The Miracle Maker (1999 film)

The Miracle Maker (1999 film)
The Miracle Maker sometimes subtitled The Story of Jesus, is a 1999 Welsh-Russian stop motion-animated film directed by Derek Hayes and Stanislav Sokolov of the life of Jesus Christ, voiced by Ralph Fiennes. Hand-drawn animated cartoons are used to distinguish flashbacks, parables, stories, spiritual encounters and visions from the main plot, which is all in stop motion.
A Welsh language version premiered on S4C in 1999 with an English version distributed theatrically by Icon Film Distribution in the UK in 2000. The film was also released theatrically in France, Italy, Australia, Spain, Brazil, Japan, Sweden and Poland. It was also distributed in the USA following the ABC USA premiere in 2000, while Artisan Entertainment, and later Lionsgate, held the home video rights.
Plot
100 years into the Roman Occupation of Judea, Capernaum priest Jairus and his sick daughter Tamar travel to Sepphoris to see a doctor their friend Cleopas says can help Tamar. While the doctor confides to Jairus her condition is incurable, Tamar witnesses a deranged woman, Mary Magdalene, defended by Jesus, a carpenter building a new synagogue. Jesus visits his mother, Mary, who recalls his birth, the visit of the Wise Men and his conferring with the elders at the Temple.
Jesus is baptised by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, where he is spoken to by a heavenly voice, then wanders into the wilderness and resists temptation by Satan. Jesus begins preaching in Capernaum, where Tamar and her mother Rachel hear him give the Sermon on the Mount and tell the Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Builders. Judas, a zealot plotting an uprising against the Roman Empire, believes Jesus is the Messiah come to lead the people to victory and leaves the zealots to follow him.
The Temple priests question the legitimacy of Jesus's teachings, with priest Ben Azra particularly concerned he could lead a revolt. Jesus commandeers the boat of Simon to preach to crowds from the water, then instructs the fishermen into performing the miraculous catch of fish, after which Simon recognizes Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus continues to preach, perform miracles, chooses his twelve apostles (Changing Simon's name to Peter) and frees Mary Magdalene of the demons who possess her. When Jesus forgives her sins in front of synagogue leaders, Ben Azra and Simon the Pharisee condemn him as being in league with the Devil.
Tamar's illness worsens and though fearful of angering the priests, Jairus goes to ask Jesus to save her. Tamar dies before Jesus is able to help her, but Jesus encourages Jairus to remain faithful and raises Tamar, who awakens fully healed. Jesus mourns for John the Baptist after he is killed by King Herod, who agrees with Ben Azra that Jesus must be dealt with to prevent Pontius Pilate from reporting an uprising against Rome. Jairus, Rachel, Cleopas, and Tamar join Jesus and his followers as they journey to Jerusalem for Passover. High priest Caiaphas is told by Ben Azra he witnessed Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead and his journey to Jerusalem is the start of an uprising, but Caiaphas reasons that Jesus can be disposed of.
Jesus enters Jerusalem, greeted by adoring crowds, where he turns the tables of the temple traders, validates the payment of taxes to Caesar and predicts his own death. Judas, now believing Jesus to be a false Messiah, resolves to betray him to save himself and the Jewish people and goes to Ben Azra and the temple priests, who are seeking to arrest Jesus away from the crowds. Jesus has the Passover meal with his followers, where he tells the disciples they will abandon him. He goes to the Garden of Gethsemane, where he refuses a final temptation by Satan to escape his fate, praying for God's will to be done. Judas leads the authorities to Jesus, who is arrested while the disciples flee.
Jesus is tried by Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, is mocked by Herod and sent to Pilate, who finds no case against Jesus but Ben Azra has crowds call for Jesus's execution and Caiaphas blackmails Pilate into condemning Jesus to death. Jesus is crucified in sight of his followers, proclaiming ‘It is finished’ and the curtain that separates the Holy of Holies is torn as he dies. Jesus's body is laid in a tomb which Mary Magdalene and Peter both find empty on Sunday morning, but both encounter Jesus in the garden. Cleopas and Jairus tell the disciples they encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus, Thomas remains doubtful until Jesus appears before him. Jesus gathers all his followers where he tells them to give his teachings to the world before ascending into heaven. Tamar tells everyone that the Kingdom of God has come.
Cast
Ioan Gruffudd (Welsh version), Ralph Fiennes (English version) as Jesus
Michael Bryant as God, Doctor
Rebecca Callard as Tamar
Julie Christie as Rachel
William Hurt as Jairus
Daniel Massey as Cleopas
Richard E. Grant as John the Baptist
Ian Holm as Pontius Pilate
Anton Lesser as King Herod
David Schofield as Caiaphas
Alfred Molina as Simon the Pharisee
Bob Peck as Joseph of Arimathea
William Hootkins as Satan
Ken Stott as Simon Peter
Lisa Palfrey (Welsh version), Miranda Richardson (English version) as Mary Magdalene
David Thewlis as Judas Iscariot
Emily Mortimer as Mary of Nazareth
Ewan Stewart as Andrew
Dougray Scott as John
James Frain as Thomas
Robert Duncan as Lazarus
Julie Higginson as Mary
Sian Rivers as Martha
Tim McInnerny as Barabbas
Antony Sher as Ben Azra
Lennie James as Tribune Quintilus
Reception
The Miracle Maker received positive critical response, Antonia Quirke of The Independent calling it "a powerfully engaging film, one that correctly sees the gospels as spiritual autobiography, and Jesus's skill with parables as an art both fundamental and devastating."
Steven D. Greydanus of the National Catholic Register praised it, saying "no other Jesus movie I’ve seen is so well-grounded in the historical, cultural, political, religious and even economic realities of Jesus’ day, or in the religious conflict between Jesus and the Jewish authorities. From Jewish-Roman tensions to diverse groups within Judaism — Pharisees, Sadducees and Zealots; priests and local religious leaders, working-class Jews, despised tax collectors and other 'sinners,' hated Samaritans, and even more marginal figures like 'Mad Mary' Magdalene — Murray Watts’ astonishingly deft screenplay efficiently sketches the lines between all these groups. And then it demonstrates how easily Jesus crosses those lines, to the discomfort of all around him, his disciples included."
Den of Geek listed it at #1 on a listicle of "25 Best Bible Movies About Jesus Christ to Watch For Easter," Rebecca Clough writing "For a children’s film, there’s an astonishing amount of intelligent insight into characters’ feelings and motivations. It’s also beautifully made, moving, and funny."
See also
List of animated feature films
List of stop-motion films
List of Easter films
References
External links
Portrayals of Jesus in film
1999 animated films
Christian animation
Russian animated feature films
British animated feature films
1990s stop-motion animated films
Portrayals of the Virgin Mary in film
Cultural depictions of John the Baptist
Cultural depictions of Judas Iscariot
Cultural depictions of Pontius Pilate
Icon Productions films
Animated films set in ancient Rome
Welsh films
Films scored by Anne Dudley
Portrayals of Mary Magdalene in film
Cultural depictions of Saint Peter
Films about Jesus
1990s British films
Film portrayals of Jesus' death and resurrection
Animated films set in Palestine (region)
Animated films set in the 1st century
Animated films about Easter