History of film "the nativity story"

The film The Nativity Story was released on December 1, 2006. It was directed by Catherine Hardwick, and it was produced by Wyck Godfrey and Toby Emmerich. The main characters in this movie were Mary, who was played by Keisha Castle-Hughes. Joseph was played by Oscar Isaac, and Elizabeth who was played by Shohreh Aghdashloo. Also, Zachariah who was played by Stanley Townsend. Herod who was played by Ciaran Hinds, and the Angel Gabriel who is played by Alexander Siddig.

The Nativity Story is a movie about the conception of baby Jesus. Mary who is a young teenage girl got married to Joseph. Mary is old that she has to remain untouched for a whole year. Mary is visited by an angel from God, and she is told that she will conceive a child, and his name shall be called Jesus. Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, who she has went to stay with is also pregnant, but she does not believe it, because she is too old to have children. Mary is told by Elizabeth to trust God as she has done. When Mary returned home, she notices the anger on Joseph’s and her parent’s faces. Joseph want to end the marriage, because he thinks that she went against her vows.

Joseph was visited by an angel that night, and he is told to trust Mary. Herod hears about he new king, and starts to get jealous. Herod tells everyone to go back to there place of birth, and they would have to have a census. Mary and Joseph go back to Bethlehem, and Mary is very close to giving birth. Mary gives birth in a stable, and Jesus is visited by the Magi. King Herod learns about the king being born, and orders that every baby boy be killed.

The director did great job portraying the period in the movie. During this period many people were stressed, sad, and broken that their family was broken apart by king Herod. The director really added the extra emotion into the movie to show how this period of time under the horrible leadership of king Herod made people feel. On the other hand i feel as if the Director could have did a better job on portraying more culture to the movie. Although, the movie had some of their culture in the movie it didn’t have enough to show the reader how their culture affected their history. The movie mainly showed how the village made a living. Everyone had their own niche in the community, that made their culture and community strive. The director didn’t add enough culture to give the audience a background about the village. The director did an okay job in portraying the characters. The characters were portrayed just as they were in every other story. The director made Mary an innocent teenage girl, as she has been told to be in every story about Jesus’s birth. Hardwick made Herod the evil King that he was told to be in many other stories. There was nothing more he could have done to portray the characters better. Also, Elizabeth, Zachariah, the Magi, and Gabriel were portrayed in the same exact way as they were in every film about them.

Some historical things I learned from this period is that the King was Herod. Not only did I learn that Herod was king, I learned that he was a horrible King. I also learned that Herod ordered that all boys be killed, because he was jealous towards baby Jesus.

The main conflict in the movie is King Herod and the people. Herod was over taxes the people, and he also held a huge massacre of baby boys to make sure that Jesus would not become king. Another conflict is Mary’s and Joseph’s faith in God. There were many other people who had their faith tested by God, but the whole story is about Mary and Joseph. Mary and joseph were troubled, because Mary was pregnant by an angel from God.

The film was written in many perspectives, and I feel as if the movie were written any other way it wouldn’t make sense. The movie shows a bias in the way it views lower class to higher class. The higher class in the movie didn’t have to stress and paying taxes, and to be able to provide for their families. Also, much of the lower classes faith was tested. The soldiers in the movie were held to a higher standard than others. Male an female really didn’t have any bias, it really just had the natural justs that were done in the house and outside the house.

The main message that the director is trying to send to the audience is don’t give up. In the movie many people’s faith was tested. Mary and Joseph was tested by God, and they passed the test. Although going through many bad trial and tribulations they made it through them. The film teaches us how to value the things that we have at the moment. Everyone who watches the movie should take into account that if Mary and Joseph made it out we can. The film was not only made to she the history of baby Jesus being born, because this is historically what happened. The directors successfully sent lots of messages to their audience. I feel as if anything that is made will be controversial. This is because everyone has their own opinions on everything. No one will ever agree on one thing, and we will constantly argue over them. Expectually, because the film is based on a religious figure lots of people will always have something to say. Some people my not even have any faith, as they did in the movie.