December 1, 2023
Spiritually Speaking at the Movies, 2023, 139 min.
What: "Journey to Bethlehem". When: In theaters now. Should you see it? Yes. Don’t miss it, especially if you love musicals. It is that good. Above all, "Journey" is well made, clever, fun to watch and even funny at times without sacrificing the deeply spiritual aspect of the redeeming birth of Christ.
Memorable Line : Mary, after being visited by an Angel to tell her she’s going to be the mother of the Son of God, laments later in song, “I wish I had the faith that you have in me.”
How many believers need to hear that simple message today and get a deeper, secure understanding of the length and depth of God’s love?
At the annunciation scene where angels sing and rejoice of Christ’s coming, my wife and I actually had misty eyes as we were being touched anew by the significance of redeeming birth. God and sinners reconciled. If you are tired of the Christmas season being reduced to buying and selling in the temples of retail stores, this movie is for you.
If you have little or no idea of the story of Christ and not wanting to be hit over the head with preaching, this movie is also for you. Believers and non-believers alike will get a creative slant on events leading up to the birth in Bethlehem lasting a lifetime.
CAVEAT: To be honest, I had no intention of seeing Journey because many previous Christian efforts at film-making have been on the “B” level at best. Just throwing in some references to Jesus along with some sort of salvation message amidst weak production values is not enough. More recent projects, such as The Chosen TV series, are much better.
Also, an avalanche of Hallmark-style Christmas movies at this time seem predictable and even shallow. So, It took an interstate phone call from the casting director of the Cross and the Switchblade, Kleg Seth, to get me into a seat at the theatre. I am so glad I got the call from an industry voice I respect, otherwise I would have missed this gem. How analogous to finding the Pearl of Great Price can you get?.
I believe many Christians in the 21st century are going to welcome this really wonderful addition to the Christmas canon as a deserved classic, putting it on their personal “Must See” list along with "It’s a Wonderful Life" for many Christmas seasons to come.
MORE: What the musical is about.
An adrenaline shot is injected into the very-well known story of three wise men traveling from afar to worship the new born King of Kings, while a devious Herod plans that king’s murder. Antonio Banderas as Herod displays deep acting versatility and range to give us an insightful, dark and believable absolute ruler, instead of a simple, campy caricature so often seen.
His scenes are supported by songs revealing the nature of the grip that unlimited power holds over human beings — without scaring children in the audience. That is sensitive and slick story-telling.
The foreboding movie set Herod sings in, neatly encases him in his lair of plotting without being trite. It seems that no detail is overlooked by the producers, giving the film a feel of real craftsmanship by journeyman.
But amid the serious singing and dancing there is also comedy relief. It has been a joke for decades that the “Three Wise Guys” rode in on camels to meet the Christ. Well, here they are — three unlikely, odd and almost bumbling, almost nerdy but rich, companions with one goal in mind: be present at the most significant event in human history. Nothing will deter them, especially each other, even when two keep asking the one, “What is myrrh, anyway? What’s it for?”
This is a neat balancing act to make the story palatable without descending into campy. The cast, writers and producers pull it all off with seemingly easy expertise. That is what good story-tellers do.
The Song and Dance:
Within "Journey" is an "A" list set of songs and dances, choreographed and executed with surprising expertise and flair. The photography, costumes and sets are warm and inviting.
I say surprising because big studios have flopped trying this genre on for size. Take the film "South Pacific" for instance. Despite catchy tunes written by the great songwriting team of Rogers and Hammerstein, "Pacific" simply does not have the chemistry or cohesiveness to be called really good, much less great.
But "Journey to Bethlehem" succeeds where others have fallen, being ambitious without being pretentious and over-reaching. It stays within its own boundaries, giving us appreciation of what is being presented, ala abundant talent and craftsmanship. It’s done without drawing attention to what it cannot do. That’s artistry.
Also, there is Joseph, a figure so often overlooked in the telling. Joseph is fully engaged in the story and we are given a satisfying, insightful look into his thought process with Mary, who is given a more modern look at motherhood. We even meet his parents and are introduced to what a first century betrothal in Israel looked like.
This takes chances because there is little written about Joseph, much less his parents. But the writers introduce aspects of Joseph’s life that are both humorous and touching that will keep us thinking about a man most people simply view as an “also ran.” Think “Diamond in the rough” from "Aladdin" and you have sort of a start on Journey’s Jospeh.
The Music in "Journey to Bethlehem".
I do love good musicals, the film version of "West Side Story," for instance, being on my “A” list. In my early school years I lived in Manhattan, New York. Radio City was a nice walk from our 72nd street apartment and there I grew up on some of the best musicals the country had produced: "Oklahoma," "The Music Man," "Porgy and Bess" and a stage production of "West Side Story". As a result, so many musicals today fail to reach those artistic heights by comparison in my eyes and ears. But here is music and dancing to be appreciated, especially in a story one would not think it would work. It does.
In that context as a fan of those classics, I would say take the family from age 7 to 77 (or more), try this film out and see if you don’t agree — "Journey to Bethlehem" is a Christmas treasure, and right in time.
Journey to Bethlehem is Rated PG, 1:39 minutes, featuring Antonio Banderas (Zorro, Puss in Boots) as Herod, Milo Manheim as Joseph and Fiona Palmo as Mary.
The Three Wise Men are portrayed by stand-up comedian Omid Djalili (the Mummy) as Melchior, Geno Segers and Rizwau Manji and the angel Gabriel by Lecrae.
Directed by Adam Anders. A Sony Pictures release.
