The Greatest Story Never Told

By: CHRISTIAN POLIDORO, The Bulletin

It's the oldest story ever told yet it's never been told on the big screen. Go figure. It takes Hollywood a nano-second to make biopics for the likes of 50 Cent and Eminem, but has never really told the proper origin of Jesus Christ, from miraculous conception to birth.Catherine Hardwicke's humanizing and passionate "The Nativity Story" does just that, focusing instead on the journey to Bethlehem rather than what happened there. Heavy attention was paid to the responsibility thrust on the shoulders of a young Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes) and noble Joseph (Oscar Isaac) after she learns from the Holy Spirit that she will bear the son of God. It's an interesting take on a popular tale: Many films have been adapted from popular Gospel stories but the miraculous conception - arguably the most familiar story - has yet to see celluloid.Under the tyrannical rule of King Herod (Ciarán Hinds), the townspeople of Nazareth are emotionally worn and economically drained. Children are forcibly pried away from their families and forced into slavery to work off debt. To alleviate domestic burdens, Mary is forced to marry Joseph, much to her initial dismay. But the two quickly accept their arrangement and adapt to their roles of husband and wife. It's at this time that Mary learns from the Holy Spirit that, although she is a virgin, she will bear the child of God. To help her cope with the enormous responsibility, Mary journeys to visit her cousin, Elizabeth (Shohreh Aghdashloo), who, well beyond the child-bearing age, learns that she too is pregnant. Elizabeth encourages Mary in her purpose and faith. "There is always hope, Mary," she reassures her. "Even in Nazareth."Upon her return, things grow worse, and the story becomes more familiar. Upon learning of the prophesied Messiah and the threat the child poses on his kingdom, King Herod demands a census, ordering all citizens to return to the place of their birth for his subsequent (but unknown) "slaughter of the innocents." So begins Mary and Joseph's 100-mile trek to Bethlehem, Joseph's original home, and the rest...well, the rest is quite obvious, as the scene has become enshrined in plastic on thousands of front lawns every Christmas.There are two stories of Jesus' birth in the New Testament: One in the Gospel of Matthew and the other in the Gospel of Luke. Those familiar with both works will find the film sticks more closely with the latter, which is more elaborate.The painfully-detailed script was written by Mike Rich ("The Rookie," "Finding Forrester") who set out to write the story after reading articles about the nativity last year in both Time and Newsweek."I found myself drawn to the amazing choices and decisions that Mary and Joseph made, relying solely on their faith in God and each other," says Rich.The pacing of the film is on the slow side, as the viewer often gets bogged down in biblical dialogue and aesthetics. But the focus is less on the plot and more on emotion. We all knew how the journey to Bethlehem ends; what we learn here is how the couple got there and what kinds of hardships they endured both physically and emotionally during the trip.It's fitting that Hardwicke signed on as director: Her feature debut, 2003's "Thirteen," detailed the troubling and angst-ridden lives of contemporary adolescent girls. Castle-Hughes' plays Mary with the quiet nobility you'd come to expect from one of Hardwicke's characters, and of the Virgin Mother herself, who accepted her destiny to the dismay of many skeptics. Castle-Hughes, the youngest actress ever to be nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award (for 2002's "The Whale Rider," also her acting debut) turned out to be an ironic choice to play the young, pregnant Mary. In a colossal coincidence of life imitating art, Castle-Hughes faced harsh criticism from the church when news broke last month that the 16-year old actress was expecting a child out of wedlock.However it did not slow the momentum of the film, which premiered at the Vatican last Saturday in front of a crowd of over 7,000 people. Castle-Hughes was not present at the screening, nor was Pope Benedict XVI, who cited an upcoming trip to Turkey as the reason for his absence. But rumors still swirlled that Castle Hughes' pregnancy was the real culprit.Despite the controversy, Hardwicke told The Associated Press her movie remains untainted and she's confident the film will appeal not just to religious audiences."We hope that people might relate to the relationship in the film, Mary and Joseph, and how their love grows and gets stronger as each one of them has challenges," she said.Although filmmakers downplay the idea that the film is riding the coattails of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," which grossed over $370 million in the U.S. alone, it doesn't hurt knowing that there is a built-in audience. Both films paid painstaking attention to the fine details of life during biblical times. Hardwicke, who spent years as a production designer on films like "Vanilla Sky" and "Three Kings," beautifully shot the film in the same region of Southern Italy where Gibson filmed "The Passion."Think of the story of Jesus Christ as a trilogy: If "The Passion" was the finale, then "The Nativity Story" is the beginning. A much more family-friendly beginning. What about a sequel?
©The Evening Bulletin 2006