Journey to Bethlehem is a musical adaptation of the nativity story. Is the source material for Journey to Bethlehem found in Matthew 1:18-25, Matthew 2:1-22, Luke 1:26-56, Luke 2:1-39? I doubt it. Seriously doubt it. I am not sure despite their opening claim that the movie is "inspired by a true story the greatest one ever told." Did the script writers, the lyricists, the directors, the producers read from any gospel while working on the project? It feels more like they were remembering the nativity story as told from pageants of yore after decades of busy life. It does feel more inspired by Christmas hymns and carols [or even Christmas cards] than it does actual Scripture.
The problem is not the music. Let me reiterate that. In a lot of reviews, people were so focused on the musical numbers AND the tone of those musical numbers that they neglected to comment on any other aspect of the film. The concern being, the nativity story should be approached with AWE, with WONDER, with REVERENCE, with respect, with worship. It shouldn't be a romantic comedy with a meet-cute. It shouldn't remind you of George of the Jungle, Bride and Prejudice, or the Three Stooges. I want to revise my statement, the problem isn't only the music. The scenes that personally bothered me most were NOT the musical numbers.
I have problems with what they left out. Which is almost the entirety of the biblical narrative. [See Matthew 1:18-25, Matthew 2:1-22, Luke 1:26-56, Luke 2:1-39] One example being the Magnificat, Luke 1:46-56. This is a MUSICAL. This song of Mary's is one of the most well-known in the Bible. You don't get closer to the source material--Mary herself--than this bit of Scripture. In a movie that strives so hard to give Mary a voice, this one omits all of Mary's actual words from Scripture. Perhaps all is too harsh a word. Most. They don't even keep the scene with Mary and Elizabeth special greeting: Luke 1:39-45. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, her babe leapt in her womb, and she professed a great blessing on Mary. The shepherds are a no show as well.
I have problems with what they changed. I have problems with what they added. These two blend and blur. The Wise Men are a good example of things changed. It is not that they are absent from the Bible. It is that the writers/producers decided to insert the 3 Wise Men in almost all the scenes. They start their journey to worship the Child before Mary is even betrothed to Joseph. They alert Herod to this future king before Mary even goes to stay with Elizabeth. Herod spends at least six to eight months searching for an unmarried pregnant woman with the intent to kill her. Herod's soldiers--and son--arrive at Elizabeth's house searching for Mary. Good thing that Joseph arrives a few minutes ahead of the soldiers and is able to hide Mary under some hay. After Joseph saves her from immediate danger, Mary pops the question and proposes to Joseph. Zacharias marries the two immediately. The Wise Men head off to Bethlehem months before Mary and Joseph do. But I digress.
They made some unique/interesting choices when it came to plot and characters. One choice being Antipater (the son of Herod). Throwing out history, obviously, they turn him into an anti-hero of sort. If this was not a musical, he would be the "unsung" hero of the movie. As it is, he gets several songs and is found in many pivotal scenes. He is the oh-so-conflicted son who wants to stop his father from murdering women and children. The most problematic sequence of scenes, in my opinion, is Joseph and Mary's arrival in Bethlehem, the birth of Jesus, the arrival of the three wise men, and the flight into Egypt. What is not found in Scripture: a) Joseph seeing Antipater and other Roman soldiers in the front of the census line and deciding NOT to stand in line b) Joseph and Mary trying to sneak into Bethlehem through a secret tunnel c) Joseph scouting ahead to see if they can reach his parents' house safely d) guards being at Josephs' parents' home waiting for them, e) a DONKEY kicking a soldier as he approaches a laboring Mary, f) a donkey pacing back and forth outside the stable as he waits for Jesus to be born g) the angels appearing to the WISE MEN (not the non-existent shepherds), h) everyone being able to see the angels including Herod in Jerusalem and Mary's parents (and sisters) in Nazareth, including all the soldiers looking for the birth of a newborn king i) snow fall j) Antipater arriving at the stable to find Joseph, Mary, and the three wise men fast asleep, k) Joseph and Mary begging and pleading with Antipater to spare their lives l) Antipater deciding that he didn't have to be like his father and he could choose better m) Antipater placing the family under HIS protection and keeping his soldiers from harming them, n) the Wise Men and Joseph weren't warned in a dream so much as told by Antipater directly to flee the country.
I find all the additions to the nativity story a) insulting (as if you could improve the story) b) distracting (taking all the focus away from the incarnation) c) exceedingly stupid.
The overall tone of the movie is COMEDY. A blend of ROMANTIC comedy and SLAP-STICK. There are a few minutes here and there that counteract that tone. Scenes that stand in sharp contrast to comedy. A few minutes here and there where the true story does emerge. For example, there's a few minutes where the "three wise guys" stop acting like the three stooges and seem to genuinely be worshipping the Christ child. It's a blink and you miss it moment.
Most of the scenes with the wisemen are so cringe that it's near unbearable. The jokes are so bad.
You wouldn't expect the scene with GABRIEL the angel to be cringe. But you'd be wrong. This Gabriel is bumbling-stumbling. He practices his speech to Mary--fumbling about with the words several times--and then bumps his head when he does emerge in Mary's presence. When he fails to wake her from slumber [the Bible never says she was sleeping, but that is neither here nor there] he uses his super-scary artificial robot voice and makes his eyes glow. Hence why he needs to tell her not to be afraid. These are sacred moments of Scripture that are being turned [and poorly turned] into a joke.
Joseph doesn't have a dream or vision confirming the truth of what Mary is saying. Not as you'd expect. In this "dream/vision" Joseph almost literally has a dance-off with himself. Okay, I exaggerate. It is Joseph versus Joseph. Mary is in the center--dressed in red, head to toe. One Joseph (dressed in black) wants to stone her and condemn her as a liar giving into all her desires. The other Joseph (dressed in white) wants to believe her because he loves her. They do dance. They do sing. They do choreographed battle. There's a fog machine--by my reckoning--and cruel soldiers and jeering peasants. You do hear Gabriel's voice speak out of dream-Mary's mouth, also her eyes glow blue.
I mentioned that the movie seems to throw out history. I think they throw out culture as well. (And I think indirectly you can conclude my opinion that they threw out much of the source material--the Bible.) Mary comes across--particularly at the first half--as whining and thoroughly modern in all the worst possible ways. Why did I have to be born a girl. I'm so oppressed. I have no choices in life. My dreams are over. Her words exactly, "Every girl I know helped choose their husband. Why am I forced to marry someone I haven't even met?" and "What about my dream of becoming a teacher?" Her father responds, you're fortunate anyone wants you with your CRAZY IDEAS. She tells Joseph, "My whole life I wanted to be a teacher and then marry someone I actually love." His feelings aren't hurt though since he wants to be an inventor who changes the world with his inventions. He's being forced to marry by his parents.
Some reviewers made a big deal out of the fact that these two have a meet-cute at the market place. Joseph and Mary bump into each other. He says "You're Welcome" (which is his catch-phrase that is repeated again and again and again). He offers to buy her a piece of fruit. She says, nope I'm engaged to be married. I can't accept a piece of fruit from you. He is like it can be a wedding present. Later when they meet again, she throws this in his face as proof that he can't be the one for her. He was FLIRTING while engaged. I just don't see why this alone from the movie is alarming. Not when there's so much other stuff to offend. It wasn't that flirtatious. And sure there could be layers of hidden subtext to make it mean something much, much, much more. But that would assume that the writers/producers were actually putting culture into the movie in the first place. If you look at the movie as a whole, first-century culture [Roman, Jewish] just seems non-important.
There were some enjoyable moments. "Brand New Life" is a very catchy song. It plays at their betrothal party AND the end credits. "We Become We" is beautiful. This is the song that plays during their hasty marriage. "Mary's Getting Married" is equal parts cringe and delight. Very Bride and Prejudice.
If the big-picture plan was to set up Herod [the Great] as [the first] Anti-Christ, I think they visually accomplished this. Is it historically accurate? Who knows. But they went hard in this direction. Always dressed in red and black. His throne room has an open-mouthed lion [sculpture?]. (The throne is in the lion's mouth). The eyes glow red. (As do the teeth when the lights go out). There are open flames EVERYWHERE. I think the intent was like let's make this look like a stereotypical image of hell itself. His song has the chorus of MINE IS THE KINGDOM, MINE IS THE POWER, MINE IS THE GLORY. FOREVER MORE. And this refrain pops up again in contrast. The Wise Men (who would have probably heard this song (Herod really likes singing about himself) sing to the Newborn king (in the melody of Herod's villain song) Thine is the kingdom, thine is the power, thine is the glory forever and ever.
I think my favorite brief moment of the film was Herod giving his son Antipater a priceless puzzled look when Antipater and the guards break out in the most ridiculous choreography.
No comments:
Post a Comment