As a person who studies and teaches the Bible, I never know what to expect from biblical films; some are faithful, but achieved in a terrible way. Others are less faithful, but artistically effective.
Filmmakers who adapt biblical material should be clear about their purpose and how to convey their message. They cannot cover everything, nor simply throw words from the scriptures on the screen and expect this to achieve its purpose. Filmmakers must trim, rearrange, adapt. It is certainly a risky enterprise, but it can be rewarded if it causes the public to discover or rediscover the Bible.
- At the end of the day.
- We must keep biblical filmmakers at the same standards as for other films.
- We have to ask ourselves: have the doers created an effective film for their specific purpose.
- Or not?.
That’s the question we should ask Affirm Films (the studio behind “Trial by Fire” and “Challening Giants”) and his new film, “Paul, Apostle of Christ,” directed by Andrew Hyatt.
Surprisingly, few films have been made about the man who introduced Christianity to the known world. In addition to Jesus, the Apostle Paul is the most remarkable person in the New Testament and the later history of Christianity.
A film can tell Paul’s story in the form of a drama in many ways. In the scriptures, we have stories about their conversion, their missionary journeys, and how he handled conflicts in different churches. He traveled thousands of miles to establish churches and suffered violence. , incarceration and other difficulties along the way. Although strong and resilient, he often points out in his letters his weaknesses and sufferings.
Paul, Apostle of Christ, focuses on the end of Paul’s life, showing his limits, we see it in the early scenes of the film, which show not the strength of Paulo, but his weakness and pain. He’s in a dark prison with bloody backs. by the whip. A light shines on his face, showing him with a big beard and bald head. He’s an old man who can barely stand up.
Although the film focuses on Paul’s last days, do periodic flashbacks illustrate episodes of the Apostle’s previous life?Including his persecution of other Christians, which leads him to deep repentance. Paul knows that he is the worst sinner and does not deserve the Savior’s mercy.
The film mixes three stories. First, Paul (James Faulkner) was arrested in Rome in 67 AD, when Nero accused him and other Christians of burning Rome. Luke (Jim Caviezel) comes to visit the imprisoned Apostle and then recounts Paul’s life as he writes the book of Acts. The second story is about Lucas and Paulo’s relationship with Maurice (Olivier Martinez), the guard of the Roman prison. Finally, the film links Paul’s suffering with the Christian community of Rome (led by Priscilla and Aquila), who hide under the threat of persecution.
Paul, the Apostle of Christ, focuses on the hopeful suffering of the early Christians. Unlike other Christian films that tell stories of redemption for punishment (“God is not dead,” for example), this shows Paul and other Christians refusing revenge on the face of persecution. They choose to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors (Mt 5:44). In many ways, this is the most powerful message in the film. Christianity (or Way) is rightly presented as a minority movement under pressure Christians are burned, beaten and killed, but refuse to take the sword, choosing the path of death and love.
Is Paul, the Apostle of Christ, historically correct?While that’s not the only question we need to ask ourselves about the film, it’s an important question.
It should be noted that any interpretation for a different medium must have an editorial license. Even evangelical writers do not use the exact words of Jesus (he spoke in Aramaic), but they capture the essence of his Greek words.
It should also be noted that the film focuses on a stage in Paul’s life on which we have little information. 2 Timothy is our only source of Paul’s life at the time, and Paul made only a few careful comments about himself.
We know that Paul was arrested twice in Rome: once under house arrest (62 A. D. ) and was probably martyred during his second incarceration (64-67 A. D. ) under Nero (see History of the Church of Eusébio, 2. 25; 3. 1). He blamed Christians for the fire in Rome. And Luke was actually Paul’s traveling companion (Col. 4. 14; Fm 1. 24); Paul explicitly says that Luke is with him in 2 Timothy 4:11.
Luke is likely to have written Acts before (62-64), because he does not mention Paul’s second imprisonment in Rome, nor the persecution of Nero. It is possible that Acts was written later (70 A. D. ), which would be in harmony with The Film, but there is no evidence that Luke went to Rome to tell the story in Acts. Priscrilla and Aquila are also not likely to be in Rome at the time. They are from Italy (Acts 18:1-2), Paul finds them in Corinth and takes them with him to Syria (Acts 18:18). When he writes in Rome, he tells them to greet them (Romans 16:3), but he also says the same thing in 2 Timothy 4:19. is in Ephesus; therefore, Priscrilla and Aquila must also be in Ephesus.
Is Paul, an Apostle of Christ, effective in his purpose?Yes and no
The film successfully shows Rome’s sick and non-vindicative Christian community, including powerful scenes that have reached heights that it did not expect. As for the artistic aspect, the production does not resemble a low-budget Christian film, and the photographic use of shadow. and light is particularly effective.
But the film sometimes presents difficulties with a tendency to “exaggerate”, a common flaw in Christian films. What needs to be said subtly or quietly is shouted from a ceiling. What needs to be measured in grams is weighed in tons. What could be cut increases public satisfaction.
The film contains embarrassing moments that undermine its powerful themes. For example, consider this dialogue between Paul and Luke as they walked through a Roman garden:
Paulo: Living is Christ, dying wins
Lucas: I like it.
Paul: For if we live, for the Lord we live; If we die, by the Lord we die; therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
Lucas: That’s great. Now I have an ending. ” For two whole years. “
This highlights the weakest part of the film: its lack of subtlety.
Movies about Paul would not need Paul to quote scripture and Luke to say what he would write. They don’t need to point out the same problem over and over again. They must develop their characters and not force them to act excessively.
Films like the Apostle Paul could be more subtle and still communicate the beauty of faith (I think more powerfully) through silence, facial expressions and even only through the eyes.
A scene in which the theme of Scripture as a dialogue really works is at the end. We listened aloud to Paulo’s words to Timteo (Faulkner’s voice fits very well with Paul’s figure) as he limping to the place of his execution: “I fought the good battle, I finished my career, I kept my faith. Can the Lord be your spirit? He calmly tilts his head back, and before he hangs the sword, the camera moves skyward. “May grace be with all of you. “
In an imperfect film, this climax captures its strength around the themes of suffering and hope. Paul’s death is an imitation of Christ’s sacrifice, whose glory departed not only from suffering and death, but from enduring them.
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