I discovered Montherlant's play through this movie and I was amazed.
Indeed, this is only a TV movie without a big budget.
But Michel Aumont, as King Ferrante, brings all his expertise as a theatre actor and gives the film its full value. Thomas Jouannet can be blamed for his melodramatic performance, but he portrays a moving Don Pedro; finally, Gaëlle Bona manages to embody a full of sweetness and innocence Dona Inès. Good performance!
The scenery is splendid.
Reviews
2 Reviews
The Body
(2001)
Faith and archeology
4 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Actually, I'm a catholic priest, I have lived for six months in Jerusalem to study Bible and archeology. And that movie really absorbed me. The atmosphere of Jerusalem, halfway between East and West, the political problems are well depicted. All the city fly-by shots make me feel the Jerusalem mood. It's true sometimes that the Church stuff could have been better rendered : religious dresses or biblical references. I like too that the "love story" between fr Matt and Sharon doesn't go too far (as in the novel)... Last factor : the faith problem. At the end of the movie, Matt doesn't have any scientific proof whether it is the body of Christ or not... So, what remains to him is faith and not a scientific certainty. He is really "a man of God". "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain" says Paul. So Faith tells me that Christ is arisen and that Science should demonstrate that the body couldn't be Christ's (Science cannot prove resurrection but should prove that the facts don't contradict these beliefs). Even that scientific comfort isn't given to him. I have watched the movie with some traditionalist friends and they didn't like the movie for the very reason I liked it. Of course, the Body is not a masterpiece. But it cannot leave us unconcerned.
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