The late Richard Harris plays the aged apostle St. John in director Raffaele Mertes' interesting but distracted 2002 drama about the disciple's efforts to bolster the morale of early Christians during a Roman campaign to wipe them out. Hiding under a pseudonym in prison, circa 90 A.D., John smuggles letters out to Christian communities encouraging the people to hang on to their faith despite trials. So treasured are these missives from the last living witness to Christ's passion that an effort is made, via a young woman named Irene (Vittoria Belvedere), to find John, who in turn entrusts her with his written record of sundry visions (i.e., the Book of Revelations). While this might suggest a good, suspenseful drama that could appeal to viewers of various religious persuasions, the effort to capture the power of John's visions through cheap special effects drags The Apocalypse down. Still, Harris is characteristically good, and the attention to period detail is evident. A strong optional purchase. (T. Keogh)
The Apocalypse
Good Times, 96 min., not rated, VHS: $14.95, DVD: $19.95 Volume 19, Issue 5
The Apocalypse
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