(+) Mesih (The Messiah / 2007 Talebzadeh), TV mini-series & feature film

Mesih <Persian> / The Messiah [aka Jesus, the Spirit of God] (2007) is a TV mini-series (sound, color) and a 120m feature film, directed by Nadar Talebzadeh.

Abstract

The first movie to depict the life of Jesus from an Islamic perspective, as Muhammed's precursor and foreteller who ascended to heaven before the crucifixion (with the traitor Judas taking his place). The narrative is based not only on the New Testament but also and primarily, on the Koran and Christian apocryphical literature (notably, the Gospel of Barnabas). As its Christian most recent counterpart, The Passion of the Christ (2004 Gibson), film, the movie is a theological statement that totally disregards historical criticism. In its earnestly admiring view of Jesus, harmonizes as much as possible the Islamic and the Christian faith (to the point of providing two alternative endings about the crucifixion), while repeating some traditional anti-Jewish stereotypes.

Production

Produced in Iran (2007). Starring Ahmad Soleimani Nia (Jesus). An expanded TV version in 20 episodes of 45m each was broadcast in Iran.

Synopsis

• 00:00 -- Title: Jesus

• 01:15 -- Jews and Romans

[Narrator] Jerusalem, 30 AD ... Judas has seen conflict and unrest for a long time ... For decades, this holy land has become subjugated by foreign invaders ... and the powerful Roman Empire has turned it into its colony on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean ...

• Barabbas

[Barabbas] We'll pull the poles, create chaos in the bazaar, and we]ll kill those filthy pigs amidst the chaos ... [Joseph] It is not right to kill the Romans exactly on the day of Pilate's arrival ... Barabas, this is stupidity ... [Barabbas]] Joseph ... haev you ever killed a Roman? ... [Joseph] No ... [Barabbas] They killed John ... If you are a true disciple of John, you must take revenge ... [Joseph] How do you take pleasure in seeing the bodies of two Jews crucified for every Roman killed? ... [Barabbas] The time for such talk has passed ... This is Judea ... a place for action. The prophets'era has come to an end ... It's now our turn ...

• 05:30 -- Jesus and his disciples

[Narrator] At the beginning of his mission the prophet of Galilee chose 12 disciples ... Peter the fisherman and his brother Andrew ... Jacob and John the sons of Zebedee ... Joseph the levite known as Barnabas whose affection for Jesus brought him from Cyprus to Palestina ... Matthew the tax collector who worked for the Romans but was guided and followed Jesus ... Philip the shepherd, Thaddeus ... Jacob the junior, Bartholomew ... John who eagerly came to Jerusalem from the eastern lands to find Jesus ... and Judas Iscariot the son of Simon, who hadn't benefited from the blessing of faith ...

[Jesus] Great are the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon us. So it is upon us to worship Him in all sincerity ... Happy are those who mourn in this life for they shall be comforted ... Happy are the poor who truly turn their face away from the worldly enjoyments ... for they soon shall be blessed with the enjoyments from the kingdom of God ... Blessed are those that eat from heaven's feast ... You are all wayfarers ... Will the wayfarer carry with him what is heavy and useless .. No, he carries with him what is light and useful. take this as an example for your life ...

• 08:53 -- Roman repression

• 49:30 - Jesus preaching in the Temple

[Narrator] The head of the Sanhedrin devised a plot ... to have the prophet of Galilee murdered by the pilgrims in the Temple ... It was on the eve of Passover ... that Jesus and his disciples entered the Temple of Solomon ... [Priest] Jesus! Have you forgotten all that you did confess to ... before the Roman Procurator, Joseph Caiaphas and King Herod? ... [Jesus] No ... I haven't forgotten ... [Priest] Have you forgotten you told us that you are not the son of God ... nor God, not even the final Prophet? ... [Jesus] I haven't forgotten ... [Priest] Then why is it that you have come to the Temple ... with so great a multitude of people on the eve of Passover? .. Jesus! ... The Holy Scriptures have taught us for many centuries ... that the final Prophet is the descendent of our great ancestor Isaac ... We want to hear the truth from you ... Perhaps what you seek to hear from my lips is a lie ... '[Jesus] You know well I'm not a liar ... [Priest] So you assume that we who serve the laws of Moses are so afraid of hearing the truth? ... [Jesus] Yes ... for if I lied ... you ... the High Priest, the Pharisees and Sadducees ... would worship me together with all the Children of Israel ... But as I tell you the truth ... you all hate me and seek to kill me ... [Priest] This is a shameless accusation ... O people! Witness how he accuses the true servants of God in the house of God ... Be witness ... Now we now that you have the devil at your back ... For you are a Samaritan, and have no respect unto the priest of God ... [Jesus] You Sadducees and you Pharisees ... If I have sinned ... Wherefore do you not rebuke me as a brother ... instead of hating me as an enemy? ... If I work iniquity ... reprove me ... and God will love you ... because you shall be doing his will ... But ... if none can reprove me of sin it is a sign ... that you are not sons of Abraham as you call yourselves ... As God lives, so greatly did Abraham love God that he not only broke in pieces the false idols ... but was willing to slay his own son in obedience to God ... [Priest] We elders of the Sanhedrin have only one question from you ... We don't want to kill you ... Tell us which son of Abraham do you mean? ... Isaac our great ancestor ... or Ishmael the great ancestor of the Arabs? ... [Jesus] The zeal of your honor, O God, enflames me and I cannot hold my peace ... Verily I say ... that son of Abraham was Ishmael ... from whom must be descended the Messiah promised to Abraham ... O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of God to you confirming the Torah before me ... and giving Glad Tidings of a Messenger to come after me .. whose name shall be ... Ahmad (=Muhammad) ...

[The Priests incite the crown to kill Jesus for blasphemy, but Jesus miraculously left the scene unharmed]

[Narrator] Whereupon every scribe and Pharisee with the leader of the people .. took up stone to stone Jesus, who vanished from their eyes and went out of the temple ... And then through the great desire that they had to slay Jesus ... blinded with fury and hatred they struck one another in such wise that there died many men ... and they polluted the holy temple ...

• 57:00 -- Pontius Pilate and Caiaphas

• 59:30 -- Jesus's announcement of the Comforter

[Jesus] My disciples ... Soon I will leave you ... Keep your faith in my absence ... I will send you the Comforter to you from the Lord ... He is the Spirit of truth who comes out from the Lord ... When the Comforter comes to help you he will give witness about me ... And will remind you of everything I have truly taught ... and bear witness to that which I have said

• 1:01:15 -- Anointment of Jesus by Mary Magdalene

• 1:03:15 -- Judas's Betrayal

• 1:04:45 -- Last Supper

[Narrator] That year, the eve of Passover was different for the apostles ... It was destined that Jesus would have his last supper with his disciples ...

• 1:05:40 - Continuation of the narrative according to the Four Gospel

[ Passion of Jesus according to the Four Gospels ]

• 1:09:30 - The narrative based upon Islamic Sources and the Gospel of Barnabas

[Jesus] O God! ... I know well that the Pharisees hate me and the priests are determined to kill me ... I am your servant ... So hear the prayers of your servant with mercy and save me from their snares for You are my saviour ... [Angel Gabriel] O Jesus! ... The Children of Israel used deception ... So your Go too will use deception ... God is the best planner ... Now your Lord says: ... "O Son of Mary! ... I shall take you from this world tonight and raise you to Myself ... I shall purify you from those who ignored your teaching ... I shall make those who follow you superior to those who reject faith until Doomsday .. Then shall you all return to Me ... and I shall judge between you of the matters wherein you disputed" ... Your appointed time has come ... [Jesus] O Spirit of God ... Yes. O Gabriel ...

• 1:12:00 -- Jesus ascends to Heaven. Judas is given the appearance of Jesus.

[Narrator] The wonderful God acted wonderfully ... Judas changes amazingly in speech and face to be like Jesus ..

• The Romans come and arrest Judas-Jesus. He is the one who is crucified a divine punishment fo his betrayal.

• 1:21:25

[Narrator] -- Until His Grand Return, Let Us pray in peace ...

External links

• Wikipedia
• The Internet Movie Database
• YouTube (full movie)