Corpus Christi

Gérard Mordillat and Jérôme Prieur follow their scholarly 10-hour Origin of Christianity [VL-1/05]—which examined questions about early church history through interviews with international scholars—with this 12-hour series that focuses on Jesus Christ, particularly as revealed in the Gospel of John. Once again the cinematic approach is extremely ascetic: 27 Christian and Jewish experts expound on the biblical text, drawing on their various disciplines—history, theology, and archaeology—to not only explore apparent contradictions and anomalies but to emphasize its character as a document of faith. This historical/critical approach is unlikely to please literalists, and even those open to the idea may find the result—which is rather like the modern equivalent of a medieval work of exegesis that stitches together quotations from various authors in a running commentary—somewhat exhausting, especially since the only visual breather from a steady diet of talking heads here (speaking multiple languages) is an occasional shot of an early Bible manuscript. But taken on its own austere terms, Corpus Christi is a remarkable project that delves as deeply into the ancient Christian descriptions of Jesus' death and resurrection as possible given the generous discussion time, multitude of viewpoints, and range of disciplines represented. Spread over four discs, this boxed set also features an excellent booklet with statements by the filmmakers, interviewee bios, glossaries, and timelines. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)