a filmic rendering of the story should be as grand as the most important event (Christ's death and resurrection) was two years ago. In that regard, "Nativity Story" comes up short, because while the movie is impressive, it doesn't have the epic or visceral feel of "Passion of the Christ". On the other hand, an understated approach matches the muted nature of the actual occurrences, and even though it ebbs the potency of the film, is more appropriate for the material and makes for an easy viewing experience for any Christian who isn't overly anal about historical tweaking.
Bottom Line: High production value and a relatively faithful retelling make this occasionally enlightening movie worth seeing for anyone interested in the story. 7 of 10. Higher for Christians; lower for others.