The Chosen
If you are looking for a good historical drama, I highly recommend the series, The Chosen. It is a multi-season, crowd-sourced production about the lives of all the characters depicted in the four gospels. Only two seasons are published and five more seasons are planned.
I love watching Jesus movies. From Jesus Christ Superstar to The Passion of the Christ to The Gospel of Matthew to The Last Temptation of Christ to Jesus, I glean something from every one of them. Each one depicts Jesus, Judas, Mary, the disciples, and the Pharisees uniquely. Up to now, my favorite Jesus has been Jeremy Sisto (Jesus 2001). He was playful and approachable, not entirely sure of his destiny. I appreciate Jim Caviezel's Jesus in The Passion of the Christ as it helped me to experience the horrid reality of Jesus's suffering prior to and during crucifixion. And even though my first cinema experience of Jesus was Ted Neely in Jesus Christ Superstar, I think Steve Balsamo's Broadway rendition of the song, Gethsemane is unsurpassed.
When you read the Bible it can be kind of hard to get a clear picture of what is happening. There are a lots of quotes and stories, with characters moving from place to place in a land that most of us are unfamiliar with. We never get to really know the secondary characters -- who are they and where did the come from? Nor do we grasp the cultural settings as we would in a well-written modern novel.
The cinema can bring Bible stories to life. But even most movie depictions don't go much deeper than what is written in scripture. This is what sets The Chosen apart from all the rest. It is in a completely different class from the others. With 56 planned episodes, it takes its time. At the end of season 2 we have not yet gotten to Jesus's famous Sermon on the Mount, told in Matthew chapters 5-7. But we've learned a lot about the backstories of nearly every character and the historical and cultural context of the times. We get to really know Peter and Matthew. We get a sweet sense of Jesus's relationship with his mother. The fears, failings and talents of each of the disciples, including Mary Magdalene, are laid bare, and we get a picture of their inner struggles and how they might have interacted with each other in a realistic sense. Artistic license and scripture weave together a fantastic story of a very understandable, wise and likable Jesus - a man who inspired so many to leave their lives and follow him on a completely unknown and perilous journey.
If you decide to watch it, be prepared for a traditional Christian interpretation of the story. The healings and miracles are very magical. Dialogue beyond what's found in scripture is added all the time, which enriches the story, but I definitely shook my head and winced over a line or two. For example, after two seasons I have yet to hear Jesus say after a healing, "Your faith has made you well." Maybe that is coming. Additionally, Jonathan Roumie's Jesus is a bit more sure of his destiny than my own conceptual Jesus was sure of his. But we all have a concept of Jesus don't we? None of us really know. So I have learned to keep my mind open and let the artist do his/her work. If a show is good, I want to keep watching. And I want to keep watching this one.
© carol saunders 2022
Jesus, played by Jonathan Roumie, and the children
NOTE: Every episode of The Chosen is available free on the Angels Studios website or on The Chosen mobile app. I like subtitles so I watched Season 1 for free on Amazon prime and Season 2 on DVD. If you want to 'pay it forward' and make it available to more people, or fund future seasons, you can do so here.