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Sharon Golban (Olivia Williams), an Israeli archaeologist, discovers a skeleton with telltale
marks of crucifixion, in a rich man's tomb in Jerusalem. She also finds a coin of the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate which dates the tomb to the first century A.D. Sharon
suspects the bones to be those of Jesus Christ. Disturbed, the Vatican in the person of Cardinal Pesci (John Wood) sends the Jesuit priest Fr. Matthew Gutierrez (Antonio
Banderas) to Jerusalem to help in the "investigation" and to defend the Church. Although unpublished yet, word about the discovery spreads and galvanizes into action several
groups with vested interests. Fr. Matt and Sharon's lives are endangered as each group tries to gain control of the bones. As the authentication process goes on, Fr. Matt has
to contend not only with the physical violence around but also with the assaults on his faith.
The movie starts with a provocative premise. What if the bones are those of Jesus Christ? The
viewer then thinks he will be seeing a religious film. As the plot unfolds, however, he realizes it is like a thriller with a little mystery thrown in, but lacking in suspense
and tension. Then it becomes a political drama with the intrigues and power play among various groups: the Orthodox Jews, the Palestinians, the Israeli bureaucrats, and the
Catholic Church. As the plot develops, it becomes murkier, and the viewer is hard put to see the director's point. The movie is saved by a good cast. The leads, Antonio
Banderas and Olivia Williams, give commendable performances. So do the support cast, especially John Shrapnel as Cohen the Israeli bureaucrat, Muhamad Bakri as the Palestinian
leader, John Flemyng as the eccentric priest and Derek Jacobi as Fr. Lavelle.
Based on a novel by Richard Ben Sapir, the film may have its flaws, yet like a flawed gem, it
still shines. It includes timely subjects like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East, but more important, it tries to deal with the timeless subject of faith. In
the movie, the faith of the characters is tested and their reactions to the discovery show how they are affected. Fr. Matt Gutierrez goes with an open mind to know the truth.
As evidence seems to point to the contrary, he undergoes a crisis but with prayers, he strengthens his faith and returns to Rome with a clearer understanding of things. He
confronts Cardinal Pesci who wishes to keep the faith to protect his personal interests. Fr. Lavelle, on the other hand, rationalizes to keep his faith but he seems confused.
Hypothetically, if this event were to happen (as it might have happened), how shall we react to the discovery? How do we keep our faith? God is never to be made part of
politics and our faith is not based on facts but on belief. The Church, though called to be perfect, is composed of persons who have to struggle with their human imperfections.
(Date reviewed: October 19, 2001)
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