| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | The Face: Jesus in Art (2001) |
| Director | Craig MacGowan |
| Writer | James Clifton |
| Lead Actor | Edward Herrmann |
| Cast | Edward Herrmann, Stacy Keach, Juliet Mills |
| Genre | Documentary |
| Release Date | April 15, 2001 (United States) |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Budget | $10 million |
| Language | English |
| IMDB Rating | 8.4/10 |
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THE FACE JESUS IN ART: This dazzling two hour documentary on the history of the image of Jesus in art in all the world’s cultural traditions fills an enormous need. Financed in part by the Catholic Communication Campaign and produced and directed by Craig MacGowan, it premiered at New York’s Radio City Music Hall before its April showings on various PBS stations.
Perhaps the only legitimate complaint is that it isn’t long enough, it doesn’t include everything. But it’s a banquet, beginning with less frequently seen images from the East (many from the treasured collection in Istanbul’s magnificent Hagia Sophia, which is now a museum), the early emphasis on Christ’s sufferings and the intriguing tradition of Veronica’s Veil (carried on in the Stations of the Cross). Depiction of the divine has always been more controversial in Asia, and The Face recalls the bitter war in the Byzantine Empire over whether or how to image Jesus, which ended in 843.
The second hour brings on more familiar masterpieces of the West, influenced by classical realism and Greek standards of beauty the extraordinary windows at Chartres, the Sistine Chapel, and Da Vinci, of course.
We get a much closer look at The Pietà than is possible for visitors at St. Peter’s and are stunned by the strength of Michelangelo’s slightly less famous Risen Christ. From a later century, I especially liked the portrait by Rembrandt, emphasising a compassionate Christ.
The modern era and pop also get some splendid footage of Rio’s great Christ the Redeemer in its awesome setting, 2,300 feet above the harbour, Marc Chagall’s unique White Christ, and various ethnic impressions. It even covers the universally familiar 1940 painting that accompanied so many American G.I.s into combat.
The project stays clear of movie images, where kinetic movement and personality would become factors.
The narrative helps provide context (narrators range from Mel Gibson and Bill Moyers to Ricardo Montalban and Patricia Neal). The accompanying music seems as carefully chosen as the images.
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