JESUS (1999)
An orthodox but uneven portrait of Christ, best approached with discernment.
Should You Watch It?
This four-hour biblical epic clearly wants to lift up Jesus as the Messiah. It recognizes His unique miracles, His identity as the Son of God, the divinity reflected in His passion, and the reality of His Resurrection. It also portrays the difficult burden placed upon Jesus, the relationships among His disciples, and His justifiable anger at corruption in the Temple.
The trouble is that the production adds extra-biblical material and changes details in ways that diminish the Gospel story. Jesus is presented as more playful and youthful, and one line about being with His followers “in their memories” undermines the beauty and reality of the Resurrection scene. The quality is good, but not great, with occasional audio instability and conflicting accents.
If you are an older teenager or adult willing to exercise discernment, this offers an interesting perspective on Jesus and His followers. For a more dependable family viewing choice, wait for home and discuss the film’s departures from Scripture.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESThis production follows Jesus, His disciples, His mother Mary, and other people around Him through key events of His life and ministry. It presents Him as the Messiah while exploring the burden of His calling, His relationships with His followers, opposition to corruption in the Temple, and the events surrounding His death and Resurrection.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is a good production, but not a great one. Most of the costumes are well done and convincing, and the acting is good. The relationships between the disciples are handled well, and the production interprets key Biblical accounts with some power.
The movie is weakened by its extra-biblical material, historical inaccuracies, little glitches, and an occasionally unstable audio track. Conflicting accents also distract from the story. Its strongest elements cannot fully overcome the lack of a steady hand guiding the dramatization.
The Worldview
The production presents a Christian and Biblical worldview and clearly intends to offer an accurate portrait of Jesus. It recognizes that Jesus is the Messiah, that His miracles are unique, pronounced, and definitive, that He is the Son of God, and that His passion reflects His divinity. His death culminates in a real Resurrection, not a memory, ghost, or mere reflection on His life.
However, the film adds extra-biblical speculation and changes details that distract from the true story. Its contemporary approach makes Jesus more playful, youthful, and down to earth, but in the process seems to diminish the tension of His being fully God and fully human. The production also includes a disturbing romantic element involving Mary, the sister of Martha, and Jesus. One line about Jesus being with His followers “in their memories” further weakens the magnificence and reality of the Resurrection.
The Italian/German/English production sometimes has conflicting accents, with Scottish, American, and other regional dialects. This confusion becomes another distraction from the work’s intended portrait of Christ.
The film’s central longing is to show Jesus as “the Way, the Truth and the Life,” but its added material sometimes obscures that truth. Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Christian/Biblical worldview and morals with plenty of extra biblical speculations and detail changes that detract from the true story; no foul language, crude humor about man’s gas; bombs explode near men but only silhouettes are seen, multiple men stabbed, on one instance men are seen lying in blood, two beheadings, not graphic, mans throat is slit, no blood is seen, woman is burned at the stake, large nail is seen hammered into Jesus’ wrist, some blood is seen, man is whipped, not graphic, nail hammered into foot is seen from a distance, man hangs himself; implied sex, two men kiss on lips though not sexually; woman dances in a lightly sensual manner while revealing some cleavage, upper rear female nudity, harlot is seen dressing from the side, breast is briefly visible, multiple men are seen wearing loincloths; some alcohol use, but not excessive; no smoking or drugs; man lies several times, man is betrayed for money, man steals money.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The film adds material beyond the Gospel accounts. Why does staying close to Scripture matter when telling the story of Jesus?
Deuteronomy 4:2 · Revelation 22:18–19Jesus’ anger at corruption in the Temple is one of the film’s stronger Biblical themes. What does righteous anger protect, and how is it different from selfish anger?
John 2:13–17 · James 1:19–20The film recognizes Jesus as both divine and human, even while making that tension unclear. What do the Gospels show us about Jesus’ identity?
John 1:1, 14 · Philippians 2:5–8The Resurrection is real in the story, even though one line weakens its meaning. Why does the reality of the Resurrection matter to Christian hope?
1 Corinthians 15:3–4, 17–20The Final Word
JESUS has worthwhile strengths: good acting, convincing costumes, meaningful disciple relationships, and an orthodox ending. But extra-biblical material and inaccuracies diminish its portrait of Christ. For older teenagers and adults, WAIT FOR HOME allows time for discernment and discussion. For other family viewing, see.
