The Body (2001)

The Worst Film Ever

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The Body is based on a book. Like all screenplays it will have much in common & differences. Father Matt is a Jesuit, & experienced the horrors of war. He has faith, a Doctorate in Roman History, & is an experienced investigator. Sent on a mission by the Vatican, assured its just a body. The archaeologist, a Jewish woman, Sharon, is more like your typical liberal, religious only on a holiday. She can't believe anyone would complain about her publishing papers on the find. She even feels she a Dominican Scholar like herself would approve, only that Scholar can't cope & jumps to his death in a state of despair. Much happens, & faith is all remains, either the body is Christ, or a man whose mother prayed her son would have a home with God. Just as your mother probably prays for you. Either way, Father Matt knows it is not Christ, however he does leave Rome, maybe no longer a priest, but still a Man of God. The music is beautiful & it is shot in the Holy Lands, that in itself deserves to be watched. Lastly Banderas is mildly understated, as a Priest who has seen war would be.

Just saw this on TV now, and I thought it was a good one in exploring - quite realistically - what would happen if they truly found such a body. Politics and the clash of religion/science was very well done.I wasn't too happy with the end though. It seemed like a compromise: "OK, so now we've rattled the believers here, let's call it a day and make them happy". It not being Jesus, but "David"? Seems the Romans must have been on repeat, then. Complete with legs, spear, crown of thorns not to mention the victim even being a carpenter. Also, the priest was too much of an honest person not to lose his faith over this. People have lost their faith over smaller things than finding what they think are the bones of Jesus. I'd say that losing faith, while not spreading the word for the sake of the "millions of believers" would be more his way of doing it.

Palestinian shopkeeper Nasir Hamid was just trying to dig a basement.Jewish archaeologist Dr. Sharon Golban enters the cave and makes an amazing discovery. Diplomat Moshe Cohen calls Father Lavelle to investigate, and Lavelle comes out of the cave looking positively stunned.Only poor men were crucified. And in all of recorded history, only one crucified man has been buried in a rich man's tomb. The Vatican must get involved. Father Matt Gutierrez, formerly in military intelligence, is selected to do his own investigation.What if it really is Jesus? This could mean the end of Christianity. Meanwhile, Palestinians want to claim all of Jerusalem as their capital. The discovery only adds to the tension in the city. If this is a hoax, perhaps it is because someone wanted to start a war over the city.Antonio Banderas did a fine job of showing a man whose faith is tested. Some important questions about faith were raised, including Jewish attitudes toward disturbing the dead. Other than that, this film was nothing really special. I thought Olivia Williams (as Sharon), Derek Jacobi (as Lavelle) and John Shrapnel (as Cohen) all did a good job.There was some humor here. Sharon's crazy driving, for example. Violence was minor for the most part.It surely isn't "The Da Vinci Code" (which I have only heard about), but this is a film that can make people think.

God has no place in politics—this is the theme of The Body, an interesting film, if not a particularly 'entertaining' one.Antonio Banderas plays Father Matt Gutierrez, a priest sent by the Vatican to investigate the discovery of a tomb in Jerusalem, which may or may not contain the crucified remains of Christ. Gutierrez has been given instructions by the Vatican to declare that the remains are not those of Christ; but with all of the evidence suggesting otherwise, the priest must struggle with facing the fact that his religion may be founded on a lie, and that, perhaps, Jesus was never resurrected.Questioning his faith is only the beginning of Gutierrez's problems: Orthodox Jews, angry at the tomb being disturbed, attack the archaeologists; the Israelis blackmail the Vatican, only offering to hand over the body if the Vatican recognises Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel; and the Palestinians, who get wind of Israel's plan and are naturally displeased, kidnap the children of sexy archaeologist Sharon Golban (Olivia Williams), forcing her into stealing the bones.The movie, shot on location in Jerusalem, has beautiful cinematography and great acting from Banderas and Williams, but the complicated plot may cause many viewers to lose interest. Those with a particular interest in the subject matter will probably glean the most from this rather long and intricate tale, but I can imagine the casual viewer quickly becoming bored.If you choose to watch this, I recommend that you stick it out to the end; you may not be riveted to the screen but, like me, you might learn a little about a fascinating subject.